Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-11

u,
Because these companies have -four
ished in using that system fairly well
and have been able not only to pay
their presidents salaries as large as
the President of the United States and
their directors and other officers sal
aries in proportion but have been able
to lay up millions of surplus, and
wish to quote from the last report of
the insurance commissioner, Mr.. Carr:
The Aetna Fire Insurance Company
has n Capitalization of $4,000,000, sur
plus s. 1851: Boston Insurance Com
pany, capitalization of $1.000,0 900, sur
plus s1,711927; Continental Fire In
surance Company, capitalization of
81 O000 900, surplus S4,901, 328; German
American Insurance Company, a cap
italization of S1,000,O00, surplus $4,-
1876 600; Hartford Fire Insurance
Company capitalization of ST.
100000, surplus $3,025,593 and all
of these millions of surplus
have been accumulated where the jury
system was in vogue. Now, as l have
said, it seems that they have COM
pletely lost their heads when they say
that they cannot do business at profit
and settle their losses by trial by jury.
They have become childish about this
matter, not using a calm, cool and de-
liberate judgment which men of bust
ness affairs ordinarily use about their
business.
They remind me very much of my
childhood days when my mother would
rock me to sleep and place me in my
little cot in a dark room; l would
wake up and become frightened, i'm
agining I could hear strange noises
and sounds which, of course, We're only
imaginary. Now the insurance COM
panies of this State have been rocked
tenderly to sleep by the insurance
commissioner, placed upon their bed
of elder down, tucked in closely and
tenderly with the standard form of
insurance policies: all at once they
awake, become nervous and fretful and
| imaginary visions appear before their
| eyes and they see peculiar things
They see them in the corner, they see
them at the door, they see them stand
| ing in the middle of the floor; they
| see them walking around, so softly and
| so creepy like. they never make a
sound; some as black as ink, others
| white. but the color makes no diff
| ference when they see things at night
Now. gentlemen, as sure as the sun
rises, if you vote to retain this stand
ard form of insurance policy, you will
regret it. 1t is an old saying that
chickens will come home to roost" and
if some of you do not meet with losses
| by contiagratiOn, it will be strange
| then. Sirs, you will find the insurance
people clubbing you into submission
and making you settle in accordance
| with their notions of fairness and
| Justice and you will have no right to
| submit our dispute to the judgment
| of Il jury but are tied hand and foot.
This brings to my mind saying of
the Immortal Brutus; who, looking
| upon the creatures of Caesar who We're
a very great people Romans" said
| RrutuS, IF | may call you such, con-
slider well what you are doing, re-
member that you are assisting Caesar
to forge a chain which some day he
will make you. yourselves, wear
Mr.. STAPLES OF knoX:-Mr. Presi-
dent, | have listened with n great deal
of pleasure to my distinguished friend,
the Senator from Hancock, and | find
we ere living in an age of Improvement.
! When we commenced the session, it
was 80 to /; now the 80 is at least re-
duced b. one. This is a grave question;
and | wish to discuss it as such. 1t is
Il question which affects every prop
crty holder in the State Of Maine. 1t
strikes at the very foundation of our
form of Government. From the time
the Government was founded down to
the present time we have boasted that
we have one of the grandest govern
ments upon the face of the earth.
know of no principle involved in or
form of government so sacred to the
American people as the right of trial
" jury; and when anyone undertakes
70 take tew-y that right, he makes an
lattack upon the fundamental principle
and palladium of our liberties. | am
not surprised that the Insurance Com
missioner should take hold of this
matter, but | am surprised that the
4 committee should report unanimously
7 against 1t. 1 know some of the
members of that committee; I have
confidence in them as indie
pendent men: and therefore l am
surprised that the Insurance Com
missioner of this State should come in
eclipse over them. Can it be possible
that a man on that committee who
would be candidate for representa-
tive to Congress- would vote to do away
with that right; and go home to his
people and ask them to vote for him,
Can il BE- possible that a man who
would be candidate for Governor, ana
accept the support of the people of this
State. would vote against giving the
right of having your matters presented
to a jury of your peers? l think it is
the most important question that has
come before the Legislature, or which
will come before it. Trial by jury is
the protection of the poor man. Will
YOU take away that right simply in the
interests of the Insurance Companies
of the State of Maine. Under the
Maine Standard policy the Insurance
Companies reserve the right to go to a
jury but deny that right to the insured
\ poor man has an insurance of 500
on his house. In case of loss, he Is
, obliged to arbitrate: he has no money
to go to law. The Insurance Company
has an expert, they always take charge
: of that class of men, there are three
men appointed. The insured appoints
one and the Insurance Company APP
, .,piptc fyt-n c onnniftp1