The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-04
NO UNCERTAINTY
in LIFE INSURANCE
Money Invested in Policy Is the
Safest Precaution Against the
Vicissitudes of Business Known
to Modern Business Life.
THE ONE GREAT EXCEPTION
TO THE GENERAL LAW
Value of This Form Of Investment
Recognized by Great Merchants
{ Whose Financial Position Is Ap.
parently Impregnable. H..
ey HERBERT vANDERHooF

man to guard against the vicissitudes
Of life and Of business, so that his fam
lily may not later have to suffer. But,
no matter how careful and conservative
he may be. these precautions frequently
come to naught, simply because of the
equation Of human error There are
ordinary ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS events
which take place under everybody's nose.
A merchant successfully conducts his
business for years, and is rearing fam
lily, giving the children better advantages
than he ever enjoyed. But the conse-
quences of his own error, or OF those
Of some change in conditions he has
failed to observe, suddenly fall upon him,
and the business is sold out for the bene
At Of the creditors. His wife must now
get along without a servant, his children
must come out Of school, and he himself
hunts for work, vainly oftentimes.
A hard working salaried man perceives
q chance to make 100 per cent in a few
years, and he puts his all into the in
vestment. But roseate prospects so
a-glimmering, dividends are not declared,
a powerful interest freezes small hold
ers out, or the gold In sight proves
a delusion and snare. The salaried
man Is left with nothing but his salary,
with ageing body and diminishing energy.
He plods on drearily, getting his monthly
wage fearful of the future.
This review Of the vicissitudes of life
Is not visionary. 1t Is only too true.
The question then arises: Is there no
prevention possible? Is there no insur-
ance against such Ills? Is there ex-
istent method by which the average
man, the poor man, may dispose Of his
surplus to his advantage, and yet without
risk?
Exception to General Law.
There is. Life insurance is security,
Is profit, Is the one great exception to the
general law. Out OF the vast wreck
age Of business, Of looted banks, bank
rupt railways, insolvent undertakings,
worthless mines, deprecated mortgages,
unfortunate speculation, arises like the
upright pillar amid the PROSTATE ruins
of an ancient temple the great institu-
tion Of life Insurance. 1t is truly the
poor mans guaranty, the bulwark Of
the savings Of the many.
At first blush the statement may ap-
pear to be rhetorical. It Is not. It
will bear close scrutiny. 1t is cold
fact. II certain officials of certain COM
panies are at the moment on the grill,
If the law and public opinion take ex-
ception to some alleged practices and
methodist abuses have been developed,
in a word-nevertheless it Is also true
that financial disaster to the most talked
about company Of all Is not considered
even a possibility, that the value Of no
policy has been affected, that the Sc
curity behind every policy remains in
tact. On the other hand the fact Of
the huge success, Of the enormous re-
sources, the holdings, the power and the
strength Of life insurance has been ad-
vertised to the world in manner the
authenticity of which cannot be disputed.
great state itself has put it's seal
as 1t were, to statements Of life insur-
I,so
be scarcely credited In the form Of mere
hearsay, however much printed and
posted.
Equilibrium Is Not Imperiled.
Naturally In undertakings SO stupen
dous there Is some misrnanagement
Mistakes are incident to every admins
tration-even in the .postoffice, unde
rigid civil service. But the success o
life insurance has been so enormous, tn
accumulattons Of the companies are s
gigantic that salaries which may seen
preposterously largo to the man in tn
street, do not and cannot imperil tn
equilibrium of any great company or in
validate the worth of any regular policy
For consider: If you are turned loose i
q hogShead Of sugar and told to hel
yourself to all you could eat, do 70
think you would be In danger Of maxim
a serious inroad upon the contents of tn
hogshead? But if you were allowed t
attack sugar bowl, you might, with til
assistance Of sweet tooth, deplete il
measure to q large degree.
Thus in merely a quantitativs sens
the questions Of management which hay
been brought into discussion affect va
ues not at all. And no one has possesse
the temerity to assert any such untrutl
While the laws of some states may
better qualified to hinder mismanage
md low
of none permit the looting of the trea
uries, even If the looting were physical
possible. The vampire of a, flea may
an elephants mosquito.
Life insurance is the sole and only al
Dolutely secure investment Of mode1
times Uncertainty has in it no part f
the investor. The power Of redemptit
In the companies is not subject to fo
tune. The redemption Of every prop
policy is a fact
The most far-seeing minds have reco
nized the unique security of life insu
ance. Men OF creative energy which h
built up vast establishments of seer
ingly impregnable strength have p1
vately assured the welfare of their fan
lies by heavy investments in life
Eurance.
The Example of G.. w. Netcher.
One of the most conspicuous examples is tt
the Boston store, of the great Chicago ST,
street emporiums. The Boston store does a bu
ness OF millions each year, its annual turnover
stock is stupendous; the crowds who trade w
1t are endless. Surely, if success could be o
dicted of any undertaking it could safely
counted on for the Boston store. But Mr. Net
er, shrewd man that he was, decided to ''p
safe.' Out Of the profits accruing to hims
he bought and continued immense insurance D
cies. When he suddenly died, out by
nervous intelligence, his widow was paid $500
8 iOcn anco
f. In this case the half million was not indisp
sable, since the store a success but
widow, herself developing acute business Sc
and enterprise, is employing it in enlarging
store to mammoth proportions in order to Sc
the possibilities Of business which have de,
oped Meanwhile, it is said, following
policy Of her husband, she has made heavy
, vestments in life insurance. go e..
Another example of how able men regard
insurance Is that of a man I knew i
mately. He was energetic and ambitious.
desired to make Of the great fortunes
the country, and he missed doing so by ha
breadth. = --
He realized that to achieve his ambition
must risk much, If not all. He had inherI
small manufacturing plant. He sold it
went into the telephone business when t
phones were new. He succeeded; he rapidly
qufred large fortune. He desired larger
and went into far-reaching speculatons, many
which would not mature for several years
would require able manipulation meantime.
/ whole wealth was tied up. Suddenly he
l. seized with typhoid fever and died within
fortnight.
Deprived of the master hand the speculat
whole estate His family, en- expensive one
Rnt tho incn