Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-09-29
Suicide: Is II Worth WhiIe7

There is marked Increase in the |
TO suicide. This tendency |
develops oftenest among men. They |
furnish more than two-thirds OF the
subjects, and are generally MEMO in
telligence and in responsible positions.
There is but one motive that can
drive a man TO suicide: it is fear. This
incentive manifests itself In many diff
ferent forms. 1t is generally fear OF
the consequences OF a mans own acts
loss OF reputation, property, health, or
happiness. 1t is an act OF supreme sell
fishness in any case. Suicide is evasion.
1t is not necessary to offer insanity as
an excuse. III il were, we must admit
than insanity itself is but the result Of
egotism. 1t proceeds from morbid
condition of mind, "A danger TO which
we are all subject when our thoughts
dwell too persistently upon ourselves,
when we look in instead OF out-the
danger OF inverted thought.
This can arise only from miscon-
ception of life. The remedy lies in a
fresh statement We have lived too
much in the marshlands and among
the fogs. We have fingered too long
i'm the cemeteries OF dead faiths. We
have been led astray by the fireilies
and ienes fatui of false ambitions.
Every individual is a complete iudic-
I'll ,,,ato,,, m autonomy within him,
self. He is his own lawmaker, prose-
cutor, judge and jury. We are our
own iailors. Weapply our ownlthumb-
screws. We stretch ourselves upon
the racks, and handle the levers. 1t is
not "fate" nor "providence" nor "cir-
cumstances" from which we suffer.
There is no despot but self. Every act
of a mans life is sooner or later passed
upon by his own conscience. All eXpia-
tions will be assessed and painfully
worked out by and for himself with
perfect equity. He governs in his own
system myriads OF cell life, microbes
and elementals, each endowed with AN
| intelligence OF its own, but subject to
his rule. This is the true field for the
discipline of his powers before heseeks
dominion over others. In his own
| kingdom he must learn to reign SIT
preme. His purified will must be
accepted as law by the subjects of his
personal realm, his own body and own
mind.
Life is flexible and plastic, and is
moulded by our thoughts. Man is al
the same time pupil and an architect
Let him accept the proposition that al
things work together for good, and he
will find abundant confirmation Of it il
his daily life. When we humor oul
weaknesses they force themselves con
tinually upon our attention liked spoil
ed children. When we assert GU
mastery OF ourselves and compel it
recognition we stand secure in our SOW
ereign rights.
The supreme folly of the suicide is il
the delusion that by breaking the slat'
he can solve his problem or escape it
He may for time attempt the role q
truant from life's school, but, like tn
schoolboy, he only delays his task arr
complicates it. Sometime, somewhere
land doubtless sooner and nearer thai
he thinks) these problems OF toda.
must be worked out. There is no rea
son whatever to suppose that any lesso
of life can be really evaded. Dam
Nature is an honest and expert &C
countant. Her debts and credits ar
kept with unerring accuracy. Sh
herself meets every obligation prompt
ly, and, in her turn, eXacts the same @
us, and will not be cheated OF her dues
How can we be so stupid as not to Sc
that this planetary schoolroom is YER
appliance helpful to our education
What apparatus is lacking, and wher
could we find more delightful and eu
PERTAINING classmates? How unreason
able to whine continually about a dis
tant heaven, like homesick schoolbo
crying for his holiday! Why not in
prove the golden opportunity of tn
classroom and the buoyant life of tn
playground, with the keen zest of
wholesome, healthy nature?
"The world is so full of a number of things,
am sure we ought all TO be happy AS kings.
To the mature and well-balance
mind every moment OF existence is Tn
best, every present plan and circum
stance is the one most favorable to il
purpose. 1t looks neither forward no
backward, knows no longings or re
grets, experiences neither citation no
depression. 1t simply lives, and life
gladness, strength and peace.
Life is often called a voyage. We
on a voyage one would scarcely Hin
himself overheard because of a fogg
day. 1t has been truly said that II
is bad sailor who thinks there is n
lad hn l..