Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-05-25
DIR. LIE Moyne and Cremation.

DIR. LIE Moyne and Cremation.
| We feel that we are not doing jus
tice to DR.. LIE MoYNE without giving
in full the reasons for his belief in
cremation. We copy them from the
Pittsburg Leader:
First-The sanitary argument 1t
is well known fact that the decom-
position of animal matter is great
source Of disease to the living. Since
the era of microscopic investigation
of the results of animal decomposi-
tion it has become well known fact
that most of the lower forms of di-
sosse, such as typhoid fever, etc.,
arise from the inhalation of the Pu-
trid air arising -frorn decomposlng
mauLer and from the contamination
of the water of our springs and wells
las result of its filtration through
graves. In connection with this ar
| gument I will tell the incident that
happened some years ago in Wash
ington, wherein number of promi-
nent men at one of the principal ho-
tells were smitten with typhoid fever
and other low diseases. The reason
for this wholesale sickness was that
the drinking-water became contain
mated with the house drainage. The
law of nature is all on the side of
cremation, and l can very easily
make that evident. Wherever nature
allows animal matter to be subject
to decomposition it has provided a
way to speedily get rid of it. Hence
where animals die and lie in the open
air, it has provided other animals and
birds to eat the remains. When a
body lies in the open air flies will
alight on it and deposit their eggs,
which quickly hatch maggots, where
by the body becomes eaten very soon
but in burial, bodies are kept in Il
a state of decomposition for years.
Why, know OF a body that was dug
up after it had been buried for eight
years, and the smell was so great at
that time that the men doing the
digging could hardly stand it. By
burying the body you hide it so that
it can't be destroyed as quickly as it
should be. But cremation avoids
either trouble by disposing of the re-
mains Immediately.
The second argument-the econom-
ical argument-may now be touched
on. Cremation is greatly to be pre-
ferred when the matter of expense is
to be regarded. For the burying of
bodies we have funerals, monuments
and grave decorations Of every sort,
all of which are extremely expensive,
and all of which are only in exis-
tcnee for fostering the pride of the
living. Why, just think OF the tre-
mendous expense this burial entails
on the people. Our little burying
ground over there on the hill has only
iAAn in existence q few years, and yet,
on inquirlng of one of the directors
of the cemetery, | was informed that
it had cost $3.50, 900 already in fixing
it up. In fact, so great is the eX
penditure in this burying business
that the poorer classes can't meet the
expense, for q modern funeral costs
about hundred dollars. In cremat-
ing body / have estimated that it
needn't cost more than $40 per body,
and anybody could stand that, rich
and poor alike. AS the poor can't
meet the expense of a modern funeral
it separates them from the rich, and
so funerals are made odious to them.
My third argument is the political
argument. The theory of our gov
ernment is the equality of all men.
These expensive funerals destroy this
equality and beget jealousy in
the poorer classes, as they can't
meet them. 1t thus develops war
between capital and labor fosters
communism, trades, unions. etc 1t is
one of the chief causes of the violent
outbreaks of the poorer classes, and
it causes a jealousy by touching
them in very tender place. AS it
is now the poor of this place go to
one burying ground and the rich to
another, whereas in cremation they
would all have to 20 through the same
process.
The fourth argument is the moral
argument. From Scripture we learn
that the mortality of man is for the
purpose of keeping him humble, to
teach him that he is not little god.
Having these expensive funerals,
monuments, ETC., tend toward making
the cemetery a pleasure-ground, and
thus defeats the object of death,
which is to make man humble. In
stead of humility, it produces glori-
fication. Just see what great glori-
fication they make over the dead
body of a presid mt or statesman.
They have the bodies carried from
place to place over the country, ev-
erywhere to be escorted about with
great pomp and show. And all this
alJnous,. re hndy is no better than
that of common laborlng
This, say, cultivates pride and van
ity, instead of humility; hence it is
positively sinful, and is forbidden by
the Scriptures. In the Episcopalian
burial service, they quote from Scrip
ture, sDust to dust, and ashes to
ashes" Now, in burying a man,
where do they get their ashes2 If
they would burn the remains they
would have them. That shows that
Scripture favors cremation. You will
notice that the Bible always under
rates burial. Somewhere in Matthew,
1 don't remember exactly where,
this verse occurs: "Let the dead bury
their dead" That shows how much
the Bible moderated it, and proves
that it would never sanction all the
ostentation and show that is now the
accompaniment of funerals.
The fifth and last argument in fa-
vor of cremation is the social argu-
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