The times., 1899-12-26
A Cremntion socfct,

a hIaNth on ine iigaTmdkerS mon IA
New York has for ten years made curious
provision Tor its deceased members. BY
this provision any member may, when he
dies. be cremated at the expense of the
union. The ashes of each deceased cigar
maker are put in jar and set on a shell
in the Office There are aow fourteen Of
these Jars. The cremation is carried out
by the Workingmen's Cremation Society
established by some members of Socialist
trades unions
There is not much doubt that cremation
VIII some day supersede burial. at least in
cities The prejudice against it is purely
sentimental. and without any reason what
ever The sentiment probably arises from
the old belief in the resurrection of the
body. In oIden times it was thought that
the happiness of a departed soul was af-
fected by the resting place OF its mortal
tenement, and people were heartbroken il
their friends could not be buried in conse-
Grated ground. This shadowy terror added
10 the distress OF those who lost their
friends by shipwreek, or in some accident
10y which the body was entirely destroyed.
It is pathetic when one comes TO think OF
it, that the human race should have suf-
fered so long and so intensely from griefs
which had no foundation whatever. There
is enough sadness in real life which can
not be avoided. without conjuring up all
sorts OF imaginary woes. one would think;
but the unnatural conditions under which
some civilized races have lived have had
something to do with these morbid views
OF life. If a man formulates his ideas Of
the Deity and the hereafter while suf-
fering from liver complaint. he is not likely
TO make up q very cheerful theology. The
spiritual advisers who are responsible for
some creeds seem to have had that or some
other disease which prevented their loving
their neighbors
However, a better and brighter time is
coming. when there viii be more. reason
able and sanitary ideas regarding Gre
nation. for we are beginning to un-
derztaad the laws OF health When the
general public has ence gotten rid of the
notion that 1t is "heathenish" to cremate
the mortal remnant OF a friend and bury
is. in nine cases out CT ten, in a city the
breeding place Of physical and hence moral
evil. some Of the real not the imaginary
horrors of existence win have disappeared.
One Of the difficulties in the way of ere
nation at present is that it is rather expen-
sive. and it is unusual. Hence the use
fulness Of a society like the one described
All arrangements are made by experienced
persons, and the expense is so divided
up as not 10 bear heavily on any one
Cremation societies ought to increase con-
siderably in numbers and usefulness dur
ing the next twenty-five years. At the same
time, il is not necessary to sacrifice any
thing that was beautiful in the old sys-
TEN. We need not dispense with our ceme-
teries. Human nature longs for some
definite place which it may associate
with the memory OF loved ones.
Anyone who has visited Sleepy Hol-
low cemetery where Emerson, Thor
eau, AIcott, and other Concord folk
are buried, cannot fail TO remember the
beauty and peacefulness of the place. It is,
as a churchyard should be. a restful place,
WITH an atmosphere little more solemn
and quiet than that Of other places, but
with nothing grewsome, uncanny, CT de-
pressing about it. After cremation the
ashes should be buried in some such spot,
set apart by the city OF town for this pur-
pose, made as beautiful as may be. and free
to all. The poor should not be haunted by
the grim vision OF "Potter's field" or bur
dened with an expense which they can i'll
AFFORD. The dead, at any rate, should be
free and equal.