Ben Turpin was a comedic actor back in the days of silent film. That's back when all you had to do to be successful in comedy was look weird. That's exactly the case with Ben Turpin who had crossed eyes. Everyone loves crossed eyes. Babies laugh at crossed eyes, and if babies think it's funny, then you better believe it's funny. That's the golden rule of comedy. Ben Turpin knew his key to success was his eyes, so he had an insurance policy put out in case his eyes ever uncrossed.
Some people with crossed eyes pray that their eyes will uncross one day. This guy was praying they'd stay that way. There's a lot of comedic irony in that. There's a tax accountant out there with crossed eyes who just wants to live a normal life.