Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-09
PLAIN DUTY on woopMEN
All Should Register Protest Against
Rate Raising


One of the results of the recent in
surgent Woodmen convention at Spring
field was the resignation of the officials
and directors of the Inter-Ocean iusur-
ance company, who were also officials
Of the Modern Woodmen.
Another is the Referendum" found
on page of the July Woodman. Every
member should send in his ballot. Do
not throw it away. Each should vote
for the THIRD proposition which reads:
81 AM IN FAVOR OF THE OLD
RATES WITHOUT ANY CHANGE. -
Unless we unite there will be such
hopeless confusion of ideas represented
by all these various plans as to accom-
plish nothing. The head camp officials
got themselves enjoined last year from
submitting the referendum vote requir-
ed by the Donahue law, so called, and
never submitted the proposition to US.
1t is said they spent over $500, 900 of
our money in vain attempt to defeat
that legislation. The Donahue Bill was
passed and provided tor the single ques-
ton of whether or not the membership
favored the Chicago rates increasing
our insurance in some instances as much
as 600 per cent. election to be had
under the direction of three chief state
officials of Illinois. The only reason
the outrageous Chicago rates are not
In force is because the courts have en-
joined their enforcement wherever APP
pealed to. The Chicago rates were in
part put across by 80 delegates from
Wisconsin voting for them who received
from the general fund SAP, 724 for vari-
Gus services, while the ii delegates who
voted against the rate received moth
ing from the general fund. This was
shown by the table prepared by former
Attorney General Johnson of our socie-
ty, at the Springfield convention.
johnson showed that the delegates from
all the states voting for the head camp
Chicago rates received 1920, 020 from
the general fund, while those opposed
received SO, 6l5
Re m III Der, when you send in
your vote that interest of this member
ship should not be complicated by divid-
ing our vote vote gguipSt any chance
n the r0tes Next February we COM
mence the process of selecting delegates
to county camps who will in turn elect
delegates to state camps and to the
next head camp. It was certainly a
peculiar coincidence that these "old
line" Chicago rates were favored and
demanded by our head officials who
were likewise the head officials of the
Inter Ocean insurance company. Their
fraternal interest and old line interests
must of necessity have crossed each
other. The attempt to give us frater-
nal insurance at old line rates has thus
far failed. Fraternal insurance practi-
cally the only insurance poor man can
have. II is that or nothing. Fraternal
insurance has never had the endorse
ment, but rather the condemnation of
old line aetuaries. In some respects the
fraternal insurance is like building and
loan associations. Both are difficult to
reconcile with the theories of experts.
Both have proven of inestimable value
to the poor. Experts say no one can
pay 20 per cent. annually for loan and
escape bankruptcy. 1t is difficult to ex-
plain but hundreds of thousands of COM
Portable homes all over the land, built
and owned by the payment of such in
terest, occupied by wage earners who
never would have earned their homes
had they headed the finaneiers' warn
ing, proves that practical demonstra-
ton is superior to mathematical cal
culation. Fraternal insurance pays
$3.50, 600 per day into the homes of the
poor. Let US stand together and main
tain the present situation by solid
front until the meeting of the next
head camp. Mark your cross opposite
the third proposition on your ballot ard
send it in day. Don't put it off!
j. HENRY BENNETT,
Consul of Viroqua Camp.