people. " The democracy nrouses people
ple and separates them into antagonis
tic classes. Ono of the apostles of this
democracy tells us "that the great com
mon people do not need any particular
class to tell them what they shall do"
a monopoly which he especially pre
empts. "Thny can think for themselves"
a most individualistic aud rare char
acteristic in any class. "Wo can go
into the stores , the machine shops , the
farms , to the man who makes the roads ,
and find men who know enough of the
principles of this government to bo able
to discuss these questions and apply
them to themselves. " That is talking
to the galleries. "What a reflection 011
Washington , Franklin , Adams , Hamil
ton , Paine aud the drafters of the con
stitution ! What is the country coming
to when a democratic organ proclaims
that it "will support the party nomi
nees whoever they are ? " Is that dem
ocratic freedom or slavery ? Is that
Jefi'ersoniauism ?
FRANK S. BILLINGS.
Grafton , April 21 , 1899.
THE VALUED POLICY LAW.
Judge Jackson of the superior court
at Cincinnati , Ohio , has rendered an
interesting and important decision un
der the Ohio valued policy law. Julia
Ruesell sued the Milwaukee Mechanics'
for $1,750 under a total loss. The com
pany claimed the privilege of rebuilding ,
under the rebuilding clause , aud asked
for plans and specifications of the house
destroyed. The plaintiff refused to
give these. Judge Jackson , according
to advices , holds in effect that the stat
ute intended the value of the house de
stroyed to be paid in money , the value
having been previously fixed by the
agent of the company and the premium
being paid on that amouut. This in
tent , he said , would bo defeated if the
company were to rebuild for less money
than the value stated by the agent.
While we may not question the wisdom
of this decision , Judgd Jackson's inter
pretation of the law throws a very clear
light upon its vicious character. He
. says in so many words that the intent
of the law makes insurance not indem
nity , but speculation upon a certain
contingency. The valued policy law ,
therefore , makes insurance not a con
tract to restore the amount of loss , but
a contract to pay a certain sum , on a
certain event , no matter what the loss
may be. In this particular case it is
clear that the insured did not want the
loss restored but wanted the cash ,
which it seems was in excess of the act
ual loss. If the insured wanted the
cash , and did not want the house , it is
clear that a law which allows the in
sured to recover in cash more than the
value of the house , in case of destruc
tion by fire , is a direct incentive to
crime , aud therefore against public
policy. In view of this fact it is grati-
fying to note that of the four valued
policy laws passed this year , in Colorado ,
Nevada , Utah and West Virginia , none
of them received executive approval ,
the first three being vetoed by the state
governors , and the latter passing with
out the governor's signature and against
his advice. In each case the executives
recognized the vicious character of the
proposed legislation , particularly the
incentive it furnished to crime. The
governor of West Virginia says : "It
offers inducements to people owning
houses to insure them for more than
they are worth , and then burn them to
recover the insurance. " The governor
of Colorado says : "Tho bill ignores the
fundamental principle of fire insurance ,
and thereby transforms the contract
from one of indemnity to one of wages
or speculation. " The same bad prin
ciple is recognized in the other cases ; in
fact we do not see how any intelligent
man can fail to be impressed with this
feature. It seems that Judge Jackson
was guided and supported in his finding
by a similar decision rendered by the
court of civil appeals in Texas. If it is
good law , it is also the strongest pos
sible argument which could be advanced
against the law from , the standpoint of
the public welfare. The Standard ,
April 29.
LIST OF TIIEASUKEKS OF THE
UNITED STATES.
The germ , of the treasury department
was planted when , on July 29 , 1775 , the
Continental congress appointed two
treasurers. The appointments were
Michael Hillegos and George Clymer.
The latter soon resigned to accept his
seat as delegate to the congress. Mr.
Hillegas discharged the duties of treas
urer until September 11 , 1789. The
treasury department was organized
under the act of September 2 , 1789.
Strictly speaking , it was reorganized ,
for the department , under various
names , had been in existence since 1775.
The constitution went into'effect March
4 , 1789. Washington was inaugurated
as the first president of the United
'States April 80 , 1789. It will thus be
seen that Mr. Hillegas was treasurer for
nearly five mouths after the inaugura
tion of Washington , and for nine days
after the treasury department was or
ganized under the constitution.
NAME.
1 Michael Hillegas. . .
2 Samuel Meredith. . .
U Thomas T. Tucker.
4 William Clark
5 John Campbell
0 William Selden
7 John Sloano
8 Samuel Casey
0 William C. Price. . .
10 F E. Spinner
11 John C. Now
12 A. U. Wynmn
13 James Gilnllan
14 A. U. Wyman
15 Conrad N. Jordan. .
1(5 ( .lameHW.Hyatt. . . .
17 J.N.Huston
18 Enos H. Nobokor. . .
10 Daniel N. Morgan. .
20 Ellis H. Roberta. . . .
ANOTHER EXCKLLENT IT III K 11E-
TAKDENT IN THE FIELD.
The efficacy of the standard automatic
closing fire aud burglar proof window of
wire glass controlled by Voightman &
Co. , of Chicago , received a good demon
stration at the fire in Armour Co.'s felt
factory , Chicago , April.
The building was five stories in height ,
of mill construction , and built but a
year before. When the fire broke out ,
the windows ( which wore open for ven
tilation ) closed and were locked auto
matically. Two hours after the fire
broke out the south wall fell , but during
the interim the wall with its one hun
dred and fifty windows was for all pur
poses a dead wall , keeping the fire per
fectly confined aud from communicating
to a warehouse that was within fifteen
feet , and which contained a valuable
stock of goods. The heat within was
most severe aud continuous , and even
the windows in that part of the wnll
that did not fall held the fire confined
throughout.
In a report of this fire made to E. U.
Crosby , manager of the Underwriters'
Bureau of Now England , Voightman &
Co. say that "considering rules govern
ing our frame and sash of hollow air
chambers throughout , and constructed
by a system of lock joints aud rivets
free and independent of solder , it is
easily appreciated that , while the half of
a frame may bo to a white heat , the
other half , exposed as it is , insures con
tinued structural strength. "
The firm makes these claims for its
window , as demonstrated by this fire :
"that the window affords light and pro
tection from fire at all times ; that when
open for ventilation it will close as read
ily under fire as a sprinkler with some
fusible link will act ; that it will resist
heat much longer than a shutter ; that
firemen may enter through it by break
ing glass out ; that by approaching windows
dews by fire-escapes or ladders , holes
large enough for the introduction of
water without admitting a draught can
be easily made ; that the annoyance and
danger of falling glass to firemen is elim
inated ; that a better observation of an
interior fire is had than is possible where
shutters are employed ; that the careless
neglect of closing and keeping shutters
in repair is done away with. " Boston
Standard.
