The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-28

SssIa! Correspondence 81 he -lri,liss,ter.
WKHsrEKGRoyEs, (NEARSr. LOUSY NO.,
Jan. 2s,-The subject Of lilo insurance
isoue in which used to take more or
less interest In the days when l was
regularly at work on tho columns Of the
1srLLlaEScER, especially in what wIa
known az iraterual lite insurance, such
IL WAS chiefly represented in our midst
By the hnighta OF Honor, and hence
when foil 10 lately with AIr. b. +.
Nelson, oil st, Louis, who Is virtually
tho head Of the order Ia the United
Sistes. indulgsd myssli In u number
otlcadine questions, addressed to him
IN regard 10 the growth. prosperity aud
prospective permanence OF the order.
Mr.. Nelson has been identified with the
order almost slnce It's incipiency in 1878,
and is now the supreme reporter, and
as such In virtual charge OF its opera.
tions throughout the entire country,
He 10, OF course, intelligent ON tho gen.
eral subject OF liio insurance, whe,he,
by tho old limo plan. the beneficial plan
or the traternal plan, and therefore eau
mako an hours talk quito interesting TO
3 Newspaper mRM ST. Louis Ia the
headquarters OF tho kniyh,l OF Honor
in the United States. and the working
force under his eye have cosy quarters
on the fourth floor OF the Odd Fellows
buildiEg, corner OF Ninth aud Olive
streets. There the archives OF the
order are kept and its large business
with the numerous lodges throughout
the land carried on. All Ito business
comes through these lodges and in no
other shape. No man Is insured except
hc bs presented through the auspices
and rs member OF q lodge. Ali asscss-
nents on each insured person each
month are collected through the inter-
mediarv OF tho lodge. Thus you sec
that the Roiu operGndi differs wholly
from the '.oId line or regular life in
sutaace plan.
THE BENEFICIAL ORDERS WORK.
told Mr. Nelson Of a banquet once
given in Wheeling by the knights Of
Honor. Just after the great railroad riots
and strikes OF 1877. at which many good
things were said by various speakers.
bu. that l was particularly impressed
by one line OF remark followed by one
speaker to the following effect, viz:
that such orders ~ the Knights OF
Honor, by virtue of their democratic
character. and especially by virtue OF
the fact that they afforded provision
for the working mans family after
death, were among the real and prac-
teal conservative influences on which
society must count for Its preservation
IN the future II we were going to avoid
the desperation that is born OF despair"
in the lives aud circumstances OF so
many people. For, said the speaker,
what hope Is there for the average
working man's family after the bread
winner Is gone, be he iather or son,
cave something OF this character,
since statistics and alao our own OBJ.
serration show that as q rule there ia
no estate, however small. left behind.
But u that bread winner has a stake in
come beneficial or fraternal association
in the shape Of an insurance Of one or
two thousand dollars, payable to his
family in case OF his death, he Is COM
psratively at ease in his mind, and
therefore more conservative person
In his relationship to society, and there.
fore less ap. to Join in socialistic
schemes or revolutionary movements,
or even In great strikes.
INSURE CLASS UNPEovIDZp FOR.
THAT" said Mr.. Nelson, twas certainly
happy and forcible train OF thought,
AID hits the case precisely. The dis
.ilcIive claim OF associations like ours
10 tina. they provide insurance for
those who, as a rule, would not he 9TH
eswise Insured. We are assaulted by the
old line companies az a species oil ille-
climate fungi-mere mushrooma-and
" such born to early death, because We
have no loaded policies or reserve
iuad, but our reply is that our reserve
fund Is in the hands OF our clientage or
constituency. subject to our draft or
call. and not invested, as is 90 often the
Gaze, in doubtful securities. | could
name you long list OF old line compan.
les, such ~ the Charter Oak, OF Con.
necticut, tho Guardian, OF New Jersey.
and scores OF others, that have gone by
the board and left people psnnileas who
had paid in thousands OF dollars.
Therefore when certain associations,
more or less like ours, are named as hav.
ing gone TO their death, l simply roply
By naming over \ lot Of the old line
companie, tia. have como the same
way. Oar contention 10 that there ia no
necessity in the nature oil the case why
VIC should 60 by the board. Their dead
companies died by the Same bad man.
ayoment that killed some OF our kind.
Bad management, like bad Investments,
will kill any insurance company or as.
ISOLATION, and, per contra, good manage.
mIerl will keep an association like ours
inst as much alive as an old line com.
pany."
l Intercepted Mr.. Nelson as TO tho
question Of the enhanced cost OF inHur-
anco In his order, at tho game timo in
forming him that was not and never
had been a member Of 1t, but IA a
hsuoeht OF and writer upon such nut
'eta was always anxious to inform my
sci! on economic questions, particularly
~ lhcre was quito largo momberehip
o. o. inc order At Wheeling ald III West
virginia, and in tho adjoining states OF
Iennsylyania and Ohio, very many OF
whom wore readers OF tho iSrELLIoES.
CIR. said that l had understood that
assessments had worry greatly incrcnued
Nhce tho frat years Of tho order.
THE cosr BEING REDUCED.
That Ia true" said he, "but this Is
an explanation OF tho fact. We did
buaincss in q worry inexperienced way
many years ago. and our daR.h rate was
unuQly laruo bccauuo If fbrk flofprt Our