St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-17
MONDAY CHATTER.

MONDAY CHATTER.
The New York Herald gives conspicuous
place to arguments in favor of the repeal OF
the law making 1t a felony to attempt to COM
nit suicide. The penalty in that state Is two
years imprisonment, or 81, 900 fine, or both.
This is regarded rs cruel and inhuman, and
visiting ignominy and misery upon the inno-
cent relatives and children of the misguided
person who has sought to take himself out
of the world. 1t is presumed that the mis-
guided person has been sufficiently punished
in the mental disquietude attendant upon
the abortive effort In the case Of those i'm
PEELED by insanity or any uncomfortable tenn
per of mind, of course legal inf1iction would
be grossly unjust and in no case would the
fear Of the law be apt to have other effect
than to avoid failure. Moral considerations
are the only ones that will have much re-
straining influence. Comparatively few
would take their own lives il they were i'm
pressed with the conviction that they thereby
classed themselves with murderers; that
there was equal turpitude in destroying their
own life as in killing another wantonly.
IT
The Massachusetts Legislature has Just de-
feated an effort to carry the protective prin.
ciple into the medical line The measure
was termed the doctors monopoly bill. 1t
was designed to suppress all the people who
profess to be able to mitigate or relieve
physical ills in methods not regarded as
orthodox by the regular schools. This would
cut off a good many varieties OF medication
through the body or mind, as itw was. no doubt,
intended to suppress the mind cures and
Christian science workers. Few had peti-
toned for such legislation and 1000 against
&, 0tI,a cfota tbaro hoe 1aUi 1afi
of this sort, but it is In dangerous direc-
ton. 1t might crush out all but the strongest
school, and while the citizen is allowed to
choose the line of medication for his spir-
itual nature, it does not appear why equal
latitude should not be given in the treatment
of the ills of the body. People may not al
ways be wise in the selection of their medical
advisers, but it is their privilege 10 act un-
wisely.
There have been since the opening Of this
month numerous failures of the rain to fall
in the wonted generous way of kindly nature
when the conditions seemed almost to insure
it, and all vegetation was thirsty aud longing
for aqueous profusion. The scope depth
and tullness of the deprivation is only real
lied in the absorption of HENRY GRADY's
prose roem upon the summer rain. He as
sures us that Each drop that kisses the vel
vety cheeks Of the earth is balm for hun
dred wounds. solace for thousand ungrati-
fed longings. And blueeyed June will
smile all the brighter on the morrow: the
grass grown valleys will shine all the greener,
and the dancing rills will frolic all the mer-
rier for the falling Of the sweet summer
rain" Yes, but it makes the grass wet and
bedraggly for the camp meeting, and the
l., for {y, tbo
bases at base ball. Still, just at present there
may be song and prayer on the aqueous side.
Let the June rains fall.
tt t
1t is not easy to give the picture in the
mind adequate proportions in the case Of q
calamity that appals by its magnitude. The
shock seems to stupefy at first and familiar
ity soon dulls the senses Few persons have
ever witnessed an event that hurried thou
sands to death in moment, as it were. No
battle in the historic period, probably, ever
destroyed as many lives in the same space
of time as did the Conemaugh flood. 1t is
fortunate that such devastatiOns are rare.
They cheaper life and deaden sensibilities.
A city in the West is burned, and over the
water train of children is horribly wrecked,
and the loss of but a hundred or two lives
makes an impression of triviality, it not ac-
tual disappointment at the smallness Of the
number. The most sensitive, those who can
hardly endure the sight of blood and suffer
ing, by even brief familiarity lose all such
sensibility. 1t is fortunate that such is the
human constitution, or there would be
crazy world. In time of war scenes or tales
of blood and death make small impression
on the mind. Nature has arranged the mat
ter wisely.
In recent sermon Chicago preacher put
the matter in this way:
To play base all on Sunday leads to every
sin Under heaven. Did DANIEL WEBSTER
play ball Sundays Did he read the Sunday
newspapers No; he stayed at home and
read the Bible. Think of It'll
Well, no: DANIEL did not go to base ball on
Sundays or week days, as it was not known in
his day, and, as he had no Sunday papers to
read he filed his choice brandy bottle and
went to the woods or lakes. he bottle
always came back empty, and DANIEL would
have been full, had his capacity been but
normal. WEBSTER could talk nicely to Sun
day schools. but he averaged much like poll
ticians in these times He was not SO
Thoughtful as notable official who did not
have to die of broken heart because he
could not be president WEBSTER did not
always remember to take his religion with
him on Sunday excursions. He was pretty
fair man for his time. however.
tt t
The ST. Louis Globe Democrat does not
think the new Indian commissioner ever saw
an Indian except in picture or play, but
as he comes from Indiana there is no room
for criticism If the Indians could all be
given reservations il Indiana he would have
chance to learn about them, and no other