The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-07-04


WILLIAM III. FLEMING.
Augusta, Ga, June 10, 1901.
BILL ARP TALKS ON SUICIDE
Due to Unhealthy Condition O.
M1hd-Chopping Wood Sure
Cure.
Atlanta Constitution:
The increasing prevalence of suicides
indicates an unhealthy condition OF
mind and body, and | have thought
that If the man would quit thinking
about his troubles and go to choppiny
wood or digging in the garden, or even
| 60 hunting and get up good circula-
tlon he would feel better and conclude
TO live on while longer. The body
affects the mind and when the blood
in the veins gets thick and SLUG yish
and the scCrCtions become staunant,
the mind gets diseased and morbid
the emotions ale out Of tune and the
man actually believes he would find
rest and peace III death. 1t is strange
that any man of education or refine.
mcnl would entertain such an unrcason
able hope. What did the schoolteachcr
Oh Dothan accomplish by killing DR..
Mcneil and himscf2 Where is the
chooltcacher now? When two en-
cmlcs fight duel and both are killed,
how DO their spirits meet in the other
world? DO they shake hands Dr renew
the light, for. of course, they are not
IN heaven? What does the young man
accomplish by killing his swecthear,
and then himself? Are they not then
forever separated? What does any.
body gain by suicide? AS Hamlet
says: " Is it not better to bear the
ills VIC have than fly 10 others that we
know not "t?" Why not run away
from yourself? Run to lhc woods
Keep OH runnin3-jump the branches,
swim The rivers, get wet, get tired
WORD lii the garden, dig, hoe, chop
wook, mount horse and lldc ruriously
ANY thing to divert the diseased mind
from It's train of thought.
My good old father was afflicted with
rhclmaii&in and when he felt the acute,
agoalzIng pains coming on he would
rouse up au,. limp away and make for
The farm, and wuuIt walk faster and
Faster as 'he pain increased, and
would actually make them ashamed
aud thcN would lca:c HIM for !, day or
Two. IN keep the mind in good
normal condition the boG> must be cX-
creased. Sodcii1ry occupations are
not healthy for men, and even W ,men
should fly around the house with a
broom or wash The windows occasional
~, or dig among the flowers 1t will
not dO for them to sit and sew all the
time. / am sorry for these unmarried
girls who have to run the machine all
the day long and get no healthy cX-
crclsc except for the ankle bones.
When they get married and the babies
come along they are pretty safe, for
!ltlle children give mother diversion
enough. ~ mother with babe in her
arms never thinks OF suicide. Even if
her husband is cruel to her or is Il
drunkard, she will live on and on for
the sake of the child.
We notice that most of the suicides
occur among the young men and are
caused from intcmpcr;mce or disap-
pointed love or failure to ma Ike money
last, or being caught in cmbczzcmcnt
(alias stcaling). Olhello killed him
self because he found out that he had
wrongfully killed his wife, and Shake
spcarc says " he was great of heart.'
l reckon he was, considering that he
was a Moor and did not believe in n
hereafter. IL was the best thing and
the most heroic thing that he could DO.
Ii was the very intensity of grief and
repentance and has no parallel in
modern suicides, for most all of them
arc selfish or revcngcrul. 1t was like
the llarlkirl of Saul, or of the ancient
generals when defeated in battle.
The most alarming feature about
these suicides of our young men is the
indication That they arc not believers
III the Christian religion. No sane
man will take his own life if he believes
IN heaven and he'll and future state
Of rewards and punishmcnts. lie will
be afraid to. The influence Of modern
fiction on the youthful mind has much
TO do with it, for a great deal of it is
tainted with atheism and ntidciLy
Even some of the standard writers
such as Hume and Dlsraeli had lcf
their bad impression. The latter threw
a dark shadow over life aud says tha
"youth is blundcr, manhood strug
gle and old age regret"
Is il not far better to take nor
hopeful view Of life and say ike tn
poet, Horace Smith:
"The world 10 very lovely Oh my Coo
L thank thee that live"
Or to say like Lonofclow--
ten