The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1883-02-28


number, which, of course, would be
100. Less than one-half the num-
Der of abstainers have died, compar-
ed with the number that died among
non-abstainers who were strictly
temperate, and this in an expert
ence of sixteen years. hold in my
hand the circulars of n very cele-
brated life assurance society, which
l shall not name, for fear you will
say / wish to advertise il. although
il 10 not an American society, and |
read in this official document that
in 1872, 1875, and 1873 the bonus
TO the temperance section was IA
per cent. higher than in the general
department, while the bonus for
1881 in the temperance section is
23 per cent. higher. will name a
single one of the great life assur-
ance companies in England because
its reputation is well established
and / cannot be suspected of having
any improper motive for giving its
career publicity. / refer to the
United Kingdom Temperance and
General Provident Institution. In
England It's experience is often
cited to show the superior value OF
teetotal lives, as compared with
those of moderate drinkers. The
institution insures members in two
sections, one in which all the mem
bers are total abstainers; in the 9th
er, moderate drinkers; all intemper-
ate persons being, of course, exclud-
ed. The two sections are exactly
alike in every other respect, about
10000 lives being insured in the
General Section, and 10000 in the
Temperance Section. Returns of
the expected and actual claims in
both sections for fifteen years, from
1864 till 1875, show that in the Gen
eral Section 3, 450 deaths were eX-
pected, and that 3,444 took place;
whereas, in the Temperance Section
the expected deaths were 2,O02, and
the actual deaths only ,433. Dur
ing the year 1879 the expected
claims in the Temperance Section
were 1875 forI e4O, S44; the actual
claims were 164for e2S,690. In the
General Section 305 were expected
for e74,950. The quinquennial
bonuses in the Temperance Section
have been Ia per cent. greater
than those in the General Section.
To summarize details which |
might easily make voluminous, the
experience of nearly forty years and
the insurance of more than 100000
lives in societies making a distinc-
ton between temperate non-abstain-
ers and total abstainers have proved
that under the law of averages a
bonus of from seventeen to twent
three per cent. must be paid to the
sections of total abstainers.
Where is the church, where is
wealthy society, where are our cir
cles of culture and advanced thought
where are our serious and intelli
gent young men, that they are not
awake TO these stern facts Of mere
business? | have been citing TO
you not temperance documents, but
the reports of life assurance sOcie-
ties. They are not fanatical organ
izations; they are not governed by
this or that pet theory as to temper
ance reform. Here is cool, stern
business sagacity applied to enc OF
the most complicated commercial
and the outcome we have
in this great proposition, sustained
by the most exact application of the
law of averages, that nearly % per |
cent. bonus must be paid to total
abstainers above what is paid to |
moderate drinkers. OF course many |
of these total abstainers have not |
been such for all their lives. Their
health may have been injured in
many cases by early indulgences.
By and by, when these societies
come to have sections filed by men
who have been total abstainers from
birth, the average of bonuses will
be higher TO the temperance sec
tons. You ought, also, to keep in
mind constantly that the section
not total abstaining is not a section
of drunkards, but a section of those
who are merely moderate drinkers,
men, most of them only |
wine drinkers.
For one, l regard this state of the
facts concerning the law of averages
in life assurance societies as alto
gether the most incisive argument |
that can Just now be named in sup
port of the principle of total abstin-
ence. / have in my possession
letters from secretaries of
life assurance societies in the north
ern and southern hemispheres. l
refrain from citing a single Ameri-
can life assurance company, because
/ will not weaken this argument by
allowing you to suspect that i have
been asked to publish these facts.
| beg YOU To investigate this matter
carefully for yourselves. The 'aw
OF averages in lite assurance socie-
ties is new the pedestal Of adamant
pa which stands triumphant for all
future time, in the name of science,
the abused and once even humili-
ated principle of total abstinence. I