The Forrest City times., 1905-07-28
FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE.

great question is. .hY should not this business be conducted by the state governments themselves for the ben. eff of sll the people:
 U would be absurd to say that such a business could not be carried Ou suc- csssiuliy by the State governments. Other governments are doing it in otber countries with great benefit to the public treasury. and surely the State government of Arkansas can do what other governments are doing suc- cessfully.
 Driving foreign private corporations out Of Arkansas is good thing for the domestic private corpol atiops, but so far as the people are concerned 1t is simply swapping the devil for the witehn
 Whenever any kind Of business can be conducted successfully by the State government for the benefit of all the people, il ought to oe done.
 This political doctrine is DO. reeog- nized and observed by the most pro gressiye countries in the world, and there is no gcod reason why 1t should not be put into practical operation now,
 right here in Arkansas.
 l That million dollars in the State
 treasury would be capital suffi icient to
 enable the State government to do all the fire and life insurance business in
 the State successfully, and, by giving
 the State government monopoly of
 this business. the profits would prob
 ably be more than sufficient to enable 1 il to pay all Of it's expenses without
 taxation of any kind.
 Therefore We are of opinion that tax , ation for State purposes should b 7 abolished, and the State goyernmen
 should have 4 monopoly of the fire am
 life insurance business.
 There is much in the above ar ticle which will not bear the sun light of reason, close study, no intelligent dissection.
 In the first paragraph there is bare and deceptive assertion base' upon partial truth. It is fac that perhaps millions of dollar are annually paid to insuranc companies, but it is equally tru that the insurance companie perennially return to the widow and orphans and unfortunate fir sufferers of the South millions o dollars upon their policies. Tn
 question Is asked why should tn
 Stale governments not handle thi businessl There are many reasons principal among which is, that th
 State government has no right t usurp the reins of commerce, aut
 deprive the people of the right demanded and promulgated by th Declaration of Independence. Ar
 CtHCi ID lHHt No uO SO NOulu D violating the democratic principl , which opposes all paternalism an
 capitalization of power. Thi , would be the worst form of patel nalism and centralizaiion. Patel nalism is undemocratic. Centra
 ization of power is dangerous | the liberties and the pursuit c happiness of and by the people.
 What other governments ar
 doing the insurance business of
 State or nation?
 We confess that We haven't see $ these statistics, of which tn News pretends to have such fun of information.
 l Ii would take out of the hand ] of hundreds of its very best cit izens the privilege of pursuing tn business for which they have spen
 lifetime Tn preparation. It woul , deprive them of the means of live : lihood.
 3 The News would have the Stat , use its funds to start Bureau o Insurance, and says "that millioi 2 dollars now in the treasury woul,
 be stuff cient." There's the seere : of this running after strang gods" The News, like som others, cannot be content whel there's money in the treasury
 But the News is wrong again. 4