Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-04
LIFE INSURANCE.
SOME ARGUMENTS ON THE SAN.
iTY OF SUICIDERS.
The Demand for Large Policies and the
Way it is Met-AnopRths and Home
oopaths-Temperance Statistics
Aspects OF the Suicide Question.

In an address delivered before the con-
| vention of mutual underwriters at Mime
| apolis last month. DR.. Z. ID. Wing not only
| diSSentS from the commonly received rule
| that suicide is proof of insanity, but even
| lends his argument to the support of the
| preposterous theOrem that suicide Is, on
i the contrary, proof of sanity. We consider
| that the most of DR.. Wings arguments
| have little relevancy as sustaining his prop
| osition. In an editorial article in this pa
per Of October, 1889, we took the ground,
which we still hold, that while possibly
| there may be some isolated and extreme
| cases in which the taking of ones own life
| IS rational and voluntary, the sense OF hu-
man opinion and reason are to the effect
that the suicide is insane. 1t IS true that the
insane suicide is a victim of an accident
according to the courts: but TO prevent an
unnecessary and confusing multiplication
of definitions, we will use the same term
both for the voluntary and the involuntary
or insane Self-destrOyer.
Much Importance must be attached to the
attitude of the average mind on the subject
and it is certain that the average man con-
templates the destruction of self with per-
haps a greater revulsiOn of feeling than any
other crime. There is not only physical
shrinkage from such thought, but there is
an intense moral sentiment which cries out
against the laying of violent hands on ones
self. Human life in civilized countries is
generally regarded as sacred; and the pres
eryatlon OF 1t as paramount. But there IS
no law of nature SO strong as that of self
preservation. Even the murder of another
person is not looked upon with such abhor-
renee OF considered SO unnatural deed.
There may be depth of mental agoES
which so signs for relief that it will risk
anything and everything to gain respite
from the evils in the present world. We
say may be. for we do not consider it proved
that there is. The fact that suicide in many
cases appears premeditated cuts no figure.
For many man plans things he never car
ries out And if the intending suicide We're
not mentally unbalanced by his surround
ings and the contemplation of his frightful
decd he might never fire the fatal
shot or imbibe the mortal draught.
And again there is no method so
pronounced, no cunning SO astute as that of
the mailman. 1t is true, as DR. Wing re-
marks, that "nothing can be safely preGi-
Gated of mind dethroned," and that the
possessor of such u mind will surprise you
and give YOU succession of surprises
But self-destruction Is as likely to be one of
these surprises as anything else.
DR.. Wing cites various instances of sui.
cides from apparently trivial causes, as Of
cook because of his disappointment at the
hour when certain dish was served for
the king, and of an Englishman who was
tired of "buttoning and unbuttoning." We
submit that every one of such instances
named would to reasoning mind point
more certainly TO Insanity than to a sound
intellect. A tendency to insanity usually
requires some single shock or disturbance,
perhaps the flash of given thought, to
complete the mental unbaiance. Then, the
accident Of suicide, for such it is. is likely
to happen as any other.
Suicide for the purpose of defraudng life
insurance companies is mentioned. But
how often do such instances develop a
deeper fraud, and the companies are asked
to pay their money to the estate of man
who is still alive, and who hopes to enjoy
the fruits of his crime.
We do not set up the bald proposition that
the suicide is invariably insane. We only
submit that the presumptive evidence, from
the nature of the case and from the human
instinct, is that the sane man does not kill
himself. AS for the opposing proposition
that the suicide is invariably sane, so far
has DR.. Wing come short of proving it, he
has actually weakened his case by intro
ducing arguments which strengthen the
case of the Observation-Disclosures Age.