Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-01

terribie punishmeat, Lasting through
eternity. Doubtless it is uncertainty as
to what death is rather than fear OF pun
ishment to come after death, that makes
people pause when the thought OF sell
| destruction presents itself. The real ter
ror is in death itself, no matter now II u
comes. The thought of bringing IT upon
ones self is too horrible for most MINDS
to contemplate; and from this horror re-
l;oion has woven a spell, which makes
mar, Ieaye to the decision OF others the
question whether or not they Will pear
the burdens and sorows OF everyday me-
Death being inevitable, it can, In reah.y'
matter but little in what manner OF oy
whom If comes. 1t comes from the very
necessity of the composition OF the
form in. which life is made man
fest. It ig nothing more than a cessa-
tion of consciousness on the part or the
individual. Man only knows life by the
medium through which it is manifested
So il is with death; man only knows II
bv tbe change which takes place in the
medium through which. he recognizes
life. Life and death are alike changes,
but how wrought, man does not know.
AS was said above, it is more often uncer-
taintv as to what comes as a consequence
of death than the certainty Of punish
ment after death, that causes men to
commit self-destruction, more than any
thing else. 1t seems a law OF mans
very being to associate the terrible with
the uncertain. The love OF lie
IS natural, and the majority OF
men. especially among Christians,
have deemed the hopes and desires
which arise from our nature, to be the
will of God; and among them all none is
so strong as the love OF life, and to de-
stroy this life must be TO transgress a law
of God. Here, then, has been the sin OF
suicide = transgressing law OF God.
The law of God, in this case, is deduced
from the longings OF man. But is there
anv valid reason why man should not
take charge of the time Of his exit from
this world, if this world no longer
pleases him? The chief reasons against
it are the ones that Hamlet gave, which,
after all, were the reasons OF doubt
and dread. Hamlet sums it all up when
he asks ii il is not this that "makes us
rather bear those ills we have, than flee
to others We know not OF, and this each
must decide for himself. In considering
the question the chances Of life must be
calculated. "The fall OF tower, or the
infusion OF a poison will destroy man
equally with the meanest creature; an
inundation sweeps away everything with
out distinction that comes within the
reach of its fury"
The above reflections have been sug-
gested by the suicide of James Glib
son at Ashley's Fork, Whether
he LETT any letter explaining the
motives for his action, We are
unable to say, but some time since he
told a few friends and relatives
that he had at times contemplated
ii. The reasons he assigned were these {:
I'll health and occasional aberra-
tions of mind. At times he was very
respondent, and he began to wonder
what was its cause. OF his sister he be-
came suspicious in the matter of his
meals, being apprehensiye of being
poisoned. This same fear haunted him
while he was CUES: at the Cliff House.
This idea preyed much upon his mind
and recently he told a relative that he
believed that his mind was giving way,
and if he became convinced of this, ii
was his intention to take his own life, as
he much preferred to do that to continu-
ing to live and be a maniac and burden
to himself and his friends. Ii he was
aware that he was liable to become per
manently demented, did he not take the
wiser course by putting an end to his life
and thereby avoiding the prolongation o.
miserable existence? Perhaps most
/ people would prefer death to a demented
mind; and if so, wherein can bf
the sin OF avoiding a demented mind
! by putting an end to life? The worth
of life must be estimated in accordance
with the prospect it offers for peace and
/ happiness or for pain and sorrow, where
| the religious element and a belief in the
Immortality OF the soul dependent on ON
actions here, do not enter into the calcu-
lation. And OF this worth each must de,
eide for himself. Conventional morality
has decided against suicide, but conven-
tional morality is not always the best and
most reasonable guide. 1t would be
difficult for the most rigid conventional
moralist to condemn the action OF James
Gibson in taking his own life when all
the circumstances are calmly and care
full V considered.
szse-..-.s-.-saEz1-<Hzxss.7
ST. NICHOLAS for June is a very pleas
ing number, and in IT the children will