The age-herald., 1901-01-18
Mndustrious 'Sociations."

"Mistah, is dis de Industrious 'Socia- tion?"
 The question was asked of two men, an insurance man and newspaper worker, in the hallway of an office building late yesterday afternoon. The questioner was a negro man, apparently over fifty years in age, wearing tattered garments, a wreck of a hat, wornout shoes, and, suffering with a bad cold, he was using his ragged right sleeve and the back of his right hand in place of Ihandkerchief-that pitifuest of all the acts and signs of human pow erty. And he limped perceptibly, was plainly lame and ill, downcast and with that look of despair and unspeakable mis- cry which the poorest of the poor too often show in their helpessness. The wretched man. feeble victim of gaunt poverty, had evidently suffered from some frightful cident which had made him long i'll well as lame.
 His question was not quite understood by his two listeners, and one of them asked him to repeat 1t.
 'Is ais we're de Industrious 'Sociation?" he again asked timdly.
 No; but go into that office and they will tell you about it," said the insurance man with instant sympathy and in kind speech, pointing to a door that was closed.
 Poor devilr' the man said sadly, and, as if meditating a moment he repeated:
 Poor devil"
 The crippled and feeble, ragged and mis- erable negro man entered the office to which he was bidden, and the other two looked at each other understandngly.
 ''He is another one of them, one of the poor and helpless and ignorant laborers rob- bed and cheated and swindled by some swindling and robbing insurance or aid so- ciety that is now defunct, non-existent, and the proprietors of which are not in the pen itentiary" observed the insurance man.
 "They are many, the robbed ignorant and helpless. We see them here every day, come to vainly ask for the office of some society or organization which they have paid heav- fly for insuring them against loss by acci- dent, sickness, loss of work, funeral ex- penses, and SO on. The sickness and fu- neral expenses insurance or guarantee com panies. especially, have had a great run, and thousands of negroes have been robbed by dishonest men whose sole purpose was to impose upon the credulity and vanity-of the ignorant and steal their money. IflckS TeSOTleu tO Dy SO1ue OI tneSe negro-insuring and negro-guaranteeing companies so-called have been many sharp, bold and unbushing. For example an agent would approach negro laborer in one of the great industrial plants and offer to insure him against loss of wages by accident, sickness, being thrown out of work, and the like or offer to guarantee him a grand funeral something cherished and longed-for by every negro. The la- borer would say he had no money in ha1l. l That would make difference the agent | would assure him; all he had to do was to | sign paper, which the agent offered him. | This the laborer readily did, not knowing | he was signing waive note. He would l find out on payday to his sorrow. I knew | 200 men to quit work in one industrial plant at one time on account of those | swindling waive notes.
 The two recent acts passed by the Ala | bama Legislature regulating mutual aid so- | cieties and benefit associations about | which acts there has been so much con- | fusion in the newspapers and the public | mind, are intended to prevent just such swindling of ignorant people as that here l complained of. That outrageous swindIine of negroes stops now. And the acts specify !