New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-26
HDpE And HART.

Acts OF suicide. attributed TO hard times"
and want OF employment weare sorry to observe
are incfeasngi in number throughout the country.
The pain and the pinch OF the financial trouble,
with consequent decrease in the demand Tor
labor, is not felt the most sharply in homes
which have been accustomed to luxurious ex-
pense Bankruptcy usually leaves to such
sufficient remainder of resources for something
more than the mere necessares of life. But
when diminution of production follows
long and demoralzing day of high wages, it
seldom finds families subSisting upon weekly
wages prepared for the emergency. 1t must
he admitted that our producing classes are far
from being wisely economical and prudent in
their habits of life. Too much ia spent in
superfluities of diet, Iaiment, and domiolle.
father coming all begrimcd from his toll In
factory or furnace likes TO see his children as
well dressed "a those of his employer, and
eats as much butchers meat as if he were
capitalist, with French cook to dress it. If
he denies himself nothing and spends a great
deal for what only does him a great deal of
harm, he is equally liberal, while his money
lasts, in providing indulgences for his family.
He is proud of his boys and girls, and fool
ishly weak in his incapacity to deny them
anything which they may desire. Among his
outside associates he maintains at no little
cost the reputation of being a good fellow.
All is sunshine with him, and the rainy day
about which economists are always prating
seems to him among the impOsslbilities, or at
least the mprobabilites of his life. Alas all
his prosperity is at the m ercy of men over
whose actions he has no control; who, if
they pay lavishly for his labor to-day,
NAV not want il tomorrow; who are them
selves wasting upon greater scale their
greater resources and who may tomorrow
fail for million, shut up the factory, put
out the fires, stop the machinery pause III
building or in mining, and leave the opera
tive TO exist as he can. The little mouths are
In fill: the little forms are to be clothed the
bouse-rent is to be paid, to say nothing of
bakers and butchers bills already outstand-
ING: and altogether the outlook is dismal and
desperate. Some men, under such sable cir
cumstances, betake themselves to the pawn
brokers' shop or the bar-room; habits of
sbiftlessness and self-indulgence and laziness
are formed and fostered; there is trouble
at home, there is no rational comfort abroad;
and in this way many proud democratic
American, who theoretically considers himself
the equal of prince and of millionaire, is
forced, in modification of spirit to admit that
he is exceedingly like pauper. If self
respect be small he may go on drinking, and
leave his family to be kept alive by tie con-
tents of the public soup kettles if the unfor-
tunate man is of proud, sensitive nature, he
is in danger of hanging or shooting or drown
ing or poisoning himself. We have five recent
instances of suicide before us, and in each
case "want of employment is assigned as
the reason for self-murder.
1t would, of course, be supertiuous for Ms
10 point out the utter selfishness of the man,
if a man such a person can be called who
leaves those least capable of sustaining the
burden to bear it unaided and alone. A hus-
band and father who abandoned his family in
n burning house, when his eYertiOns might
rescue it, would be universally denounced rs
a brutal poltroon; and the head OF house
hold who hangs himself to escape the spec
tacle of cold hearth and IN exhausted
arder is character no more praiseworthy.
A little pluck goes great way in this world,
and we should be sorry to think that our
countrymen of any class are deficient in this
saving quality Of character The poorest