New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-03-22

actually carried out. their estimate OF lis enect
on losses shown by large increase OF their pre-
MUM, moro than justines tho repugnance We have
always felt to throwing wide open door to fraud that
can DO kept concealed three years. Imagine fire
insurance or any commercial business transacted on
such basis s the law of the land does not permit
fraud even II policies contract to allow IT. and their
defence against fraud is good in reality as 1t ever
was and the "incontesable feature is without legal
value however useful o novelty; and the increased
risk" can hardly lie in that direction. But there is q
semTontine, called "incontestable" policy, with
Il per cent advance Of premium to meet the Increased
risk" What is the cause Tontine or "incontesta-
bility"f Or something else In the absence OF Official
information 1t Is useless to speculate.
Mr. McCurdy says 1t is substantial return to their
former methods When recall the volume, and
energy and quality of the arguments and statements by
which many years ago the Mutual Life and all the rest
rus were moved to abandon the old ways, we can
simply stand In amazement and ask what Is the true
reason. To back to veyear dividend periods we can
understand under circumstances; but to go back
to the forfeiture Of surplus pracsed under the old five
year Dividends is to completely ignore the history OF tho
business our present knowledge tho equities that We
have not only for years admitted but have sisted on
and which trust have already shown; new prin-
cpe has been discovered Of reasoning Or OF
morals has been shown in the principles by which we
have for now years dealt with the distribution OF
surplus they have, without show Of basic principle,
back to that which abandoned because 1t waa
wrong.
There one question would like to ask all of these
gentlemen: IT, instead of sending agents to the man
himself to insure him, you sent them to tho
WIFE AND CHILDREN
whom only the insurance Is for and solicited them TO
take the insurance his lfe what would you offer
hem plan by which they would lose all or even half OF
the paid up insurance their money ought naturally to
to them In Of lapse Of the original policy; or
wo1ld you offer them plan that gave. In such case,
Anlla had Z
Which view Of the woud seem most "judcious"
then
The trouble with your plans which seek to lead man
in for his personal profit that they gnors the family
which the real party in interests and that the only
profits that be made be made at the expense OF
the family And they seek to give the profits so made,
because in simple fo Insurance legitmately admin
istered according to its true nature there is
such thing profit There DO no profits unless they
are made out Of " somebody A business which is
actually however II can be made to SEEM nothing bur
the sharing OF losses cannot be one OF profit without
perversion OF first principles somewhere. All sorts OF
Investment" features have been tackled on to life in
surance because IL Is castor lead many by their
personal than by their OF simple duty 10
their families. Try to tack Investment" feature
fire Insurance. how absurd It would seem! The only
difference Is the size OF tho ana tho length OF
time II has to kept And what investor would think
he could pay Life insurance commissions on his money
and legitimate investment
Blu, the probabilities OF profit from forfeitures OF
and surplus have been 40 laid before people,
that muttudes OF rich men, who care nothing for the
Insurance. because their families do not need It, and who
are confident OF their ability to pay through the
Tontine pcrod have taken these policies for very large
amounts $4,000 and 900 000.-the larger their
policies the larger their share OF the pool-for the IN
vesment for the speculation Is that the true func-
ton Of life insurance Is tho welfare OF WIDOWS and
orphans best saieguarded in that way
PERSONALITIES NOT ARGUMENTS.
A great part OF those interviews IA taken up with
persona criticism OF myself and attacks the Connec-
t,eut Mutual NV personal deficiencies, mental or
physcsl are. fortunately. element In the right or
wrong OF the various Tontlnes therefore gladly leave
the entire OF my qualities 10 these gentlemen
have simply undertaken the discussion OF system OF
practice touching matter OF vital public Interest;
have attacked no company; have attacked no man;
shall not defend myself against sneers; but they are no
answer 10 the merits. gentlemen
Nor 10 the merits 10 attack the business
or the condition. past or present OF the Connecticut
Mutual; Sut you have chosen TO make that part OF
your answer, ami for my company have word 10 say
And nrst sincerely thank that you have at last
by repeating these things In your own names and In
behalf your companies taken % yourselves and your
companies the full responsibility for these attacks upon
the Connecticut Mutual which you have been making
day in and day out under mask for tue last eight years
DIsREPUTABLH METHODS.
In all that time your agents have personally delivered
sent by mall read and repeated to every Connecticut
Mutual policy they could find or hear Of TO every
ner,on contemplating in IT, and to the public
represented In City Directories hundreds OF thousands
OF documents aud journals repeating every form OF
allegation and calculated 20 create alarm and
dstrust aud discredt the company appealing directly
10 s members to withdraw aud warning all OF the folly
and danger OF trusting to It, Many OF these documents
were In your offices, especially In that OF
the Eantabe although the first were prepared for the
Mutual Life The Insurance Monitor has been hed Win
these attacks all these years and ia Editor says ne mas
sold tons" OF t.; We know your agents nave used
tons Of IT, The Insurance Times. whose Editor one OF
You once locked up many sonhs for SANDER has been
equally industrious and equally favored with patronage
Won are using all this day. and never so busly
n, To-day You arc hashng and rehashing 1t In every
form OF terror to frightcn people from the Connecticut
Mutual Now that you have adopted these ATTACKS IN
your own persons, let ask; Why have you done IL
Why have you bounded this company all these years
why are YOU doing to-day You are asking men To put
into your hands intrust 70 your honor ana wisdom
and IN the sy,tem YOU administer tho welfare OF their
families, after they are dead
Here Is great company whose record OF nearly iory
wears IA large part OF all that Is penetcent ana honor
able in the history OF life insurance. not only In America
but in the world OF the COMPANIES whose results
have established life on stable basis In pubic
regard Its methods honorable and consisentwith
the smfie principles OF he business Put your finger
upon thing that dishonest tricky or deceptive III us
plans or practcesi Point to single ADVANCE III tue
,,,v and trno developmrnt OF the science and the
Of its methods thereto in which 1t has not had
ts full s ol CriticIsc principle and In detail the
policy which it offers and earnestly recommends today
Point to thing that Is wrong or that seeks 10 take an
advantage
THE CONNECTICUT MUTUAL-ITs MAGNIFICENT
STRENGTH.
tits OF magnificent strength: 1t backs Its contracts
with assets OF $685. 1870 o32 Of. OF whioh sum
SIl2l.s24 81 Ia surplus by a higher s.ahuaru Vi
Iano, man any of vou use or than any dep artment
these assets are good put your finger on any