The Indiana State sentinel., 1894-08-29
Is sUICInE A CRIME.

which each must decide for himself"
He might say the same as 10 any other
question, for so long as man is free
agent he must decide every question in
volved in his acts. Unques,ionably the
same act performed by different per-
sons is regarded differently by them.
One does a thing, believing it to be inno-
cent. Another does the same thing, be-
lieving it to be a crime. To a large ex-
tent the moral responsibility must de-
pend on the belief. and yet there comes a
point where the line must be drawn, and
the decision made that the offense cannot
be excused or condoned on account Of
belief. Murder must be recognized as a
crime. and the belief in it's propriety by
an half-crazed Guiteau or Prendergast,
or a professed anarchist. cannot excuse
it or mitigate the wrong.
Whether Col. Ingerson's letter has had
the effect of promoting suicide is open to
question. but its remarkable increase is
certainly noteworthy in this connection.
In the issue of the New York World de-
scribing the Fournie--De Marcus double
suicide in Central park there were also
accounts Of the suicide Of Max Eiserovitz
and the attempted suicide Of Rozetta
Czeisler in New York the suicide of Ru-
dolph Gloor in Paterson. n. J., the sui
eide of Henry Daing ,rfield in Alexandria,
Va; the suicide of Mary Adams in Pitts
burg the suicide of Andrew Martin at
Kingston, n. Y, and seven Ncommunica-
tions to the paper discussing the morality
of the act. The la,ter all referred direct
ly or indirectly to Col Ingersoi's article,
and four of them indorsed It, 1t is also
noteworthy that several Of the suicides
named above had on their persons Itera-
ture commending or palliaing suicide.
To a person who believes in the exist
ence Of an an-wise creator there seems
no possibility Of a logical belief in the
morality Of suicide If men were placed
in this word by such a being they We're
placed here for a purpose and it must
be their duty, recognizing His will
supreme law, 10 remain at their posts
until He sees ft to remove them. To
take the responsibility of leaving the ap-
pointed work is similar 70 the offense Of
desertion by soldier. This must apply
to every believer in the existence Of
divine belng. whether associated with
any church or not
Il is a singular fact that. while the
Stole and Manichean philosophers COM
mended suicide. they commended 1t on,y
TO the vlrtuous. 1t would seem more
consistent to commend it to the wicked,
If to any one. for If a man recognizes no
duty to God he al least ought TO recog-
nlze a duty to the world A virtuous
man is Of some service TO the world and
no matter what disco1ragements ne may
nave he certainly ought to live on and do
what good he can. wicked man m sht
have some excuse for Kidding the word
Of his harmful presence. but It is very
evident that the wicked never commit
suicide for that purpose. With them the
act Is a result of supreme selishness,
and. indeed. there are few cases in which
It Is not selnshness with any one. When
one dies for his fellow-men. for his coun-
try or for any commendable purpose we
do not call It suicide. 1t is heroism.
From the worlds standpoint. therefore,
excluding the religious constraint. sui
eide must be judged by It's effects, II II
result in harm or pain TO others. or by
its motive II It affect no person but the
actor In the former case can anyone
question whether II is more noble TO en-.
dure suffering than to inlict pain or In
jury on others? In the latter case can
there be any other motive than selfish
ness or cowardce?
Shakespeare seems to have sounded the
depths OF the philosophy OF suicide.
When Hamlet begins his soliloquy his
question IL whether It's nobler in the
mind" He then progresses purely on
the line OF selfishness--
And. by n sleep. TO say we end
The heart-ache. and the thousand natural
shocks
That flesh is heir tots a contamination
Devoutly 70 be wished
To be wished. why? Purely from con-
siderations OF self. But next he turns to
the question OF the future. What after
death? What does the free-thinker know
as to that? How does Col Ingersoll
know that suicide means liberty abso-
lutte and eternal" and how can he say
that 1t makes the actor unconscious for
ever2" II cannot mean both. There can
be no liberty without consciousness.
What after death2 Then comes the con-
dition OF cowardice to the person con-
templating suicide. who feels no religious
eonstraint The choice to-
Rather bear those Ills we have
Than fly 20 others that we know not Of.
Thus conscience does make towards Of US
all
Not conscience. but consciousness Of
uncertainty. II II be sleep. the coward
could choose easily. But II not. then
comes the conflict OF two fears. and he
accepts the one which Is least to his
mind.
Close observers think It Is about time
that an anti-eigarette crusade was organ
ized In indianapolis as well as In other