The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-29
Must 4 Nan Live When He
Does Not Wish tot
THE EUTHAnAsIA SOCIETY.
Logic 70 Justify sslf-slauEhter-Hissory
of Some Observation-Disclosures shuf-
as-Restrsined BY Christianity.
81 I~nss Repub,ic.


suicide permissible? At the recent gath
ering OF distinguished physicians in this
city the subject was handled in very
entertaining paper read By one OF the most
prominent: delegates Suicide. he said, has
recently been called . malady of cultiya-
sion. characteristic Of an advanced and
even prosperous state of society. and its
prevalence and increase in all civilized
countries is in many wa,s lamentable. Per
vading - 1t does all classes and condnions
Of men.
Whether man. who has no voice in the
matter OF entering this world. has the ie-
gal and moral right to determine when he
shall quit living IN it. is q question that
anthropologists have disputed over for
ages. Certain II is that nowadays many
people oct on the reasoning that, as they
had no voice OF their own in the matter
OF entering this world, are taxed to live Tor
rather to death), and have to get licensed
TO get married, they at least have the right
to leave the world when they desire SO to
do. Indeed, in foreign country . society
has been formed for the furtherance OF this
very object, and members are suitably las
sisted when they indicate desire therefor.
This organization is called the Euthanasia
Society. euthanasia meaning an easy and
painless death. But one sta'e in the Union
has . Law making it crime to attempt
self-destruction-New York No state in
continental Europe has such law. though
England has. and confiscates all money
and valuabies found on the corpse. A
notable instance of this confiscation, of
interest to local residents, occurred in the
winter Of 1876 to Mr. Kingan, who went TO
England via Canada, and got off the train
and killed himself near Canadian station.
- o~I ~ nh - al YoCfa oh
. law has in stemming the rising tide Of
this mental contagious epidemic that
affects the nerves and brains OF SO
many. History records such attempts
at suppression which were effec-
tive because enforced with despotic
power For instance. the great Napoleon
once burned all his sentry boxes because .
sentry hanged himself in one, and thereby
initiated . formidable mania that threat
ened to deprive his army of sentries. When
the Milesian maidens we're hanging them
selves in great numbers . decree ordering
that the naked bodies of such suicides be
borne through the market place. says Plu-
tarch. soon put stop to such deaths. Tar
the s Proud STOPPED s%s bp assS
bodies to crosses. But these were for cpl
denies, not individual cases. What shall
be done by society as whole to abate this
evil, this inevitable ailment of the time?
Who will answer?
Looking into history. We see that by the
teachings Of Pagan philosophy the theory
and practice OF suicide are held to be COR
rect. That grand old philosopher. Epicte-
tus, who supplied so many Of the solid
chunks OF wisdom so often quoted At the
present time, upheld il. He said: Live
contentedly or be gone; II you don't like
life you may leave 1.-THE door is open,
begone" And his noblest student, Marcus
Aurelius. declared that the wise man is the
arbiter Of his own life. Cicero. Seneca,
Edipus and Cato said the same, and Cato
suicided with . sword. Roman warriors
often killed themselves on their swords
from disappointed ambition. or rather
than be captives, turning. - Brutus says.
'our swords in our own proper entrails,
just as We see Cassius and Brutus do 1t in
the noble and manly play Of Julius Cse-
daughter" also killed herself. Mithri-
dates and the great general Hannibal, the
conqueror of the world. did the same. The
death Of Marc Antony. that great. yet weak
commander, was equally rOmantic-.a
Roman by Roman valisntly vanquished r.
and his associate, Cleopatra, Egypt's
in very truth shufiied q mortal
coil. aspic though it was. as she said.
II feel immortal longings in ms!'
Themistocies and Zan0 were suicides, as
we're Ajax, the lightning defer, Cordus,
King of Greece Diogenes. OF lantern fame,
Empedocles. Peregrinus. Jocasta, Dido.
Antigone. H@mon, Lucretia. Euridice,
ers, rs blindly a. a flock of sheep going
over precipicel. to say nothing of lower
lights and million common people. But
Plato 600 years b. CT was opposed to
suicide, and Pythagoras 800 B. G.. was the
author OF the noble sentiment, No man
should abandon his post in life withou.
the orders Of the Great Commander
Coming now 70 the Christian era, we see
that the march of suicide receives decided
check, for the act was practically unknown
among the primitive Christians, continu-
ing so until the horrible prosecutions
among them broke out. for. though all did
not endure 10 the end, their faith and hope
gave them the fortitude to endure their per-
secutions and tortures or meet triumphant
deaths at the ravenous jaws OF the well.
trained lions and tigers of the arena. Still.
quite . number, in the transports of recent
conversion, killed themselves to get at once
to heaven. rs, indeed, in the Middle Ages
DID many All ascetic monk. Many
Bible quotations show forth the reason
Tor this abstinence, but II need not be
more than outlined kere: For instance.
Matt x 81, Christ says. But he that en-.
dure.h TO the end shall be saved !" and in
Revelation i:I0 We read, BE thou faith
ful unto death, and will give thee a crown
of iifs: and Paul charges Timothy to en-
dure Affections to the end, a. he has, for A,
his reward. "henceforth there is laid nm
for me crown OF righteousness;" and in
the Fifty-ffth Psalm. Cast thou thy
burden on The Lord, and He shall thee sus-
tain; yea, He shall cause the righteous
IN an unmoved 10 remain"
Bible references TO suicides are rare. com.
prising samson. Abimelech. Ahithopei,
Saul and his armor-bearer, in the Old les
lament. and Judas was the only one in the
New Testament tunless we include the
herd OF swine that ran into the sea-
Matthew viii: s. The Jews had a great
horror OF hanging especially for He that
is hanged is accursed of God Deuteronomy
xxi: - The subject OF suicide Was only
once alluded 10 IN the discussion be,yeer,
Jesus and the Jews In the temple.
John vii: p The story es the suicide
of Judas is interesting for several
reasons, showing the origin of our potter's
Geld Tor oIs. as we'll as giving a chance for
argument. and so may profitabiy De rsnro
duced: In Matthew xvii we read that
Judas. in remorse for having BETRAYED fhs
savior ter thirty pieces OF silver, Ca Z down
the pieces OF silver In The temple. and de-
parted and went and hanged himself. And
the chief priest took the silver pieces and
said: IL Is not lawful for TO put III. M ints,
the treasury, because i. is the n-sc. ~
hood And they took counsel, and broasht
with them the potter's field 10 hn~v
strangers in. Wherefore. that fed was
called the field Of blood until this .ay. =
And IN the grand painting. "Chr,st on Cal
vary on exhibition here a year ago. shs
artist, with more fidelity TO ara than tn
facts In the case, as Judas oiad
even before the conviction. depscts him
running from the scene, the en-. bodlnert
81 remerse. But there IL warrant for fhs
Jess eaa.m that Judas did not hang him