The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-03-28
SUNDAY AND SUICIDE,

There is no one thing that kills.
exhausts. or sends to the lunatic asy-
Ium more OF the active and strong
men Of this country than the breach
OF the Fourth Commandment.
"He kept no Sunday" You may
safely write that epitaph over hun
dreds OF graves that win be dug this
year for strong men that viii be cut
down in their prime; for ambitious.
prosperous. influential linen. cut of in
the midst OF the race Of life The
doctors will say. "Softenlng Of the
brain" Paralysis" Heart disease"
Nervous exhaustion" There are a
dozen medical names for the cause
OF the Sad and untimely decease Of
our prominent fellow citizen, Mr..
Blank" But, sifted TO the bottom. the
real fact was. Mr. Blank killed him.
self by breaking Sunday There are
suicides in scores where no apparent
cause exists. for what the newspapers
call the rash act" The man was
doing well. His business was prosper
ing. His family relations were pleas
ant and affectionate. One day he puts
an end to himsek-no man can tell
why, least Of all the solemn coroner's
jury, who return the usual owl-wise
verdict, Temporary insanity"
No law Of God is arbitrary. 1t is
for mans good that God has establish
ed all his statutes. Clear as that truth
IS about them all, it is especially clear
about the day Of rest The Sabbath
was made for man, and not man for
the Sabbath" And If it was made for
man anywhere. it was surely made for
him in these United States. Our life
is more intense than any the world
has yet known The movement Of all
things is with express train speed.
We are all in the whirl together It
takes every faculty a man possesses
TO hold his own. 1t makes little differ
ence what the calling may be; the pres
sure is about the same in all. His
meals are a hindrance, and sleep is
an impertinence, unless ne can enjoy
ii in a car going forty miles an hour.
AS he works in this mad, restless
way. so. in the same way he takes
his relaxation. His enjoyments must
be intense; highly seasoned; Of the
fast character Of which his working
life consists. So our people burn the
candle at both ends. Nervous dis
sases. diseases which affect the brain,
die physicians tell us, are becoming
the most prominent 50 sudden deaths,
deaths by paralysis, death from soften
ing of the brain, as 1t is called, are
the common exits Of our most prom
inent men. There are reasons enough
given for this state Of things, we say,
but they all resolve themselves, at
last, into the same-overwork. The
men have no Sabbaths. We are not
now going on the theological argu-
ment for Sunday; we leave that en-
tirely untouched, except in 50 far as
we recognize the truth that good the
ology is good sense, and that the re-
quirements of a true religion ara
founded on the surest basis Of the
enternal fitness Of things. We are
not placing this thing on the highest
motive, because the highest motive IS
powerless to touch the transgressors /
We only say the transgression does /
not pay. II any man doubts the cler-
gy1nan he may appeal to the physi-
elan. and We are very certain the two
win agree. Sunday work is suicide. I
Some day the merchants eyes blur
over the columns Of his ledger, the
hgures win not. for the first time in
his life. come right and he goes home,
and the family physician takes the
law into his own hands and prescribes