Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-03
M S. Il. AND B. A. OF A.
Convention Of the Mutual self-Bn-
dowment and Benevolent AS
ISOLATION OF America.
gpseoh Delivered by the Hon. Sam Gun
diff, Giving a General Outline Of
tbs Association,

col ventiOn OF the Mutual Seii-Endow-
nent and Benevolent Association Of
America. held In Fort Worth yester.
terday. Hon. Sam Cundifi, president,
delivered the following address:
Gentlemen ofthc Convention: Your
presence here Ia "A circumstance OF
great concern 10 the people whose in
terests you represent. Your meeting
Is In pursuancs OF chapter Of the con-
atitution and well.dtfined purpose OF
the present board Of directors, who as
gumed The responsibility q organizing
aud building IN the Mutual 5elf-En-
dowment and b nevolent Association
Of America. The first certificate
Issued July %, 1881, and from that
day TO this members Of our board have
labOred with constant devotion for
the success OF our association, Of
which we feel proud. The
growth OF It's member hip msy
be said 90 lave been phenomenal, for
considering all the circumstance of
our organization aud introduction 10
the people, am not informed OF the
history " Gny other that has become
as strongly entrenched In the esteem
of 20 large membership In 10 short
period At the time our organization
WAS effected the endowment planu
presented was new so far only, per
haps, ~ its details were concerned.
The benevolent Idea, however, Of pro-
teclion during life as well az securing
g benefit 10 sne's leg stee after death,
had not been embodied In the ritual Of
any OF the then existing orders or as
tT.e.. NtuaI
the general public who had given the
subject only partial thought, that our
representatives were often confronted
with the derisive remark that our or
ganizatlOn would not live I'LL the date
Of payment Of the frat maturing sou.
pom. Tho hundreds OF Thousands Of
dollars disbursed through our office to
thousands of living members has set
the sosl Of condemnation upon the ex-
parte judgment of wonld.be critics.
Many households all over The land
have been made twice happy by the
reception OF fluids from the aggregated
amount contributed by the MEM
bership-frst, because the ben.
tiils received we're as the
gentle rain from heaven upon
the places beneath;n aud secondly,
because they had ncG been called upon
to follow to the grave loved member
Of the household, before these benefits
might be reali2sd. The purpose OF tho
board OF directors, as trustees for the
members, has been to do all things for
the honor of the association and the
protection Of the rights aud interests
OF It's friends. In doing this, however,
1t has excited, In feeble WAY, the OPP.
position and enmity OF II puerlle class
To TO found In almost every commun-
ity, For reasons known to themselves,
they have yelped at the heels OF the
Hoard, but have accomplished nothing
more than had they bsyed the moon.
Every attack upoR the principles un.
derlying our plan has done the ansooi.
alton much good for they are be-
yond tho criticisms of the weak
Tho sordid and the eeldsh. But we
have met here for /. purpose far above
the consideration Of those who are
blind because they will not see. and
who prefer the old methods OF pro
viding for their dependents, albeit
those methods are besmirched with
dishonorGble results In every part OF
our land. Co operative insurance
rears no costly editices, with spires
reaching far toward the blue vault.
the gl's'ening of whose ornaments arc
n mockery and u shame In the light o
the MONDAY sun; but, In modest
way, 1t dispenses real benefits in an
unpretending fashion, and has for it,
kindly greeting peace and good will
among men,
Relying on the wisdom and experi
ence OF those here present for sugges
lions of reforms In the management o
our association, and amendments [,
our organic law, which may be deeme,
necessary aud proper for the future, Ii
view OF the fact that our organization
Las become national In the scope of II
usefulness, congratulate all interes.e,
upon the assemblying of this, the firs
national convention beg to sugges
for your consideration some matter
which deem important, to-wlt:
|, Tho repeal of article IA, ehapte
., of the general laws, relating to IN,
payment ~ benefits to the legatees O
those who commit suicide, as heins
contrary to the spirit and genius o
benefit life assurance.
.. The enactment OF law, unde
which those members who live n
Migrant violation Of the correct rule,
OF life and In derogation OF the hes
interests OF society and the assocln
ton, may be expelled from the associa
tion, In my judgrT ent. there Is n,
good reason why n member
ship should not be discontinued undel
such circumstances, and suggest tina
not only law be formulated, but ala,
rules be prescribed under which such
person or persons may be brought Ia
trial, and II found guilty, expelleC
from the association. The club mana
gers might be charged with tho dut,
OF preferipg the charges, ard ali suci
trials could be had before members O
the club designated for the purpose /,
which the accused belongs.
3, would suggest that fixed tim,
be made known for holding. not onl,
the state but the national conventions
aud that an article setting out thes,
dates be engrsfted In the constitution
4. That you devise some plan n,
which the local medical exAmination
ofapplicants for membership, will no
subiect the association 10 loss as In m,
past, and will secure 1t against the per
petrstion Of frauds ia the future. IN,
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