The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-03-09
Temperance Reading.
Joseph Cook on Temperance.

Joseph Cook on Temperance.
In the prelude to a recent lecture
Joseph Cook presented some interesting
facts in regard to Temperance. He OBJ
served that for nearly half a century
lie assurance societies in England have
insured moderate drinkers and total abb
stainers in separate sections and that a
bonus has been paid to the sections made
up of total abstainers of.seven, thirteen.
seventeen and some cases of twenty-
three per cent. over that paid 10 the Sec
ton of moderate drinkers. Said Mr.. Cook:
Here are few commercial facts of
the largest philanthropic significance
have in my possession an original
letter of one of the foremost societies
Tor lfe~ assurance in London, and the
statement is contained in it that for fif-
teen years the society has been accus-
toned to pay every FIVE years bonuses
TO It's TWO sections-that is, to the total
abstainerS on the one hand, and to the
moderate drinkers, on the other--and
that the result has been during the mast
sixteen years there have been issued
9,345 policies on the lives of moderate
drinkers--that is, OF those who are not
strictly abstinent in the use of alcoholic
E1uors-and 8, 1876 on the lives of total
abstainers. OF the former 524 have
died, but 81 only of the latter, or less
than half the proportionate number,
which, of course, would be 100. Less
than one half the abstainers have died.
compared with the number that died
among non-abstainers who were strict
ly temperate, and this in an experience
of sixteen years. | hold in my hand the
circulars of very celebrated life assur-
ance society, which | shall not name,
for fear you will say l wish to adver-
tlse it, although it is not an American
society, and l read in this official
document that in 1872, 1875 and 1873
the bonus on the Temperance section
was fourteen per cent. higher than in
the general department., while the bonus
for 1881 in the Temperance section is
twenty-three per cent, higher. | will
name single one of the great life as.
Surance companies in England because
Its reputation is well established. and I
can not be suspected of having any i'm
proper motive for giving its career pub
LEFTY. | refer to the United Kingdom
Temperance and General Provident In
stitution. In England its experience is
often cited to show the superior value
of teetotal lives, as compared with those
of moderate drinkers. The institution
insureS members of two sections, one
in which all the mem ers are total alb
stainers; in the other, moderate drink
ers; all Incorporate persons being, of
course, excluded. The sections are ex-
actly alike in every other respect, about
10000 lives being in ured in the Gen
eral section, and 10000 in the Temper
ance section. Returns of the expected
and actual claims in both sections for
fifteen years, from 1864 till 1875, show
that in the General section 3, 40 deaths
were expected, and that 3 ,444 took
place; whereas in the Temperance sec
tion the expected deaths were 2, 002 and
the actual deaths only 1,433. During
the year 1879 the expected claims in the
Temperance section were 1g5 for E40.-
844; the actual claims were ia for
f28,690. In the General section 30j
were expected for G64. 342, the actual
having been 1926 for ETA, $50 The quin-
quennial bonuses in the Temperance
section have been seventeen and one
half per cent. greater than those in the
General section"
Farther on in his preliminary dis
course, Mr.. Cook said:
- [ do not know how it is that on this
sea-board we sometimes do not now
seem to feel the throb of the mighty
future of the Republic as our fathers
did, and as people do yet on the Missis-
sippi. Does the breadth of the West
inspire great ideas? We, too, have
broad .outlooks. We have a great river
running past our wharves We call it
the Atlantic Ocean. We ought to be
able to look across it and see that our
Temperance example is dong good or
evil to the ends of the earth. But the
upper half of the Miss ssippi Valley ap-
pears to have more intense care for
the future of its population than we have
for that Of ours. 1t listens to the tramp
Of the coming generations. The sound
of centuries yet to be is in the ears of
Iowa and Kansas There is a mighty
rustic on the prairies in favor of anti
dotes for one of the hugest evils of our
civilization. The two young States
which possess the latest portions of our
continent are making up their minds
that they will not allow the cancers of
the whisky rings to eat into their vitals.
No temporary defeat will tame the re-
formatory spirit of these common
wealths They are leading our Nation
and the world in Temperance legisla-
t on. For one, | believe that if score
of the American States succeed in put
ting Constitutional Prohibition on firm
basis, it will ultimately become Ma
tional policy"