, 1878-07-05
The Increased Suicide Rate,

the number OF suicides in this country is
evident on reading the records as pub.
lished in the daily papers. Every day
the dispatches chronicle the suicide OF
from three to five persons, whose promi-
ncnce or the circumstances of whose
death make the announcement of general
interest. During one month of the pres
ent year the weekly average of such sui
Gides was over twenty, and possibly the
average has been nearly as great for all
the months. The reported cases take in
all grades of society, and include young
people as well as old; people prosperous
and in good health as we'll as people
disappointed and sick. ..
A correspondent Of The Inter Ocean ex-
presses his opinion that the increase in
the suicide rate is owing to the publica.
ton of the particulars of every case of
suicide, and the throwing about the act,
in so many instances, the atmosphere of
martyrdom or heroism. Believing that
the publication of such cases exercises an
unwholesome influence on persons of
morbid Imagination, leading them to
adopt, for the sake of notoriety, the meth
ods of the suicide, this correspondent asks
that all suicide items be omitted, at least
from the weekly edition of The Inter
Ocean.
This approximates to theory of sui
eide that has many advocates. As way
ward and disappointed boy takes "a mel
ancholy satisfaction in doing something
that will make him sick, and picture the
remorSe and grief of his parents when
they see him sick unto death, so it is ar
gued that person suffering from disease
or worried by disappointment and trou-
ble, turns to resort that promises relief
from all, and to au act that, while it
stops all reproaches, arouses the sympa.
thy of friends and appeals to the charity
Of enemies.
Has man been wronged, he imagines
that self-destruction in some way makes
the fact prominent, and that his sef-im.
notation makes the public the instru
ment for reproaching and furnishing those
who have wronged him. A man who
thinks he has not been understood or APP
preciated, is apt to fancy that his sud
den takiDg-of in mysterious way will
open the eyes of the world to the talent
and ability that was allowed to perish
with, him and, animated by this thought,
he takes his revenge on the public by an
act which he hopes will tear their helrts
with remorse.
The letters left by many suicides show
that in some euch spirit they contemplat-
al calF Iac oki,,, n
though they were simply tired of life,
and disgusted with their own infrmities.
Others, again, write not at all, but carry
all clue as to motive with them into the
beyond. While the public looks upon
suicide as cowardly, it is easy for the
person who has determined ON suicide to
convince himself that his act is in SOME
sense heroic. Certain it is that such
thinking on suicide makes men mad, and
in seeking causes for the increased rate OF
seH-destruction, we may find the princi-
pal one in the fact that with the change
in public opinion toward the suicide has
come disposition to dwell more on the
romantic and peculiar features of suicide
cases. sIpu
In the old time the suicide was counted
in the list Of outcasts. The act itself re-
ceived the severest condemnation of the
church, and was looked upon with hor-
ror by the people. There was in pub
lie print and common conversation no dis
position to excuse and no tendency to
justify the act of an array of causes, or
by enlarging upon the troubles and
trials of The deceased. There was no en-
couragement to dwell on the subject in
secret or public, but popular sentiment,
custom, and tradition all were so many
influences to direct mems minds away
from the subject. The sentiment in the
churches, the attitude of the church it.
self, and the feeling among the people at
large, all have changed. There is now
more charity for the act, and moro con.
sideration for the person who commits
suicide, than formerly, and the means of
directing public thought to such occur
rences, having greatly increased, are used
without scruple. In this change Of pub
lie sentiment we may find one reason for
the increase in the suicide rate.
Supplementary to this is the fact that
suicides find apologists and defenders in
many brilliant and erratic writers. An
article is published written years ago by
John NJ. Buckley (who is said to have
committed suicide few days since)
which is in effect strong plea for chart
table judgment on the suicide. If Mr.!
Buckley did commit suicide, he applied
to the disappointments of his career the
reasoning common 70 diseased minds, and
the article written in former years shows
that his mind had been dwelling on the
subject, and that he had taken the first
step in the direction of danger.
Many seek causes for the numerous
suicides in the hard times and incident
privations. As rule, however, the trials
Of people struggling against poverty tend
to rouse the very qualities in human ma
ture that contribute to wholesome and
practical thought, even though it be CON-
mon place and prosy.-0hicago Ints.