The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-09-10
Is DEATH WORTH DYING ?

Is DEATH WOkTd DX400
From the Cincinnati Times. H
; Let ~ drop Mr.. Mallocks question,
"1s life worth hving?" Let ~ rather tn-
quire, "Is death worth dyineS-Bsfdlo
* ices = al men have to die. II is
clearly better for any one man that he
must die with tho rest. The novelists
have dwelt upon this thought with force
and sound reason. HawthoruS has told
the story Of . man who discovered the
elixir OF life. He did not long 0sre 10
use 1t. The gift Of perpetual youth to
any one man In tho world would be y
bane for which he would presently seek
an anttdoee. He would get tired OF -
socfasing with thoso who were really
younger than himself, get tired Of their
lack ofsympathy with his own exper-
iences; get bred Of hearing old notions
contiuuaily coming TO tho front which
have been once disposed OF. There IL
nothing IN hfe that SO makes 1t worth
living ~ first experiences. A man who
was plunged In the fountain De Soto
sought to discover would speedily rin
through tho whole emotional Ramut.--
He would find that intellectually the
world il not advancing. and that moral.
lists dispute whether 1t Is going ahead
morally. He would have to look to
for the inspiration Of his weary brain.
But more than al this, there would
come to such . man . longing 20 visit
some other world, to be again with
those WHO had gone before him to jOin
1.-The great majority" The friends ofhis
real youth would be needed. The friends
Of his manhood would grow to seem
dearer 70 him. The friends Of HIS age
would beckon 20 him. For the sake OF
10 - Al Al. -
sake Of early sympathies, which none Of
his contemporaries csald share with
him, he would give up the youth he had
found. Desth cannot be hard exper-
ience to endure, since millions die year
ly, and save for the pain that precedes
the dissolution, give forth no sign OF an
guish. There are many who, without
having living long life, without having
found that vital elixir, are restored 10
life from . sickness which had been
counted ~ mortal. Not few of these
turn.
1t seems clear to MS, ~ things are con-
stituted, with the necessity of death rest
ing upon the world, that no man would
be- az well off IL he could secure to hint
self the certainty Of living forever IN this
world. 1t Is better for any man that he
should share the general fate-we are
persuaded to say the general blessing.
But suppose the necessity of death
could be removed for the whole race,
would IL be better?
We submit to the philosop hical editor
oftEe Express that the result OF an over
| population could not be contemplat ed
| N such q case without horror. II the re
be any truth in the Malthusian theory
how much more would there be If exist
| ing populations were not removed? 1t 1.
fer the good Of the world, therefore
that the worlds population is removed
once In thirty-three years.
| Bat II Is good for the individual, this
law Of death Is. Tho knowledge tina
death must come Is an incentive to work
1t is one Of the greatest incentives. =
Men labor TO win money and same wht
might not labor we're not the certaint,
PR scented to them that after fifty or sixt,
years OF work they would be removed
Death mellows the nature of man.
There is never one lost but the hear
grows more tender. The rough expe
Iiences of the world harden the nature
Men become less susceptible to the in
Huence of mercy, OF compassion, y
sympathy As they grow older. A fathe
who loses his child, husband who lose
his wife, son who loses his sister, ar,
all better for the loss they have sustain
ed. They are better In all relations o
life, better friends, better IN the domes
tic'relations, better citizens, better neigh
| bors.
Nj borrower, we submit to the philoso
, phical editor 10 consider the qaesLio
whether there are not, in his judgmeI
, great many men for whose death til
, world Is better OFF. We will not men
non names. II might De counted a
invidlous distinction. But names wi
occur to the able editor. Were .bere n
death these men. the enem les of mar
kind, would live forever.
Besides all this there would come
, time when the uncomfortable curl osit
! of men would burn for new worlds I
see and explore. May be there are non
May be- there Is no other life. But ma
be there is. May be the present exls
ence is only stepping-stone to auotht
and more extended. Were there n
death, time would surely come whe
even philosophers would risk all tn
} dangers of aDnihilation for a sight
the possible greater joys aud high
happiness. 1t is through death develo
, ment may come. The lofty yearning II
a different experience would make itse
felt II death were not n universal fact
IL Is the constitution of things th
life must be worth living and death wor
! dying. There are universal facts, AT
e because they are universal, they u