The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-04
THE LONG AND SHORT CLUB.
1t Discusses the Question els Suicide
a SIM"

1t Discusses the Question "is Suicide
a SIM"
'Is suicide sin?" was the topic o
discussion at the last meeting of th'
Long and Short club. 1t wasn't regu
lar debate you know; just an off hant
affair and was precipitated by the phil
osopher of the organization, who haC
been attending the sessions of the
Evangelical association until his minC
had become inbued with a deep reli
gious fervor.
"Of course suicide is SIM" he re-
marked to the man with the abbreVi-
ated galways, who insists on looking
at Puck before any of the balance have
had chance, doesn't the Good Book
say in the ten commandments Thou
shalt not KILL? "
well may be that applies only tc
cases of homicide remarked the short
whiskers.
Nav. 1t applies to every case. There
! is no distinction. 1t is a crime to kill
ones self just as much as it is to take
the life of another. If it wasn't SO
intended there would have been an eX-
ception noted Now this is what l call
the written divine law. There is I'M
written divine law just as well as
written and it too says that we have
no right to do an act of this kind
vine law remarked the fat man. as
he dropped the paper he was reading,
'wha. is it?''
We'll sir. the unwritten divine law
is that rule which we of keen percep-
ton can discern engraved on the face
of nature. 1t is that which teaches US
that we came into this world. not by
any effort of our own; we were none
of us consulted in the matter, if we
had been L would not be here today
(the fat man at this point said some
thing under his breath about wishing
that consultation had been INDUCED in
because l would rather not have been
born. and as we were not consulted
that proves that we were placed here
at the bidding of power which has,
by placing us here, said, or decreed
that we should be here. Do you catch
my meaninE?"
All admitted that they did. although
the baseball crank said something
anent curves, but let that pass.
Well" continued the philosopher.
I'VE see also that when we come to die
we are not consulted either. That is
except when we commit hari kari. And
that fact establishes the truth Of my
argument. Ergo, it is a sin to suicide"
You started in WE'LL said the young
man who had read medicine for three
months, but you got into deeper wateE
than you could swim in. OF course
your vague phantasies seem reasonable
to any, but a man of science. Suicide
is the result of a malady, not unlike a
fever. Once it gets possession of the
mind it has to be treated. Some cases
are incurable and others are not That
is all there is to it,"
But you have advanced nothing to
com bat the theory that it is a sin to
kill ones SELF" said the man from the
suburbs. You have simply held that
it is disease. Are there no eXcep-
tons; is it not a fact that some peo.
pie have killed themselves because
they desired tC get rid of trouble, pain.
or to rid themselves of disgrace?''
NO sir. 1 hold that all cases of sui
side are caused by dementia. This
may be the result of thought. 1t may
be that the factors you mention have .
certain degree of influence in causing
this condition of mind, but it is dis
ease after ALL
-'Au this talk you have made is rub
bish," asserted the fat man. Suicide
is sin simetimes and sometimes it is
not. 1 can point out the distinction
so clearly that you will all see it. /
take two cases as an illustration. You
all know them as we'll as I do. One
was man, the other a woman. The +
first was luckier than any of us in the
start he had in life. He had money
plenty of it. He married a girl. and /
as is usual in such cases, they hac
children. Instead of supporting them I
as he should have done, this man took /
to drink and descended to such low
level that all of his fellows Stunned /
him. 1t was all right, Of course, when /
he had money. But when that was
gone the acts which were overlooked in 1
him as man of means were not to be /
condoned in the party who was broke. /
Now this CHAP was n man of talent
and education in addition to his havint
wealth. He could, even after he had
fallen, have regained a foothold.
But he did NOT. He took
razor and slashed himself across
the neck, and for what? Sim
ply because he wanted to get rid
Of trouble for himself. He sever gave
his family a thought. Never for a
considered that they had to
remain here and struggle on and on
and on while he was enjoying a good
sleep. No sir. IN his case is was a
sin. sin SO grave that if had the
liking Of his punishment in the land
across the creek l would endow him
With conscience so sensitive that the
illness Of an English sparrow would
decree that his specter should walk
his earth and be an eye witness to all
he misery that wife and little ones
will endure"
The woman's case was different.
She was good girl and a man fooled
Ter into marrying him. After he tired
If her he left her. Every one of us
Knows full well what a woman can
10 in this life. I forgot to mention
hat she was unable to bear the heavy
BURDENS which have to be borne l.,
rider to make a living. But to return.
n her case 1t was sin to starve You
ealize my meaning. Well sooner than
in this woman deliberately took her
wn life. The autopsy revealed the
act that she was pure as woman
ould be. Now do you call that sin?
Which in her case was the most pre-
cradle? To live and have all that life
itords, by the wages of scarlet, or to
lie and go into the presence of her
maker spotless save in this respect; she
ook her life? Why if had the say in
er case I would pick her out the ]
rightest crown in all the collection ]
nd the sweetest toned harp, and
would say to her, Daughter, all eter
ity shall be one round of bliss for you.
GU have done just exactly as / would
lad / been situated as you were"
You fellows all make me tired" con-
nued the fat man, and 1 think that
will go where the companionship is
lore congenial and the refreshments
a better character"
And then the ianitor came in and
lew out the gas.
DR.. Tillman fills teeth without pain.
and "a. over Walker Bros. & Fyler
~ g rr