Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1897-10-02
WILL FRATERNAL INSURANCE
HNSUKE2

|
by A. H. S. PERKINS.
| Some weeks ago an "old line" in
surance company in Iowa sent out
pamphlet with this startling queru-
lous title, and containing no argu-
ments other than extracts from sew
eral speeches tending to demonstrate
to the unsophisticated that the as
sessments of fraternal organizations
We're too low. The utter absurdity
of the question reminds one of the
anecdote of the man who was thrust
into Jail for some trivial otfense, and
his lawyer calling to see him, re-
marking that man could not be put
in Jail for such an oHense, replied:
"Well, but Pm here, amt Ip Any
person of average perceptive facul-
ties can discern parallel case in this
subject. The very fact that frater-
nal insurance does insure and has
for many long years, even before the
old line companies were thought of,
should serve as a sufficient answer
to the question.
In this country of ours there are
I4,ooo, 900 adult men, to say nothing
of women and statistics show that at
least 5000, 900 believe it prudent to
seek protection for their families,
after they have been called hence,
within the ranks of fraternal organ
izations. 1t is a stupendous fact,
both in itself and it's suggestions.
Does it stand to reason that this
large body of thinking, sensible men
would deliberately invest in and
carry fraternal insurance or protec-
tion if they thought for a moment
that it did not insure or protect?
The skeptics and "old line" people
take pleasure in asserting that fra
ternal organizations cannot long ex-
ist on the low assessments they
charge, yet the fact remains that
while humanity and not greed is
their object, and while none of them
build immense structures on the
profits, yet they do exist and will
exist while friendship warns the
heart of man; founded as they are
IN the principle of the words of the
prophet: "Pure religion and unde-
filed before God and the Father is
this: To visit the widows and faith
erless in their affliction and to keep
himself unspottcd from the world"
When John G.. Upchurch founded
the Ancient Order of United Work
men, away back in 1868, the skeptics
predicted it's early decease, yet to-
day it heads the list among the
izations with magnificent mem
bership of 10000, increasing at the
rate of 10000 per year, and had paid
up to March 1st of the present year
S74, 3o3, ,674.88 to the widows and or
phans of its deceased members. The
mast wear showed a net increase OF
2,o82 members.
A volume issued at the close OF the
census year from the government
printing office contains some inter
esting figures in regard to life insur-
ance. The figures show that "old
line. companies receive annually the
enormous sum of S14o,375,ooo in pre-
MUM and $4,000 from money invest
ed in. profitable securities. OF the
money received S82,476,ooo went to
pay death and other claims, and
Ss8, $4,000, or nearly half as much to
pay agents and the expense OF man
agement and securing patronage
leaving profit of Sso,716,ooo for the
stockholders after deducting the
gigantic salaries paid some OF the
officials, which are fortune in
themselves. Now look at the con,
trast:
Of the fraternal societies large
number do mutual insurance bus
mess These collected during the
census year $34,8oo,ooo and 9 ''-'aso
to policy holders $25,ooooca
the figures it is apparent
fraternal societies afford tt