The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-10-23
Hold Life too Cheap.

At times there seems to sweep over
the country tidal wave Of crime
Every newspaper that we pick up from
Maine to California bristlcs with
startling headlines of outrage, murder
or suicide. What is the matter? We
do not believe that the world is more
sinful. We believe there is more true
religion in the world today and there
are more good men and women than
ever before. Is it because improved
firearms furnish better facilities for
taking life, or is it due to the wide
spread use of intoxicating liquors that
temporarily steal away men 5 judg-
mcnt? Possibly both of these are
factors, but whatever the real cause,
the fact is apparent.
Men hold life too cheap. They
quarrel over a business matter involv-
ing little more than a days wages,
sometimes less, and homicide is the
result. One applies an opprobrious
epithct to another, and his life pays
the forfeit. One man loses in specu
lation and browns himself, and another
is crossed in love and sends bullet
crashing through his brain. Life is
treated as mere baublc to be blotted
out in a moment Of passion or despon-
dcncy, reckless of the immortal spirit,
and cruelty Indifferent to the fact of
the survivors, more or less dependent
on that life.
Men who arc charged with the duty
of preserving the peacc-oificcrs of the
law appointed to suppress and prevent
crime, forget their true mission and
shoot down a fugitive lawbreakcr
though his offence may have been but
petty larceny. This is growing far
too common, and is deserving of stern
and rigorous punishment. If a pris-
oner escapes from one of our chain
gangs, where he was sent for thirty
days for some trivial misdemcanor,
and does not halt at the command of
the officer, he is shot. \ policeman
comes upon a suspicious looking per-
son on his beat at night, halls him,
and if the man runs he fires on him.
This sort of thing is entirely too fire.
quent. Life is too cheap.
In a sermon preached by President
Warren Gambler. of Emery College, on
his recent visit to this city, he said he
sometimes went into the class room Of
the college where viviscction is taught.
He said they would carve up anything
from frog to dog. lie would find
a pile of bones, muscles, flesh, ETC.,
heapcd upon table, and a student
would inform him ''that is dog.
"And," said the doctor, "it may have
been dog, but it could not bark, and
it could not tree anything There is
food for reflection in that simple sem
tencc. The greencst boy in the class
could cut dog to pieces, but the most
learned professor could not put him
together again. and put the bark back
into him, and the power to hunt. to
live and to love his master. And so,
in moment fpassion or hecdlessncss
We may take away valuable life, but
no amount Of rcmorsc can restore 1t.
Two men become cmbroilcd in a
newspaper controversy. They say
hard, cruel things about each other:
the verbal onslaught grows scvcrcr
from day to day until at last there is
violent meeting, and useful life is
cut of. When the passion is over, no
end of regrets and reproaches follow,
but they come too late. There is need
for greater reverence for life. 1t is a
blessing to live in this beautiful world,
and few men are wholly without those
who love them and will mourn their
taking off. Life is beyond price, and
men should not dare to take it away
from another save in absolute defence
Of their own. Do not hold life to be
cheap. 1t is dear. Don't sacrifice it.
Revere it. Preserve it. Honor it.
Glorify it.-.iugustu Chromclc.