The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-09-01

first and third quarters. Relatively
to the number of the population, the
| percentage of American born suicides
was by far the smallest and the
percentage of German born suicides
the largest of all.
The number of suicides OF Irish
birth is comparatively few. This
latter fact at once suggests the
restraining influence ofreligion. But
DR.. Nagle, after exaning the returns
from 2I7 foreign and 80 American
cities in the year 1880, reaches the
conclusion that religious belief has
less to do with the matter than race
temperament traits. Catholic Spain
shows fewer suicides than Catholic
Belgium, and in Protestant Germany
there are far greater number than
in Protestant England. Paris alone
reported more cases of self destruct
in 1850 than the whole of Spain.
Obviously, however, it may be very
misleading to sum up whole countries
as Catholic or Protestant in this
matter because we are not told what
proportion OF the suicides in each
country were professors OF its
dominant faith. Paris is classified
as a Catholic city, but as to how
many OF its suicides were materialists
or free thinkers we are not in
formed.
We have later figures on this sub
ject than those given by DIR. Nagle
those collected for 1890 by the
Chicago Tribune. In that year
2,64o persons died by their own
| hands in the United States. In 1859
the number was 2, 224, and in 1888
it was I,4S7. This clearly points to
an increase out OF proportion to the
growth of population. The number
OF male suicides in 1890 exceeded
those of the gentler sex in the ratio
of three to one. As to the means
employed, the pistol was in the
lead, with I I,o94 cases, while poison
came next with 663 victims, and
hanging next, with $50 subjects.
The census of 1880, on the contrary
showed hanging to be the preferred
agency while shooting stood second
and poisoning third. Strange to
say the educated classes show a
stronger tendency to self murder
than the uneducated. This seems
to support the theory that it is
among those who engage most
strenuously in the exciting competit-
ions OF the time tor wealth and fame
that the provocations to this crime
are most keeniy felt.
As to the ethics of the subject, ,over
which our New York contemporary
has evoked such a copious flow OF
eminent opinion. there is not much
room for controversy. Is suicide a
sin? is not debatable question for
Christians of any denomination.
Assuming the suicide TO have lost
his reason, we must and we do charii
ably assume that he has lost his
responsibility, but as the act of a
sane person self destruction cannot
be justified, Colonel Ingersoll to the
contrary Notwithstanding. Among
the old Pagan nations the righ
and under certain circumstances, the
duty of suicide was asserted anc
extolled as meritorious. Seneca
advocated ii, and Cicero eulogizec
Cato Tor destroying himself as elo-
quently as Ingersoll could have done
if he had been a citizen of classic
Rome. Pliny went SO tar. indeed
as to argue that man was happy il
possessing power to end his exist
ence which even the immortal god
did not enjoy. Still there were grea
dissentient voices even among th'
old Pagans. Virgil like Dante afte
him conslgns suicides to eternal tor
ments. Plato condemned the sci
destroyer on the theistic grount
that man was placed here by tn
Deity and must not desert his pos
until his commander ordered hin
away from it.
Christianity from its earliest ag
has set the seal of its condemnation
u broadly and firmly on suicide
Teaching men as it does, that ther
is hereafter as we'll as here an'
that his life whether happy o
miserable, filled with prosperity O
. adversely, is but the anteroom {
: preparation for the larger life tha
is to come the Christian faith mus
always deny the morality OF Sc
' destruction. There can be Of cours
, nothing but pity tor such poor SOU
= as are driven mad by experience
beyond their physical and ment;
- powers of endurance, and in thu
= irresponsible condition seek deatf
: But for the too common type of su
eide, which Colonel Ingersoll defend
:, aud which is nothing more nobl
than a petulant refusal to stay longe
in world that has failed to graft
u selfish desires and sordid ambition
or often as in Julius Marcus's cas-
base passions, there can be neithe
pity nor respect. George Sewe
correctly estimated this type whe
he wrote that" "When all the biandis
mtnts of life are gone the cowar
sneaks to death the brave live on.
The cultivation of cheerfulne!
and the encouragement OF morbi
and misanthropic impulses are duti
that we owe to ourselves and if tht
are Loyalty performed, it will
found th,t the world takino n