The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-10-25

ana requests the adoption Of the
Hmendmnt. | contend that the Fra
ternal Congress OF Oklahoma does not
represent the desires or the best in
terests Of the members ol the bene-
fciary traternal societies in Okla
hcma. 1t was organized from the t~p
to serve the selfish ends OF certain
head officers OF certain societies which
il is claimed are represented in said
Fraternal Congress. | propose to show
ths il would be against the public
good and the interest OF fraternal in
surance societies IN Oklahoma for the
amendment to be adopted. Real re-
foi as come from the bottom, as in a
tree thu vital currents of life come
up through the roots, the body, the
branches. the flower to the fruit. They
do not come from the top.
What is the Fraternal Congress OF
Oklahoma? How is II composed 2
What il It's purpose No camp or
lodge elects delegates to attend its
meetings. Abe 1t four years ago w. A.
Fraser Sovereign Con Iaander OF the
W. o. W., was IN Oklahoma City, and
a few of his henchmen and a few
others got together and organized
what they called the Fraternal Con
gress of Oklahoma They are high
sounding words, il Is true. There is
no basis of representation or nxed
time of meeting for said organization
and only few attend its called meet
ings In the facts herein given you
vii, see the sinister purpose of the
organization.
Members Of the Legislature Deceived.
The Fraternal Congress of Okla
homa gave a banquet to the members
of the Legislature in the Lee Huckins
Hotel for the purpose OF boosting" a
certain proposed law and the said pro
posed amendment to our Constitution
OF course the rank and file OF the
members belonging to the several fra
ternal societies concerned new moth
ing about the meeting or its purp Jses
but contributed the money which the
head &C rs used TO pay the expenses
OF tn banquet contrary TO the prin
clple Taxation without representa-
tion is tyranny" Members OF the leg
islature evidently believed that the
FraterD.cl Congress OF Oklahoma rep
resented the members of the several
societies concerned In this they were
deceived, as the facts hereinafter dis
closed will show The legislature
merely submitted the proposed amend
ment to the people for their ratifica
tion or rejection. Several members oi
the legislature who voted TO refer the
proposed amendment to the people
will vote against the same.
Object to Convert into Old Line Com
psnies.
The laws OF the various states rec
ognize two lines or types of policies
one for profit and the other for mutua
protection. Sec >, OF Art 10 of ouI
Constitution exempts insurance com
panies which are not conducted fol
profit, and insuring only their own
members (fraternal societies), and all
OF which the interest OF each respect
lively shall be uniform and mutual
from certain burdens imposed upon
old line foreign life insurance com
panies. Foreign life insurance com
panies, organized for profit, are per
mitted TO write different types of in
surance, and they are required TO pay
TO our state 5000 per annum, $500 for
each agent and two per cent on prem
iums collected in Oklahoma. For the
year 1919 the New York Life insur'
ance Co. paid to our state on prem
iums collected, after deducting divi
dends, s27543.S4. Other companies
paid large sums to our state. Frater.
nal insurance societies which write
uniform and mutual policies, only
pay $500 when permitted to do bust
ness, and do not pay anything on pre-
miums collected. II is the object o
the proposed amendment to ''lay dowr
the bars so that fraternal societies
can wr.te different types o: policies
This is admitted in the afiirmativ,
argument. | agree that that would b,
the effect OF the amendment il adopt
ed. Instead OF all new blood going L
support one type OF a policy, the en-
eI gies and prestige of the frateInal SO
cities would be scattered. When tn,
Woodmen of the World began TO write
types OF policies other than the -,
which had been built up by the ole
members. the rates on the old mem
bers were increased. II was probabl!
contemplated that with many of tn,
old members forced out OF the society
II would still go on with the sam,
officers at its head. The rates wer,
greatly increased and at the sam,
time the Sovereign Commanders sal
airy was increased brom Sl2,500 TO $25
600 per year in addition TO large sum
allowed for expenses. Remember tha
such man was the moving spirit be
hind the Fraternal Congress Of Okla
homa, which urges the adoption OF tn
proposed amendment. Let us mem
bers think for ourselves. When W
see our interests betrayed. let US ac
Tor our common good To allow fra
; ternal societies to write dlfreren
; types OF policies would be fruittu
E source OF fraud. In that way the
could, under the guise OF a fratersa
society, write old line insurance. Ate
writing one type OF policy for awhile
the unscrupulous could use the pres
tige OF the society IN fostering anothe
type Of policy, and as the old policie
are supported by new blood from ney
members the rates would be greatl
increased or be unable to pay the oil
policies at death. Members. wheI
they are too old 10 take out other Ia
surance, find they have no insuranc
or the rates a!e SO increased unit
man cannot carry their insurano
The Supreme Court Of Oklahoma b
the case Of Pretorians vs.. Bloom, II
Pac. gl7. In constituting Sec. OF Ar
19 of our Constitution. which the pr,
posed amendment would chang,
among other things. held: ut Is
; matter of common knowledge that III
insurance as written by the old I'm