The Tupelo journal., 1908-04-24

TOT the organization of q mutual COM
pany to be located in this state and
owned and organized by citizens of the
state. The laws OF the state were such
that the effort to organize a mutual
company failed, but a regular stock
company was perfected and is doing an
excellent business. 1t is gratifying to
note the success of Mississippi's first
life insurance company, its success max
ing it less difficult to organize the Sec
ond one.
The ideal company is one that is mu-
tual in every sense of the word. the
policyholders being the power that Sc.
lects the management and dictates the
policy to be pursued; one in which the
people who pay their premiums and
thereby furnish the sinews of war,
have the sole right to say how its af-
fairs shall be conducted. A great ma
Jority OF the companies doing business
are purely stock affairs, whereby the
owners of the stock are the sole dicta-
tors OF the conditions on which policies
shall be issued and the plans for pay
ment OF so-called dividends. Ten men
may own the capital stock of one hun.
dred thousand dollars and ten thousand
men who hold insurance in the concern
and pay into it more than $500, 900 per
annum, have to depend upon the ten
stockholders to say how it shall be man.
aged and how much of the profits are
to be returned to them. When any
amount is returned to policyholders it
means just that much less for the
stockholders. Admitting that the
stockholders are good business men all
right as the world sees them, at the
same time it might 60 against the
grain to a considerable extent for them
to say that we have participated in the
profits long enough, and we will now
let the policyholders participate for a
while. When will they do that?
Mississippi pays millions of dollars
annually for life insurance, now a ne
cessity and not a luxury, and there
should be a company in the state that
was strictly mutual in every respect
that issued policies at the rates deter
mined by mortality tables based upon
an experience of more than half a CEN
fury, and that gave the mar with a
thousand dollar policy a voice in the
management of its affairs. The trouble
experienced three years ago in securing
the capital stock for a strictly mutual
company will not be experienced this
time, the writer knowing one man who
VIII furnish the necessary capital to
place the company on it's feet.
One thousand frst-class applications
are necessary to give the movement
lie. The rates can and will be made
as low as consistent with good business
methods and as determined by the ex-
perlence OF years, minus large salaries
and extravagant expenses that have
characterized the management of COM
panles in the past. This is a movement
for the general good of the people of
Mississippi, and deserves the hearty
cooperation of those who would carry
insurance for the protection of their
families at the least possible cost and
in a company where the will of the pol
icyholders was absolute.
1t is imperative that the press, the
pulpit and good citizenship of our state
take a decided stand for the enforce
ment of law and punishment of its vio-
lators. The greatest compliment that
could be paid any state or any commu-
nifty is that its people are God-fearing
and law-abiding. Let's have it said
that Mississippi is the most law-abiding
state of the union. The Farmers
Union has an organization in almost
every community of the state, and it is
in their power to exert a powerful in
fuence for good along the line of strict
enforcement of the law. 1t is founded
upon equity, justice and the golden
rule, and its members are of the best
people in u state. They are law
abiding themselves, and it is their duty
as citizens to see that the laws are
strictly enforced. Some friend has
said: mo country without respect for
its laws can rise above the savage, who
knows no form of government and has
no conscience to prick him for his sins;
and unless u laws are respected and
upheld by the people our country is un-
safe, our homes in peril and the founda-
ton upon which the government stands
as a guarantee of equal rights to all, is
tottering upon the brink of destruction.
Anarchy will follow where our laws are
disregarded." And this is all too true.
Mississippi must be the banner state
for enforcement of the law in the union
and the citizenship can easily make it
that.
The article on corn selection for seed
published two weeks since has brought
several replies and considerable inter-
est has been aroused among the people.
One of these replies is of especial inter
est and will be reproduced next week.
Others are invited to let their expert.
ences and ideas be known. Give the
general public the advantage of what
you know.
One OF the first of the counties of
the state to take up the subject of
forming an agricultural high school
under the terms of the Afford act. as
passed by the legislature. was the
county, nf lamar an6 fha rcono.;.;z-