The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-24
BY c. II REEVE.

In e com m1nicaiion to the Sunday Ssnti-
mel of May 10 / presented some reflections
on the subject of family murders and suicide,
in answer to query by the News as to "What
started the epidemic now raging-what social
or individual condition pr3pagates ii?' The
Sentinel kindly noticed it and commented
adversely at some length. In the issue of
May II, your correspondent, Mr.. "Stack-
house." tenders a reply to my statements, in
which he claims that talk nonsense and
that increase or decrease of crime runs par.
allel with plenty or scarcity of employment
and bread.
In prese ntation of views upon go important
subject as the one attempted to consider,
a writer can not pause to chop logic, or enter
on controversies with those who see fit to
open them on collateral matters. But may
call attention to the fact that Mr.. Stackh 1uss
and the Sentinel both evidently missed the
drift OF my argument by mislaking my po
sition. The former discusses the increase of
crime generally and seems 70 think made
an effort to condemn those who disbelisve in
the Bible and toe kind OF Dsity it presents.
ate causes Of suicide and asked for al in.
stance of seh-murder By an infdel.
Any of the persons referred to by the SEN
tinel, including the two ministers" may
have been unbelievers for all We know. The
question is, what led to the absence Of all
restraint and made the snicide Indifferent to
death and an infamous name? Men with
kn~o .,J fna. hnF,~o kbn~, 40 20 4ho bov,,f
ter rarely become utterly desperate while
zane If they have ordinary moral tendencies.
I thought my statements were not in
volved, but lest they were / must be allowed
to briefly restate them.
l. The question: Family murders and su-
icide by the murderer. am not discussing
a question as to the increase of crime gener.
ally, nor claiming that family murders and
suicides do not occur independent of the
cause assign, nor the immediate provoca-
ton in any case; but the moral or mental
condition that enables the PROPAGATION to
produce the result.
2. What started the unusual epidemic
now raging? There is al unusual frequency
of such murders and suicides now, and that
condition had start. In addition, il con.
tinues to grow. Not the occasional sporadic
occurrence that has taken place in all de-
cades, and years perhape, but q seeming cpl
demic that bringsdetails Of hcrror with every
rising and setting OF the sun, increasing in
frequency.
3. What social or individual condition
rropsgates it? That il, itssems to have soil
in 10 r
something that supplies the soil with seed.
1t is somewhere in society or in the individ-
ual and is an existing condition. Not con-
dition that increases crime simply, but one
that produces family murders. A reck.
lessness of life or death for those that are
loved and for themselves--a desire for eter-
nal rest--a risking OF the future-an evident
belief that death ends all. What is it?
Wheat and sugar cane are indigenous in
certain localities; yet sporadically appear in
other localities not adapted to them.
The cypress bsttons CT Louisiana are spe-
cially adapted to cane, but will not produce
wheat. The dry uplands of Dakota are Pc
ouliasly adapted to wheat but will not raise
the cane. Ii wheat should appear in the
cypress bottoms ard cane in Dakota, and
grow thriftiiY, some unusual condition would
exist to produce il.
SO, crime has always existed among certain
classes, and sporadically among al classes.
And there have been occasional family MUIR
ders ard Suicides, but they vera unusual ard
almost unknown in civilized countries until
9 comparatively recent date. Now, they are
common end occur everywhere. and especial
" in the midst of the highest civilized sur
roundings and among all classes. Some IN.
usual condition exists 70 cause and continue
IL What is it?
/ pre- ented come views IN answer. The
comments of the Sentinel hardly seem to be.