The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-01-18
LIFEIS WORTH LIVING
Arp HoFfifed at the Apparent Increase
in Suicides.
WORK Is THE REMEDY GIVEN
Remorse Over Some Very Wicked Deed
the Only Possible Excuse for
Self Murder.

that seem To be on the increase All oFNA
the land and are not confined to any class
or condition Several have occurred during
the last few days in Georgia and the adj
joining states. Two were young men. two
past middle age and one was = girl in her
teens. None had good cause for the rash
deed. and it seems like this generation has
more nerve and less fear of the hereafter
than their fathers : cannot imagine any
condition peril that requires IS much
courage and will power as the deliberate
taking of ones life. / would rather take
my chances in battle or shipwreck or pes
thence. To be weary Of life is q common
misfortune. and thousands there are who
can exclaiIn with David: "Oh that / had
the wings of a dove. that might fly away
and be at rest. But to the average man
THE weariest life that age, ache. penury
and Imprisonment can lay on nature IS a
paradise to what we fear of death" IL
must be a fearful leap to commit suicide
''to die and 20 we know not where and
yet it has become almost as common as
muTdor-murder that has the excuse OF
gratifying some passion as hate. revenge,
avarice. desire ambition The suicide
leaves no blood behind him save his own
ne nothing but pity and domestic grief.
There is no sheriff TO pursue, no court TO
try. and in this country no attainder or
cOnfiscation or burial without benefit Of
clergy.
a little more than century ago. when
George ~ was KING or 4-uSlaEd. the INV
was in force that the body Of a suicide
should have a stake thrust through it and
be buried by the highway. so as to intimi-
date others from self destruction. His
goods and chattels Were forfeited to tho
crown. This law was repealed during
King Georges reign, but "a new law de-
clared that the body should be buried at
night. without the performance of religious
ceremonies. Such was the detestation OF
our English ancestors for what they call
ed the crime of suicide. I know of but one
cause that would justify q man taking
his own life. and that is remorse-such
remOrSe as Judas Iscariot felt when no
went out ana hanged himself There are
but three instances Of self murder mea-
toned in sacred history. and they were
all bad men. But in our day suicides
are generally goOd-hearted pcOplc-Shake-
speare says of Otheilo. that he was great
of heart but il was rcmurse for killing
his innocent wife that nerved him 20 the
deed. Nowadays the most Of suicides
are caused not from remorse, but
from disappointments. failures in business.
domestic unhappiness, or grief over lost
lovers or dead kindred. Sometimes the
unhappy man tries TO drown trouble in
drink. and this brings a depression that
ends in self murder
But It does not take q great misfortune
to cause suicide now. only last week a
clever young man killed himself on hear
lnE that his mother was dead. and a
young girl hanged herself because she did
not Ike her stepmothor. How many
travelling men have been found dead IN
the Atlanta hotels during the past few
years with no extraordinary cause for self
destructiou-just tired of life-couldn't
make money fast enough: couldn't square
their accounts with their employers. or
some such reason. job suffered great
fluctuations, but didn't dare to destroy
Tn .f-Ir he d
My soul is weary of my life; OH. that 1t
would please God to destroy me. that lie
would loose His hand and cut me or
What is the cause of this growing mental
malady in this happy laud2 Are these sui
cides all sSeptiCs. or inddels. or univer-
salists that they should have no fear OF
death. no dread of something after death?
Maybe there is a hereafter and a Judgment
to come. and if so. a murderer has a bet
ter chance than a suicide. for Le has time
10 repent and be forgiven. as David was.
Then. again. il is such "a selfish act. for IL
brings grief TO kindred and leaves a shad-
ow over the household that never passes
away. \ few years ago i met young
man whom l had not seen since he was
a lad. He was doing Wei in "a distant
state. where his mother and sisters lived,
but / could see the lines of never for
gotten sorrow in his face. Ills father hung
himself in a barn. and the heart-broilen
ago I met an old friend who had always
greeted me checrfUlly but ] hardly knew
him lie was pTematurely gray, and the
lines of sadness were ia every iineament OF
his intellectual features lie had ceased 10
smile. His only son. on whom his love
and his hope was ceutered, had killed
himself-had placed the fatal pistol To MS
temple and fired it. What makes our
young men do SO? If ii comes from re-
morse. is il not cheaper and safer 10 re-
peut and reform? What does man Kill,
any how? Nothing but his body. His
soul goes marching on ana the remorso
goes with ii. But even his body is sacred.
and he hes 10 risht 10 mutslate
or destroy it. The scripture says
that our bodies are temples OF the
living God-creatcd in Ills image
ana bllt a little lower than the angels. on,
Il is horrible to think of. IL becomes no
one but murderers and assassins. and they
don't do IT. If the butcher Flanagan should
Kill himself in his cell, il would be 1T
ending to hts life. whether Ire be sane
or insane but FOR a yOuns man or woman
who have been tendcrly raised and have
parents or children OF Kindred who love
them. there is 10 excuse Better TO bear
the Ills We have than 10 plunge in g guif
of dark despair. Get up and Try again. If
you have nerve enough to pun the fatal
trigger. YOU surely can make another
effort TO reform or 10 suffer and endure
whatever troubles YOU Get up and DO
sOmothing-wor for your board If you
can't DO better. Work at anything-iig.
hoe. chop wood. be fireman on a loc9mo-
tive keep coinE-don't stop 70 think and
brood over trouble. Constant employment
viii stife grief If YOU can't get work,
go 20 the woods and hear the birds sing.
and see the clad water flowing in the little
branches Life is worth living and the
faithful wag OF your dogs tail IS worth
living for-nluch more. IS the love of kim
dred and friends I believe that idleueSs IS
not only tine devils workshop and the chief
cause of crime. hut it produces that morbid
melancholy state of mind that BEGINS with
drink and ends in suicide Who ever
heard of an engineer. or conductor. or
gardener. or a Woodworking farmer COM
hitting suicide. They haven't got time 10
think about II. If domestic trouble or
family discord haunts YOU. work ii Of.
Socrates married Xantinne the most ag-
Eravating woman he could find and he saws
he did Fl for solf-diSci1linc and humiia-
ton. Some women marry aEgravatiug
men. but rot for the like reason. hut wo-
men rarely commit suicide They prefer
10 suffer and 10 live for their children.
Don't nurse vour wrath 10 keep IL warm.
There are thousands Who are Unfortun-
atolv worse off than Won arc. Suffer and Re
strong. for death viii come after while