St. Landry democrat., 1879-08-30
Suicide of YOnmg People and
it's Causes.


as well as in other things. 1twas form
crly the world weary, the starving out
cast, the despairing criminal who
"shut1ed off this mortal coil" But
now young men who meet with some
temporary reverse Of fortune, girls who
betwixt much novel-reading and no
useful employment, find hours drag
OH heavily, and boys who think it man
ly to cock pistol, and grand and heroic
to use it to blow ont their own brains.
The n. O. Times of the ED, records
three such eases. One of them a young
barber, Prosper Marchal, who found his
business involved, cut the gordian knot
with dose of poison, which he had
! been using to remove superiiu"us dye
from the faces and hair of his customers.
Another, Percy Marks, aged fourteen,
who had been reproyed by his father
for some trivial otfensc, shot himself
through the heart. The third, George
Winklcman of New Orleans, aged 10,
shot himself on the outskirts OF the
town of Biloxi, 10 apparent cause.
These three suicides occurred in one
day the 21st inst.
1t is difficult TO trace up the causes or
this singular mania. 1t is a monstrous
excrescence upon the vaunted civiliza-
ton of the 10Th century, that our very
boys and girls are so ignorant of their
own responsibilities to God and man,
and so reckless OF incredulous i'll life
beyond the grave, that the first moment
of disgust or even temporary annoy
ance, sufiiccs to make them fly to a
violent death. If children are never
taught the value of life, Or the reSpon-
sibility which it entalls-if those Obso-
lete virtues of patience, and obedience
are DO longer to be enforced in the
education Of youth, then both parents
and teachers may regard themselves as
responsible for the count of unnatural
suicides.
It is through their carelessness that
the sensational or vicious dime novel is
introduced into their households. The
favorite hero of the boys is usually
some murdcrous, uuplincipled scoundrcl
who if he doesn't go out of life on a
gallows, cheats justice with pistol or
dagger. The girls follow their heroins
through very improper places and
situations to the Infinitely weary -
condition, which marks mind elevated
above the common herd. A little love
disappointment which wouldn't have
affected the rude health of Mary, Betsey
and Sarah of century ago, drives our
nervous Marie or Lizzie or Sallie to the
"cup of cold pisen" or the dagger.
Morally and physically our young pco-
pie are not robust and in most cases
positively unhealthy. Their views Of
life are distorted through weak septi-
mentalism or audacious pictures Of vice.
They talk slang, they affect u freedom
from domestic or social restraints, in
fact they acknowledge no authority to
control tiaair actions and the green
shoot withers without either blossom OF
fruitage.
A pitiful state of affairs, but who that
keeps up with the current news of the
day can avoid being painfully struck
with this pathetic picture of American
life.
1t is terrible protest against the
laisse alter of our domestic and
SOCIAL life, that our young people are
drifting like ships without compass on
the rocks Of infdelity and atheia b.
There is a great cry Of the ntcEGency
of the age" and all evil things are laid
at it's door. But the age, good or evil,
is made up of the people who live in
it. The atoms build up the whole, and
if each parent aad teacher, did their
duty to the children committed to their
charge and did not trouble themselves
to mourn over the evil spirit of the
times. it is probable it would be exor-
cised from their Own households. At
least their children would not be 50
ready to resort to pistol or shot gun to
rid themselves of a life made so burthen-
some by injudicious indulgence, and
license, There is not step from child
hood to youth, that does not require
the aid of experience apd iuaicious
counsel to direct it into safe paths. It.
is criminal in those who are supposed
to be the guardians Of the young, to
allow tastes and habits to be formed and
opinions adopted which are inimical to
the restraints required by uniformed
minds. Oar re- action from pulitanical
rigor has cast us in the slough of q
greater evil. The first crushed life
down in an iron groove, the last des-
troys it body and soul.
"BLAoK.DRRyGHT" cures dy<pcp-