The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-31
FOUL, COWARDLY CRIME.
SUcH rs SUICIDE. SAYS RABBI CAL
ISCH IN 4 SERMON.
Tho I,esnit OF Moral Cowardice and should
be Trested ms a Felony by the Law.
The Remedy Suggested.


FERROUS as its end" The lens, the MI
croscope, the pick. and the scaIper' nav
laid bare the recesses Of long uhla'ho""-
ed worlds, and reluctant nature ha7
been compelled to yield her most cherlsn-
cd secrets. Earth. air. SKY, ana "a'el,
and even man himself. In ms coiPoIoai
state have furnished their treasures 10
,he labo, atorv of human knowledge, there
10 be analysed dissolved, preclplia1cu VI
recommended by the chemicals OF man
eyer-increasing knowledge. Ar,
Doath alone has dehed him. 1t Is sun
sbh unanswered question, still the IN
solved problem. IL Is the CONAN Ioi
whom no David of science has YET APP
reared. His approach is regarded Oy Iite
average being with rear ana ulSln"g
90 strueRled with warded OF, anu aVoia-
"a with all the power or brain or Douy
tbat can be summoned forth. And when
hte Inevitable conquest does take place
tharo are tears and sObs ana ach'ns
hearts that testify TO hts unwelcomencss'
when death is so undeslred ana so
dreaded a visitor what shali De s@lu Vi
fho.e who. by their own act brlhs upon
themselves this fearful visitation Mo-
,ments tbeTe have dohotless bsen 20 every
mortal wbca, Ike Hamlet, he do0bted
,,betber IL werc' better e "suuef inc
slinqs and arrows OF outrageous Fortune
or TO take arms against sea OF uUu
bies and 10y opposing, end tbein- h",
with us. as with dim, there Is ihe u'c'"
Of something after death, ne uhd'scONe,
"a country from whose bourne no traNeI-
ec returns that puzzles the viii ana
makes us rather endure The Ills we nave
than fly to others we know not o.
rHE NuMBrR DECREASING.
rho snsaker went on 10 say how fear
fully the number OF suicides has lncreas-
ed all out of proportion to the increase
of popuiation. lie referred TO the case OF
Tho Young girl that took place last IhuI'-
day evening on the suburbs OF the CITY
what IS the cause? he asked.
IL was not wise 10 accept the VerdlCl
of most cOroner's juries, that OF Ihau-
mass. either temporary or continued IN
his opinion. seventy-fve per cent. OF the
Instances were that Of purely moral COW
nrdiCe. who eau say whore reason end
ed and madness began2 or IL so. when
and by what causes was the sovereignty
of the intellect oVcrthroWn, anu CHdos
crowned within the brain? Nhere theIe
IS n reasoning process, however am OF
vague. there is no madness. IN most
cases the reasoning process Is there. IN
20 the scales of judgment are cast the
issues of life, the evil ana the good, the
conclusion said that the evil predominant
ed. inere was not courage TO FACE ana
fight the battle through, and life was
hencef6rth ended
But what causes led unto this summing
up? The number of individual motives is
tmmcrse. And when the mOtionless
socket of life's extinguished candle lies
before us, with the windows of the soul
exp-esslonlt % within their distended orbs,
with the majesty of speech dethroned,
who shall follow through the complex
labyrinth of the human heart that single
thread of pain, that wrapped itself into
the Gordian knot, severed by the sword of
self-destruction.?
WHO CAN TELLY"
Who can speak Of the baked ambition,
the hopeless love, the unrcalized plans
the disappointed yearninS3 the lingering
pain. the burning shame or the biting re.
morse>thaa eng away the support or
life and bring II to this awful termina-
ton?
The speaker then gave number OF
statistics showing the frightful increase OF
suicide, yet how throughout it all the pro-
portion OF the causes remained the same
lie said that, Complementary speaking
the causes could be embraced In tWo-NlZ.'
civilization and irrelgi0n.
Civilization, to a certain degree. JUST
fles the Malthusian doctrine; f. intensi-
1ies the struggle Of existence, gives men
new yearnings and desires, thus opening
lIp innumerable avenues OF disappolht-
1nent despair and dependency. Iheh
irreligion and materialism step in to give
rise TO the sentiment that abets the crime
of suicide by not calling II crime. Inc
old Zenonian policy, icet mori cul NlNeIe
non placet that "he is allowed 10 ole
when whom It does not please TO live Is
-ganing ground. The thought OF the re-
sponsibility of life is shaken to its tounda-
zion. and every weary pilgrim disappolnt-
ed ruined and sorrow-laden, e'ds the uh-
equal struggle in the hope TO ma MI
vana in the grave The dread OF some
thing after death that deferred haihie1
&c dissipated now, and often for VAIN anu
,r,,,iaI causes a morbid mind centuries
am the exaggerated burdens of oNl fence
and with a bare bodldn,' by opposing
lends the sea of troubles with the loV-
Inc confidence to obtain the Lethe oil lle
tomb.
THE REMEDY.
The remedy must be one that fore
,,aIs-nr.v,nts. We cannot impede the
march of civilization. The evolution OF
,he human race will so increasingly on
AVE cannot prevent its workings, out W.
can Drepare human beings better 10 re-
celye them. Educate the character give
81 a high and noble tendency. GIVE II
mower to curb the lasts and bride the
nassions; 10 have the patient TO endure
and be without. Educate man TO kno"
that wealth is only proportionate TO de-
sire and ne is richest whose wants are
fewCst. Let those who have not the tai
ent or ability to acquire riches learn 10
find the nobler happiness OF the cultlVa-
ton Of the mind and heart.
Educate public sentiment. Let public
recruitment condemn suicide and II VIII
diminish suicide. Let IL be called
crime. considered crime, and treated
as "A crime and IL will grow less and less
frequent. Teach the responsibility or
life, the cowardice and Nervousness OF
dakng It, even from ones self.
Statistics show that suicide Is least fire.
uuent I'm Catholic countries and at
maximum In countries where Protestant
ism prevails. The reason for that is TO
be found in the attitude OF the two
Churches The Protestant Church ac-
cepts the suicide and gives il the rites
OF Christian burial, leaving the judgment
Of the deed with God. The Catholic
Church absolutely rejects the self
destroyer, and unless proven 10 have
been a case of madness. refuses it
Christian burial or Judgment in conse-
Grated ground. and declares that the soul
and the hope of salvation are forever
lost.
England, though a Protestant country.
has few suicides, because there public
sentiment. and even legal enactments,
emphatically condemn the crime. In
England one who destroys himself is re-
garded as 'felo de Sc" one who com
suits felony against himself. The crime
Is punished. not only with forfeiture of
goods and chatteis, like all other felonies.
but the body treated ANONYMOUSLY,
buried I'm the open highway, with a stake