Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-25
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.

Southern Marriage Benefit Association
| To the Editors Of the Appeal:
| Referring to an article in your issue oil
July 18th, quoted from the Chicago Tribune
| wherein its dyspeptic editor, with the himsy
| Pretextsof condemning tina East Mississippi
| Cooperative Endowment Association, in
dulgss in the usual Wholesale abuse of the
| columns of replying to it. 1t does seem TO
me that the lapse of seventeen years should
be sufficient te cool the fires of hate kindled
| by our late war, and that Northern editors
who control public sentiment would learn
| to sympathize with our honest struggle for
recuperation. If the North is really the
great source of moral ideas and actions in
this country, the exemplar of civilization,
why not encourage the higher christian
sentiment of mercy and of patience, rather
than continue the war agitation 10 preserve
a party perpetually IN power? What good
results from retaliation? If the North calls
us "bulldozers," can't we, with equal truth,
refer to their "labor strikes~ If they say
Mississippi and South Carolina stuff bal
that Pennsylvania does the same? Where
is there an evil of which the South is
accused that cannot be offset by Northern
frailties? The article iusinuates that
these marriage benefit associations were
first started in Mississippi, being called
'the last manifestation of Mississippi
fnanciering," when In truth they were COM
menced in the virtuous State of sanity
Thad Stew ems. And to indulge in the retail
atory vein we might say that their organiza-
tions were failures, because Pennsylvania
could not produce a sufficiency of honest
material to fill its ofices-so a collapse re-
suited. Now I might say the above with
the same truth that our Chicago editor
evinced in his accusation as TO our "bull-
doing propcnsities." But we haven't started
out to abuse the North-it is not to the in
writer were SO inclined. We might refer
burned and ss 16wn wa INC mas
ity of our whole people, that our part of the
country has been drained for long time by
those old, blood-sucking insurance compa-
mics that originated North. We might ILL., |
allude TO their agents for light |
ning-rod companies, cooking stoves, porce- |
lain-lined pumps, sewing-machines, patent |
medicine, and other enterprising methods |
adopted by Yankee enterprise TO transfer |
Southern capital across the line. We might |
with equal bitterness remind the North that
our struggling people have contributed in
divers ways to build up their great, prosper
BUS section, alive with anon-taI paying bond
The country, and by their superior
iexterily manipulate the price of
Southern industries to their advan-
age. But we will not accuse; we will
rot retaliate; we are learning that our in
erests are not subserved by arousing Sec
ional luminosity; we like Northern money as
veil as they like ours; even now we would
ssue a policy to the editor of the Chicago
Tribune as cheerfully and as gracefully as we
would to the most honest Mississippian that
an be produced. And If he is . married
nan, we would allow him the same benefits
n our baby department that we would any
,outherper; provided, however, ne isn't a I
egro. In our charitable feeling toward all
mankind, we are willing to overlook the
reach of confidence on the part of the gen.
lemanly "marriage-license clerk" in hand I
ng a business letter to a newspaper for pub
orsed at Its head, confidential mode Of adj
ertising peculiar to our association" or q
Iords to that effect. Perhaps our clerical
lend would have thought better of it and C
ccepted our agency had it not been, as the S
rticle, says that the clerk was saiaried
ficer only, and therefore interested in his
tate in the marriage of people. We would ]
rplain to those who might be misled "a to q
he management of our particular associa- u
on, that it is managed in a way j
Of peculiar to those of the majority of o
larriage benefit organisations. Our concern o
in the hands of honest men, three county
Ulcers composing its president, vice presi-
snt and treasurer. All funds collected by Il
,sessments are deposited when received in b
le hands OF Stockard, Bonner d Co., C