Child Insurance

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 7, 1903

The poisoning of two Pennsylvania children recently for the insurance which they carried, has led to much discussion and some official action in that State. The State insurance commissioner has made an investigation which shows that nearly 400,000 children under twelve years of age are on the books of a single insurance company in Pennsylvania. How many are carried by the other companies is not stated; but it is safe to say that this is but a part of the total number; and doubtless some of these are insured in more than one company. In the presence of the ever prevalent avarice of the times, it is undisputed that child insurance has placed before the very poor and the unscrupulous a very dangerous temptation, and one which we know has frequently been yielded to. With the questionable moral status of much of life-insurance business, it should not be difficult for the Christian to decide aright the question of child insurance, so far as his child is concerned. It is at best a lottery into which a certain sum is paid periodically for the chance of receiving back a larger sum in case the death of the child occurs. There are two uncertain quantities, the arrival of death and the ability and willingness of the company to keep its promises. Then there is on the part of the two classes named the desire to receive back what they have paid out with increase to cover the risk incurred. The whole matter is a trenchant and caustic comment on the morality of our times.