The San Francisco call., 1898-01-31
LIFE CHEAP
 IN CALIFORNIA Rev. J. A. Cruzan'S Ex- planatiOn of the Sui
 cidal Mania.
The "HaSte to Be Rich" Also a Potent Cause of Self
 Murder.
San Francisco Only Equaled by Monte Carlo in the Number
 of Suicides.

BERKELEY, Jan. 30.-Rev. J. A. Cruzan, in a sermon this evening at the North Berkeley Congregational Church. on Self Murder" declared that one of the causes of the recent rapid increase in the number of sui cides in this State is the cheapness with which life is held in California. In his sermon Rev. Cruzan said:
 There has been during the last few years an alarming increase in the num- Der of suicides. This is true of the en- tire world, but especially marked in civilized countries. AS the population has grown more dense, as the struggle for existence has grown sharper, and business competition more intense, as the scale of living has grown less sim pie, as population has drifted to the cities, suicides have increased. In Eng land there is one suicide to every 13, 300 of the population; in France, one to 2700; in the United States, one to 1500. With the exception of Monaco, no other country equals California: except Monte Carlo, no other city equals San Francisco, with one suicide for each 1250 of her people.
 What are the causes of suicide? Cli- mate has much to do with it. Sweden has only half as many suicides as Eng land. Certain diseases and heredity lead to suicide. There are special causes which lead to suicide. Insanity is one. It is a question whether any man takes his life who is perfectly sane. Insan- ity has rapidly increased in the last decade. The cause of the increase is life at high pressure. This is a fast age. We Americans are rapid peo- pie. CalifornianS are easily first. All our life is keyed to concert pitch. Drive, hurry, worry-steam and cleo tricity are too slow for us. Even a To- comotive must rest or break. We do not rest. The madhouse or the suicides grave yawnS hungrily for the average Californian.
 "The haste to be rich is another cause of suicides. There is a point to the old Greek story: A man who had lost a fortune went into the woods to hang himself At the foot of the hill he found concealed a bag of diamonds. He took the bag and left the rope. The owner of the diamonds came. found only the rope and hanged himself The descendants of both men came to Cali fOrnia and engaged in mining and stock gambling.
 Disregard of life is another cause of suicide We hold life very cheap in
  class of men are arsenals. It takes slight provocation for weapons to be drawn and used. This disregard of life is in the air. When disaster, dis grace or despondency come men are already educated to the means of quick escape through self-murder
 ''The cure for this suicidal mania is to keep out of the false whirlpools Resolve to live simply. soberly. sanely The man who enters on extra hazard ous speculations to make a fortune quickly puts his money, his honor, his life in pawn. We need to get right views of life. What is life? "A short sharp race! A desperate struggle for wealth, in which the few grasp the prizes and the many drop empty-hand- ed, broken-hearted into early graves that is life No said Christ A man S life consistent not in the abundance Of the things he possesseth.' Life Is righteousness, joy and peace"