Idaho tri-weekly world. (Idaho City, Idaho) 1875-1875, 1875-03-17

mon the principle of mutual aid d! e :, tne
r upu of 4 covenant, to use lts lnnu'
n aeso'f for the success and happiness o. ,.
al ALT its members. You know tnas th !,
studies =, lie to impress upon the mind "a, !ae
yalue Of true. universal love. y . I'u.
rs do unto others as we would 5gney :
s 81 MI do INTO us; and hath. V. 'n .
neglect or violation Of this P rlnc'P,e :
that ca,ses all social evils and disturos
the general harmony Of society: a
true regard, therefore. Of our oO' Ssa.
ton would compel US to warn oro :
tl,er Of every approaching danger. !
trust you will not censure me lol oo.us s
what I ought to do when ! call upon,
all Odd Fellows to be true men anu
good men, and sober men and nohes'
men. Here, and here only, are we
safe To fail here is to impcril all. ;,
Secondly, our inquiries may go oac.
from the phenomenon on Tie li''e q Us
onuses and inquire who or what is re-
sponsible for the event. If we find a
combination of responsible causes can
we equitably differentiate the respoh'
sibility and hold each to its proper
share of blame? Let the question then
be raised. Who or what is responsible
for the death of James Thompson!
Perhaps you answer that it is one OF
those events which fall outside the
cocnizance of law; that, in a Mt OF
temporary insanity, or one OF those
paroxysms of grief which dethrones
reason and carries us on to unpremed.
iia,ed deeds, he took his own life, and
no one is or can be sad
TO be responsible, Immediately, tor the
event. If this he true, and | have no
reason to dispute it, let us continue
our search for the true cause. rcmeIn'
h.ring that however far back in the
chain of causation we find the final
cause, it loses none of its responsible
itv, but on the contrary the greater
and more complex the result the deep
err is the first cause involved in respon.
What occasio,ied the tempo.
rarv insanity whereof comes this sad
deed? If we assume ali inherent pre-
upon the part OF the man.
that he was not u strong man men
tally, the responsibility is only IN
creased; for by so much ~ he was incn.
tally inferior t" others by 80 much
were his snpcriors n,ore responsible
for his welfare.
As far as | can learn Mr.. 7. was Fl.
embarrassed, hut this Of H.
self would hot account for even tcu-
p"rary insanity: for, first: He had a
friend who id. and understand was
willing 10 as>.s, him, So far AZ money
were concerned: and. second.
~: The business in which he was en-.
gagged WAS paying business. indeed,
II has n",hiug else To recommend il,
but lis !ucrativcness; inr, with less
brain power il pays a higher dividend
on the capital invested than almos,
any other vocation. His financial
troubles. then, are on y another link in
the chain. The true cause lies still!
further back.
He had s'cn drinking, too. Yes.
and | admit tw" things. First: The
habit at drinking is itself dangerous !:
lis associations arc all corrup,in., aud
II" IMAM can safely indulge in the habit
Sec"ni: Excessive use "f alcoholic
liquors will account for madness, in.
sanity and loss of reason. But no one
will contend that the drinking habits
OF Mr.. I. were Of that malignant type.
His drinking habits were not 90 much
link in the chain Of causes as an &C.
compartment.
lie was inordinately fond of gam.
bling. To it he was held in the mesh.
es OF a tlree-told attraction.
>, LIST. The strength Of companions,tiip
he was not alone the society cut Of
which he fell, was made strong and
respectable by men who ought to have
dissolved such social compacts bv
I their unqualified disapproval Of gam.
bling, and thus set at liberty this mar
and many like him who are held by
such social bonds.
I'd. Attirst the loser. he, very natural.
", hoped and desired to recover what
he had lost. You may say he should
have quit when he fnnnd %ho& l..