St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-19
THE VALUE OF LIFE.

There have been so many persons
hurried out of the world of late by the
reckless turbulence Of natural forces,
the explosion of mines, falling of bridges
or houses and the innumerable other
ways that people are shuffied away
without premonition, that the ill-bal-
anced individuals who put themselves
out of the way are hardly noticed. Per-
hapS there have been fewer suicides
than usual, as the bolts of destruction
have been more active, and those in
clined to suicide have noticed that other
forces are doing the mortuary work suf-
fieiently. Some observation of the in
stances reported affords the i'm
preston, at all events, that the
Self-deStroyers are much less nu-
merouS in the country at large
the past month or two than usual. 1t is
true the early summer months, when all
Things in nature are suggestive of new
ness of vitality, are not the periods one
would suppose the suicidal perversity
would be most active. But the statistics
show that suicides are most common in
May and June. This fact indicates that
the act is irrational and in defiance of
all logical conditions. This season, how
ever, is somewhat exceptional. If at
moSpheric and natural phases are ever
conducive to the mental condition that
promotes insanity, the weather the past
six or eight weeks has been of that char
acter. 1t is possible, however, there has
been restraint in the feeling OF general
Fol In in rln
ity to see what disasters will
overtake others-perhaps there was
desire to wait for the solution of the po-
litical puzzles at Minneapolis and Chi
cago. Then people who defer the sui
cidal act are quite apt to grow out of
the disposition. A recent writer tries
with small success to answer the
cOnundrum as to the best time to die.
Many ponder over it SO long that the
solution is forced upon them while still
in doubt. Yet there are an astonishing
number of people in the possession of
their reason who do deliberately take
their own lives. The most accepted
estimates are that not One-third Of those
who commit suicide are even for the
time demented. There have been in all
ages philosophers and ethical writer's
who defended the practice. This was
more particularly the case among the an
clients. Few of them condemned 1t as
wrong. SENECA, one of the most re-.
nowned OF the ancient philosophers,
taught that it was right. CICERO ex-
toled it, and it was approved by BRu-
TUs, CAssIUs and ANTONY. The doc
trine of incarnation of the BrahmnS en-
courageS 1t, the BuddhiStS did not con
denim, nor did the Chinese. SAMSON
was the first self-destroyer mentioned
in the ancient Scriptures, and his act
was regarded as cOndoDed by the at
tendant destruction of so many people
who needed killing. The Christian re-
ligion, however, has always been re-
lentlessly hostile to the taking of ones
own life. Its moral aspects differ little
from the taking of the life of another.
But no class, condition or relation in
life seem to be exempt from this
tendency. More than two-thirds of
the suicides are men, and the
more prevalent inducements are found
in some adverse condition OF life.
Financial miSfOrtuneS have come, the
health has failed. or trouble of some
sort has shriyeled the energies of the
being. Courage is lacking to meet the
hardships and trials that confront the
individual. The aim is not to escape
life, but to shun its discomforts and
miseres. 1t is not heroic, but ignoble,
to stink ont of life by suicide. Laws
have been enacted to discourage the
act, but it is not to be reached in that
way. A stronger feeling of condemna-
ton and adherence for it needs to be
inculcated. The value of life and its
relations to the future cannot be too
impressively set forth and taught