New-York tribune., 1886-01-18
THE TONTINE VAR
now THE CONTROVERSY UP TO DATE IMPREssEs A
DIsINTEREsTgD OUTSIDER.

| Aow THE CONTROVERSY UP TO DATE IMPREssEs A
DlsINTEREsTRD OUTSIDER.
! To the Edftor Of The Trtbnne.
| STR Purely In the interest of the truth-lov-
ing public whom you 1t TO be quite In place
to give the Impressions mado upon ordinary mind by
the war OF letters between President Greene upon the
one hand and Messrs patterson Hine the
tine trio upon the other, 80 far IA 1t has progressed
The writer is totally dsntersed except so far as he
interested generally In life insurance topics and de-
sire to know the truth and nothing but tho truth
tho merits demerits OF the Tonne plan. Tho impress
siOns maze to date are, viz:
% That Messrs McCurdy, Hyde and Beers displayed
amazing weakness in trying to stop Mr.. Greene's at.
tncks upon Tontne and guilty OF something worse
than weakness IN proposing to discontinue showing
uP" the unsoundness OF the Connecticut Mutual, for
consideration. II they really believe their attacks upon
Its financial strength and the integrity Of Its manage
ment to have been well founded.
(2 That Mr.. Greene acted with undue haste and in
bad taste in giving to tho pubic his letter of January q
declining the peace proposition Of the "TOntine rio
before he had given II to the gentlemen addressed
bad impression from his hasty action inevitable, and
he probably now regrets that he did not In this instance
pursue the exceptionally gentlemany course which has
characterized his conduct throughout with this excep
tion.
90 That Mr. Greene's letter OF January 2 to THE
TRIBUNE is perfectly clear OF what he claims
to be the facts ANY understand his statements
and his conclsey stated illustrations.
~ That Mr. Greene's statements and illustrations,
being exceptionally free from all attempts at Juggling
tricks the easily susceptible of contradiction
II false in themselves or II founded false premises
and that so far at least no attempt whatever has been
made to eontrovert them specifically otherwise. Each
proposition Of his is clean be susceptible of
the most convincing controversion. unless it is ncontro
yertibly true
(5) That II Mr. Greene's statements shall remain I'M
conroverted. the Inevitable conclusion OF every dis
Interested mind must be that Tontine methods
entirely OF place in the field Of Legitimate life
insurance (Which has clearly defined and well under
stood object and must he resnded to that other Held
where pastures ever fresh and new entce the gam
boiling lambs TO be shOrn. and to find that after all
the only really fresh thing about IL all Is himself
90 That Mr. ine s 10y his irrelevant letter OF January
g. with ts unfortunate r. 81 ruled entirely out or
the Tontine contest by all who love fair war methods
can In the TOntne wOOdpe aud after carefully read
ing Mr. Greene's letter OF January 2, think the
Africans wooly pate. II may lie only gnarled and
knoIted stick see, aud am ready 10 be convnced-but
to he yelled at that the man who points him n
Charlatan. that the clothes he don't belong TO
him, and that his money is al counterfeit;
IA course will befog" any divert the gaze
now concentrated on the lontine question. It's the
African are interested in not the man who has
q That the long and short OF the whole Tontne sys
takes the money that belongs his family places IN
same. each hoping Providence will deal to him
better hand than to hs neighDOr that In the end bis
neghbor viii o,e beayily m NOT ali he has nut in and
no who thus hopes will gain thereby and reap for him
self and hs family harvest from the graves OF the fort
wrOnk one; II 40 let the proof and not in
stead. only personal AMI malignant attacks. however
well founded upon the character OF r Greene and n.
method does deserve the name OF gambling" but II
not IL Is not clear why net to weak and unsophisc"eu
HORACE CnURcHMAN
No. 234 South Fourthst. Phiiadephia, jan H. 1856.