The advocate., 1895-09-18
The Kansas Workman ROasts George +,
Anthony.


T, Anthony's attack upon the fraternal
beneficiary orders.)
Since Mr.. Anthony, state insurance
commissioner, referred in an official re-
port to benevolent insurance as "the
most heartless and worthless Of all pre-
lenses to insure against accident and
death" the agents Of the old line insur-
ance companies have been using his ILL.,
advised, heartless and untruthful Ian
guage to advertise their own business
and injure the fraternities.
AS Mr.. Anthony fails to make any ex-
planation of his reference 1t would ap-
pear that he deliberately intended to
include all of them in his vicious char
acterization. In doing this Mr. An
thony places himself in the position OF
one who desires to benefit the business
OF some great corporations by injuring
some great fraternities.
In creating the Office Of state superln-
tendent Of insurance, the people OF
Kansas had no such object IN view.
AS matter of fact the people expressly
said that the Office should have nothing
to do with the work Of fraternal So
cieties The duties Of the Office are 10
protect the people against the opera
ticn Of worthless fire and life insurance
ompanieS-institutio that operate
for profit, and offer for specified sums to
guarantee certain payments against
less bv accident or death.
The fraternities were exempted be-
cause they do not insure. For hun
dreds of years there have been frater-
mites where those who remained living
alternates were also made delegates to
decent burial to any Of their number
who should die. The fraternlties against
which Mr.. Anthony directs his attack
have only enlarged this IDEA. They
have made the sum contributed large
enough to maintain the family and keep
Il together after the death of the father
until they have had time to become
acquainted with their changed condi-
tier, and learn how to provide for thern-
selves after the providor Is taken away.
These contributions are purely volun-
tary, benevolent, charitable, and fra
ternaI 1t is NOT insurance. The Jaw
expressly says that such institutions
as these do not come within the scope
Of the duties Of the insurance COM
missioner In going out OF his way
tn make an attack upon these benevo-
lent institutions, Mr.. Anthony has In
spirit violated the law himself. He has
performed a service for which the old
line companies would be willing TO pay
him well. For years the fraternities
have had to fight the m representations
of the old line companies, and in doing
so have prospered. But never before
have they found that state officer
whose business 1t Is me e.cly to protect
the state against frauds, arraying him
self on the side of the great corpora
tions and denouncing the fraternilies
which protect the poor mans home.
Mr.. Anthony will find that this out
rageous work will not receive the ap-
proval Of the people. And the old
line insurance companies will find that
his help, which they get either with
or without hope Of reward, will not
benefit them. The people have some
rights in this matter, which they are
able to fight for, and they will do so.
Let us see what kind Of business Mr..
Anthony is trying to bolster up at the
expense of the fraternities And let
us see how the work Of the fraternl-
ties compares with y
According to the report Of the insur-
ance commissioner there were thirty
five life insurance companies doing
business in Kansas. and all Of them put
together carried 40,98s policies. The
A. o. U. w. alone has $1,000 members
almost as many as all the old line
life companies put together. And all
of the fraternities carry vast deal
greater amount of protection for the
home than the. old line life companies
carry in insurance. The members Of