ded in the candidate
for that office.

The desirability of insurance by government direct is questioned so long
as governments themselves are unstable and popular will favors laxity in
the business machinery. That insurance could in this way be made cheaper
is a matter of doubt while great masses of people magnify their claims
against government and minify their obligations to it. Frauds against
government in both taxes and claims are proverbial. At any rate,
governments will not wisely undertake the indefinite applications of
insurance until larger experience and wider acquaintance with the methods
in vogue are reached.

_Applications of insurance._--The applications of insurance are indefinite
in variety. There is no limit to the possibilities except in the lack of
experience to settle the average of hardships. Insurance of property
against fire and storm is well understood and almost everywhere practiced.
Insurance of life is almost equally extended, in which the head of a
family may in a measure provide against the suffering of his family in his
unexpected removal by death. This is easily extended into insurance
against accident. In this, as in life insurance, there is some lack of
experience, as yet, as to the actual cost. It is possible even to insure
against dishonesty of employes through so-called bond and security
companies, which issue bonds for definite amounts payable in case of
failure of the person whose character is insured to meet the expectations
of his employer. Such companies, in their own interest, exercise an
influence over the character of those for whom they have given bonds by
attention to their habits of life and business methods. They make more
prominent the maxim, "Honesty is the best policy," whether they actually
cultivate honesty in fact or not.

There is no conceivable limit to the possible applications of the
principles of insurance. It seems possible that a body of business
farmers, subject as they are to so many disasters from weather, insects
and contagious diseases of stock and vegetation, might devise methods of
equalizing and diminishing the disaster from such losses in a common
system of insurance. As a basis for such systematic action, careful
statistics for large regions of country are absolutely necessary. With
such losses clearly presented and averages fairly estimated, insurance
would be just as feasible as it is now against fire. It will be wisely
undertaken first upon suc