Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-03
MARRIAGE GUILDS.
Treasurer Polk Makes a Remark
able Discovery,
Which is All Smoke and No
Fire.
Nashville Banner, Q.


the following circular letter to all the
District Attorney Generals Of the
State:
OFFICE OF THE TREASURER OF THE
STATE OF TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE,
July Dear Sir: | am directed by
the Attorney General of the State to
call your attention to the fact that the
various insurance companies, organ
iza'i ions, corporations and co partner
ships known as Matrimonial, Nuptial,
etc., now doing business in this State,
whether organized or incorporated
under the laws of this State or not,
are acting in open violation Of the law.
He directs me to call yonr attention
to the acts of 1875, chapter l09, pages
1872 to 1893, and to require you to pro
ceed at once against all such COM
panies, organizations, corporations or
partnerships and their agents wherever
to be found within yosr district Re
spectfully, M. L. POLK,
Treasurer and Insurance Oommis-
sioner.
A Banner reporter, yesterday after
n on, took copy of the letter written
b State Treasurer Polk and visited
several of the leading attorneys of the
city, to whom it was submitted. The
frst one approached said he was very
positive in his mind that all matrimo
NAL associations in the State were op-
Grating contrary to law; that is, they
are not guilty of any direct violation
of law, but they do not come within
the strict letter Of the law. lie said in
the event one Of them we're to suspend
the projectors could be held liable to
the members of the association tor the
amounts paid in by them in the way OF
dues and assessments.
The next approached, a judge Of one
of the courts, said there was nothing
| in Mr. Polk's letter, and the Attorney
Generals would probably pay no at
tention to it. If he understood it,
the matrimonial associations were
private copartnerships; mutual bene-
| fit, and not organized insurance com
panies. While he did not believe they
came within the strict letter Of the
| law he was satisfied that any body Of
men had the right to operate for each
others benefit.
The next one seen said he had been
satisfied all along that the organiza-
tions known as nuptial associations
were illegal concerns, but he knew OF
no law to make them desist. They
we're not insurance companies, out
nuptial benefit association, and GER
tainly there was no law to prevent the
operation Of such organizations. de
said, if he understood their plan Of
operation, they did not contract to pay
any specified amount to the members
who married, but agreed to pay them
the entire amount Of the assessment
of all the members. He believed
there was one company that agreed to
pay the full amount of policies, but
, this company had a reserve fund
created By deducting ten per cent oi
the amount paid.
Attorney General Washington said
he thought Mr.. Polk's letter was ex'
: aotly right. Nuptisl associations were
, illegal organizations. Some Of them
were officered by responsible men and
would do all they agreed to, but at the
same time they we're operating con
trary to law.
Another attorney said that if he un.
derstood it, these nuptial unions anC
!; natal leagues we're chartered under az
act of 1875. They we're private co
partnerships, and not regularly organ
C lied insurance companies. Their OBJ
. ject was to pay to their members Ger
r tain sums Of money, or 50 much thereof
as might be collected by assessments
e in the event they married not earlier
D than specified time. He did not SEE
how the law could reach them, al
Y though he was aware they did NO
s come within the strict letter Of tht
s law.
When it became known yesterda.
that Mr.. BOlk s letter had been written
hundreds of young men who hold poll
oies in these companies, both in Ten
. nessee and other Southern States
i became somewhat alarmed, and man.
J of them sought legal advice. In nearl!
o every instance they we're told tha
l. there was no serious cause for alarm
i is many of tho associations were oper
i ated by responsible men and tn
= amounts Of their dues and assessment
q q could in any emergency be recovere'
! from them.
/ One lawyer said the association
2 would 60 right along as they hsv
. been, regardless of the threatenin
q letter of Mr.. Polk. He said in a fe'
10 months the people might lookout for
burst up" in many Of the less re
sponsible ones, but the solid companie
would continue in business and dis
m m charge their obligations to the lettel