St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-09-29

VIOLENT DEATHS.

AIAAS9 0AA - ~ Ava - - ~
VIOLENT DEATHS.
Now Europsaa Cssasriss Csopare With
Us - Thle Respect.
Various texts arc accepted among
students and thinkers in proof of high
civilization, some favoring the ratio of
illiteracy, sosne the high average OF
the rate of wages, some the surplus
savings sppliable to purchases of lux
ury. some the national expenditures
for education, some the volume of mer-
camille transactions, and others, again,
the artistic development of the various
countries. But one uniform. supreme,
and unchangeeble test of civilization
is furnished in the estimate put upon
human life, and probably there il,
after all, no better, fairer and more
satisfactory test.
One may take, in their order. sui
cidcs, homicides, accidents and execu-
tions to arrive ut an accurate conclu-
sion on this point In respect Of sui
cides, Denmark, among civilized coun-
tries. stands u the head. or more prop.
erly at the foot, of the list with an m.
nual rate of :5 per.1OO, 900 inhabitants.
Australia follows with u, Switzerland
with 20. France with Is. Germany with
II, Sweden with 8, Belgium with 2, En-.
gland with Z, Hungary S. Scotland 4.
Italy 3, Holland ;, United States 3, Rus
sia .. Ireland tand Spain l.
In the record of homicides the an
nual average + higher in the kingdom
of Italy than elsewhere. being 2s4 to
10. 600 deaths. very high figure. Spain
follows with e3s, the United States
with 2l5, Switzerland with l3s, ireland
and Australia with 90 each, France and
Russia with 50 each, Sweden with IS
England with - and Germany 64.
1t is . somewhat interesting fact
that the ratio of suicides to the popula'
tion is highest in those countries in
which murders are few. and lowest in
those countries in which murders are
many. II w0uld seem as il those in.
clined to take their own lives were re
luctant to seek the lives of others. and
those who were reckless in their esti-
mate of the value of the lives of others
were scrupulous in protecting and pre-
serving their pwn.
The extension of machinery for man
ufacturing purposes and the rapid util
ization of electricity for motive power
and for purposes of illuminatious haa
largely increased in all progressive
countries the ratio of accidents AT
the present time these are the average
ratios Of the number of sccidentAl
deaths to 10, 600 annual deaths from all
causes in the countries named: En-.
gland and Scotland. 30: Ireland. Is
France. Is; Germany, Is: Russia. 6
Austria. 10: Italy. ); Switzerland. 2s
Spain. Z. Denmark, II, and the United
States, 40.
To the number of passengers carried
the ratio of railroad accidents is great
est in the United States. and other
countries thus follow in the order
named: Russia, Italy, Spain. France,
Germany, Belgium, England and
Switzerland.
The accidents attributable to con
tact. in any. form. with the electric
current, are most numerous in the
United States. and public experience
in this regayais very similar to what
first followed the introduction Of
steam rs = power of traction. With
improvements, suggested by the prac.
tical operation of railroads and BY
utilizing new agencies rs safeguards,
the number of railroad accidents ha.
been substantially decreased of lat<
years. just as the present high rate oi
accidents from overhead wires will
proba bly,. q few years hence, be much
less than it is now.
There is much variance between the
figures of executions officially supplied
by some governments and the actual
number of executions, some govern.
mcnts adding the return of lynchings
and others giving only figures derives
from court martialships-
In the United states capital punish
ment is inflicted in nearly every state
under the authority of the sheriff oi
the particular county in which the
crime, for which it is the penalty, was
committed. There are four thousand
counties in the United States, and con-
sequently four thousand sheri rs. ex
elusive of the self-constituted mobs oi
masked individuals who in certain dis
tricts of the south and west usurp
from time to time. the sheriff's duties
and prerogatives.
The United States government &c
quires jurisdiction in very few capita
hA yvn1spAi~p
committed in the District of Columbis
or any of the territories, on the high
seas in American vessels, in military
epcampments. or among the Indians
In several European countries cap
ital punishment has been explicitly 70.
pcalcd by law, and the same is true ol
three states in this country. No nc
curate figures. therefore. can be given
on the subject of executions, excep,
such as are based upon the number o1
murders. punishment for which il high.
est in France and England and lowest
in Italy and the United States
but the fact is not to be forgotten
that the proportion Of foreign-born res
idents is greater in the United State.
tuSH Am my IuIOkCSn COUusEys 0AN
that the number of foreign born Grim
inals in the United States is abnormal
ly large. and tends unjustly to augmen,
in nearly every case the ratio of thu
United States
II from the figures given an equation
could be established it would he founi
that human life is held in highest e.
innate in France, followed by the east
ern part of the United States, England
Germany. Holland, Ireland and Nor
way, in the order named.-N. Y. Sum.
In Putting Dewn Carpets.
When putting down carpets in room.
that are much used it is . good plan t.
spread newspapers over the floors, ther
take clean strsw and scatter it evenly
over the papers, and then put your car
pets down. II will let the dust
through on the paper, and clouds Of
dust will not follow the broom on
sweeping day. The carpet will last
longer with this lining than with any
other, and when you take them uF
you will find the dust lodged on the
paper, and if carefully removed to the
ruh.,;ah nile vrss will avOid Allina