The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-12-17


II me Lawrence American of.,-bio,
II commissioner Merrill is the nnrlisba
=, mas this to say: Ifvou conId o9I I,9I w =
= y s sne scores OF people that nightly in
- los. Jhe American Office, and esnecia'
3 ~ me private one Of Major Nerriii
9uAiousiy seeking information regard
ny viie hAaucla4 condition OF this q,5
vnae snort term order and asking fo,
counsel IN cases where their mafnreC
certlncates remained unpaid. Won
would see picture long to be remem
l Defed. It's scene of Speculate in
haste and repent at leisure. They
heedei not timely warnings. and nov
too" 1l-i' "0i'
Commissi oner John c. Lineham. NJ
} New hampshire, in his 1891 renort
also pays his respects to these fraternaI
delusions.
lone feature about tie general
scheme deserves most severe condem.
nation, and that is, in addition TO nro.
Viding themselves with pleasant
places, endowed with comfortable sal.
aries, and securing their share of the
profits as organizers, the officers as a
rule secured for themselves the lowest
numbered certificates.
In one of the orders, whose secretarv
made the most strenuous plea for a
license and who, not satisfied with its
presentation to the commissioner: had
1t published in one of the leading
dallles OF the state, five OF the officers
held each five of the certificates, the
face value Of which was $500 or 81, 500
in all, and numbered from one TO
twenty-five.
In another order in which the GER
tihcates were paid in numerical order
SIX Of the officers were among the
holders of the lowest numbered GER
tlllcates, aAd with five others, all of
whom are well known citizens in this
community, drew the amount due on
their certificates. 1t is needless to say
no poor working man was among the
lucky ones. The name of the order
was such as to trap the unwary-"The
- Benevolent Association In
seven months it had paid to eleven
certificate holders 81 $50 to agents
and managers S2234.S6, for salaries
1881 so, and for all other expenses
$509.13.
A third order discredited the fame
OF one of the noblest associations in
the world by adopting its name. 1t
gave an evasive answer to the ques-
lions in the blank sent out asking for
the names of the original owners Of
certificates numbered from one to
twenty-five, and gave no reply to the
question asking for the number Of
each salaried official with the amount
paid him. -Four months business
brought an income of S25, 460.50. Out
Of this was paid to agents and mana
gers 5000, for salaries and clerks
$2064.75, for other expenses 1897,
amounting in all to the sum Of $13,-
G83.75.
A fourth order gave the names of
owners of certificates from one to
twenty-five, most of whom were well
known citizens in their city, all bust
ness men, and five Of whom were Off
GERS in the association.
Two of these companies paid their
certificates in numerical order, the
third made a most liberal allowance
to it's elective officers, incOrpOratOrs,
past supreme commanders and repre-
sentatives "of $40 per day while the
supreme lodge was in session, not to
exceed four days, and q mileage at
| the rate of 3 cents per mile each way
The fourth held out as an inducement
for the people to join it this tempting
bait: 1.-THE average cost Of $1,000 in
the Royal Arcanum is S237.4G, il the
knights of Honor 1886, in the Ancient
order of United WOrkmen S241. SO, and
the average of many $262.O3. In the
thirty life companies for the past
thirty years the average actual cost
has been S2SS.2I There is no appar-
ent reason why the -- cannot pay
$1,000 at corresponding low cost"
Here is one of the secrets OF the craze:
To enter the endowment orders-the
hope of realizing the sum stated Tor
the amount invested. Inducements
of this kind were, as Z rule, the most
potent arguments, for among the I'M
thinking the prospects Of receiving IN
q wear the sum of 500 in return Tor
$50, $40 or $50; or $1,000 in ten years
from investment of S26S, was too
tempting bait to pass by unheeded,
especially when the names OF gentle
men of prominence were found on the
official roster of the order. The con-
nections of such men with associations
of this kind is one of the mysteries OF
the endowment fever; and When the
blood cools in the veins Of the men
and women who purchased certlilcc
Gates on the weight of the titles OF
Col. Gunstock Martial, Hon
Talkwell Sweetman, Hon. cyclone
Boreas, supreme magnates of the gu,
preme Order of the Shifting Sands, IL
would not be any wonder ii lndlgna-
ton meetings of another sort would ne
held, where people would express
without the aid of brass band tneir
opinion of the men on the strength OF
whose names they allowed themselves
TO be so cruelty fleeced. Instead OF
denouncing the enactment framed loI
their protection and the Official whose
dntv it was to enforce it, it would pe
more to their interest pecunlarlly 10
look M another law, enacted tor tlle
benefit of the unwary-the statute
AGAINST the collection of money unuel
false pretenses-and bringing tne
ouestion before the proper tribunal
have it determined whether OF no'
snnreme collectors could with imPun,
ity take money from hard work 81 y !
,,,o1 oni women on the pretense tna'