Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-23
MARRIAGE AND BIRTHDAY
ASSOCIATIONS.
Reasons why she Great Majority
Were Excluded From Postal
Privileges

The subjoined communication is pub.
lished as matter Of news, which will in.
tsrest good many people. TITS addressed
to the Secretary of ons of the two or three
hundred associations lately debarred from
the privileges of the common postal
service. It ia understood that he
will have something TO say in reply,
and that no has no objection TO this pub
lication. 1t is a matter Of official record
and news, and viii be mighty interest
ing reading" to some people, as Horace
Greeley once remarked, when he made q
peculiarly important discovery. If any
Of tho mutual, marriage, birthday or natal
associations are excepted from the general
order issued by the Postofice Department
it is something OF card ia their favor.
at least for the present. There cannot be
many such.
OFFICE o. ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GsSERALl
FoK THA PosTOFrlcE DEPARTMENT,
MAsRIS0ToN, -. G., UecenVer ., 1882.
SIR-Your communication of the 4th
inst, addressed 10 the Postmaster General,
has been referred to this Ufflce.
In reply have the honor to state that
| have given the matter of Marriage and
Birthday Associations very careful con-
sideration, and have reported to the Post
master General my conclusions.
am of the Opinion that the proposition
embodied in the plan or scheme of these
associatlonsis is fraudulent one
That proposition, rs | understand it,
stripped Of all complication, amounts to
this.
A B G ct al. form an association and
propose to pay to any one who will, by
payment Of certain fees, join their associ-
ations SUN Ia gely in excess of the
amount paid in and interest thereon, the
sum to be paid on the occurrence of an
event entirely within the control of the
party TO be benefited.
That this can be done for short time
is admitted; that this business cannot be
operated for any great length Of time, and
that the last depositors arc to lose their
investments, ] have found no one 10
deny.
| make the following quotation from an
NhNlb1uit III lOuI iOul ne
plan is simplicity within itself You Join,
marry when you please, and your benefit
is the whole amount of money you have
paid in with fifty per cent added.
Would you trust your money to al
banking house that proposed to do this
sort Of business2 Suppose the govern
meut of the United States should say TO
the citizen: DEPOSIT your money with
the Treasurer and when you marry you
can draw out the amount deposited with
fifty per cent added.
Leaving out of question the policy of
such a scheme, is the government rich
to meet such an undertaking?
The enclosed circular card which Won
issue, to which / have already alluded, Is
headed " tn the words, Trhe Survival of
the Fittest.n This furnishes the kew to
the whole scheme. 1t is indeed the sur
vival Of the ''shrewdest" ifInot of the sit
test" 1t is safraud ON the unthinking, 1t
is a proposition TO do that which cannot
honestly be done. / do not mean to cast
any reflection ON the personal integrity Of
parties engaged in these schemes. / only
regret that they should have seen proper
to lend their good names to the promotion
of II scheme that stripped of the gauzy
paraphernalia OF f''plans, Glasses" ETC.,
Is a naked, transparent fraud.
Very respectfully,
(Sgned) A. A. FREEMAN,
Asst Atty Gen, Postofiice Dept.
To GEO. +. WILLIS, ESQ.,, Memphis
Tennessee.