The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-05-19
THE RIGHTS OF SUICIDES,
A Humane md just View.

A Humane md just View.
The Colorado Record, paper largely
devoted to the fraternal life-insurance
associations, has this to say:
1t has been long claimed, by many. that
the payment of death claims from sui
eide puts premium on the taking of Cne's
own life. 1t would begin to look as though
this We're a fact. How many of these self
destrOyers would have carried out their
rash purpose knowing that by SO doing
their beneficiary certificate would become
forfeited? We will never get an answer
to that question this SIDE the tomb. No one
who has not passed the ordeal can ever
tell the condition of mind that drives one
to Self-deStructiOn
Ii it could be shown that men of sane
mind deliberately commit suicide for the
purpose, mainly, Of securing to their TAM
lilies the insurance carried upon their nves.
then it could be truly said that the pay.
ment Of these claims does put premium
upon the taking of ones own life. Bot
this never can be shown or proved, because
the witnesses have gone beyond the oar
of human inquistiCn. No one can testify
in such case but the principal; nor IS
one competent who has been almost
driven to the verge of suicide and yet re-
Trained That suicides more numerous
now than they have been heretofore Inay
be easily accounted for. The condition Ct
the country at large for three Yeas pa: :
has much to do with it. Business re-
verses, restitution, lack of employment,
inability to provide the necessaries Of life
to these dependent upon one, harassing
debts, all of these conditions have con-
fronted the people until thousands have
been driven distracted or insane. Then,
too, adversely not infrequently brings with
it domestic troubles. The head of the
family, broken in spirit, borne down with
trials and vain efforts to meet the battle
of life instead of receiving that encourage
ment. that help from Vine and children
that he should expect at such a time, IS
met with complaints and expressions OF
dissatisfaction.
Who shall tell Of the heartachas, the
headaches. the sleepless hours, the an
guish Of mind preceding the final act that
ends all? att
When a man has gone through all this
and lain down his life what IS the duty de
VOlVing upon us as fraternal order!
Should we pay the dependent $500
or not? OF course, under the law as 1t
now stands, we have no alternative. We
must pay. But We are putting the question
upon the grounds of right and ius,ice; Ct
humanity and fraternity.
Here are the two points to be me-. Does
payment of death claims from suicide put
a premium upon the self taking of life?'
If so, is it right or just that we make no
restriction affecting suicides? On the other
hand, if a brother is driven, by adversely,
to such state of mind that he finds rel eft
only in the cold grave, should We a
fraternal brotherhood, withhold from those
whom he has left destitute and dependent
the same protection that would have been
extended had death occurred from OF Ter
cause? We leave YOU to answer these
questions as your conscience and judgment
shall dictate.
And when we come to think that a.
dozen Or two excessively wealthy capi~
talists have brought all these horrors
upon the human family, simply for their
own advantage and enrichment. it is
enough to make ones blood boil with
rage.
II there was can of dynamite under
each one of these sccundrels, and we
had the wires in the next room, there
would soon be an explosion that would
startle Europe and Wall street.
And if the rascals had a thousand
lives they could not expiate the wrongs
they have done to the world.
In self-defense the nations must ston
the accumulation or possession of in
ordinate wealth.