New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-04
THE ANTI-SU1CIDg BUREAU.

The anti-Suicide bureau Is saving men from
self-destruction at the rate Of half a dozen
day, which is very good considering that the
total number OF suicides a year In this city is
about nine hundred. IT, then, the stern test of
statistics he applied, about twice as many are
being saved from self-destruction as annually
register their life WEAKNESS in the mortuary
records; but 1t is not fair TO scrutlnize suicide
saving in the light of anything so unsentimental
as figures The wOuld-be suicide goes about with
his heart upon his coat sleeve; he does not care
how many know what his grievance against life
is. He is often, oh, very often! saved from the
rash STEP that he lets every one know he is
contemplating In fact, think that there is
probably no disease in which the percentage Of
mortality is less than In intending suicide"
When we contemplate the vast army who are
saved by their friends, by their sense of duty
to their families" by their regretful realization
that suicide is Cowardly." by their feeling that
you must not destroy what you cannot create"
by the fearful entreaties of mothers. wives and
others Of the sex In whom sympathy most abides,
we are forced to classify thinking of suicide"
with whOoping cough toothache and the other
minor diseases whose death rate is inconsider-
able. Still, we believe in dentists for tOOthache.
and basam for whOOpng cough. and we believe
in sympathetic friends. fearful wives and an
heroic sense Of virtue and sef-restraint, restOra-
tive OF self-cOmplacency, for the medication of
those thinking loudly Of suicide; and for such
Of them as have not the ministry Of friends and
wives we believe in the antisuicide bureau to
persuade them to walk a while with us yet in
this vale of tears
1t may seem little odd TO the habltually retl-
cent that any one thinking of suicide should be
invited to call up on telephone or visit in per-
son a strange bureau where men are dlssuaded
from entering the valley of the shadow. But
the person contemplating suicide is not Of the
habitually reticent. He aches for human
sympathy, and a threat Of. suicide Is his last
resort, his extreme method OF exactlng his
tribute Of compassion. Let us suppose that his
has always been q tale of woe. Let us suppose
that he has rected his trials and tribulations,
his i'll health, his financial losses his bad luck
his cares his Worries until from sheer iteration
that mode Of moving the sympathy of his circle
has lost somewhat of its effectiveness. What is
left for him but to picture himself as crushed
beneath his load of griefs and leaving the ways
Of men? AS a demand upon compassion this
is the human utmost. If man is lonely and
detached, II he has no friends or family or if
he has exhausted the emotional possibilities OF
those he has, the anti-suiclde bureau will supply
place for him to go and make his most power
full appeal for sympathy. The man without
friends who is thinking loudly Of suicide finds
there heart whose business 1t Is to be Wrung.
The man thus thinking, If he has not friends or
family to save" him, should have some place TO
go 10 with his tale of sorrow whose relief Is in
the telling. to claim that sympathy which is his
birthright.
Probably it is its confessional character which
makes the new bureau so attractive. Humanity
likes to confess. To the ordinary man thinking
loudly Of suicide his friends, until he abuses the
privilege, are sort Of private confessional; but
the lonely and detached enjoy no such senti-
mental luxury. Even friends are unequal TO the
task Of hearing all our confessions, and we en-
pOy physicians and lawyers TO listen to many
of them Those who find doctors fees an ex-
Orbitant charge for the privilege Of pouring sad
ness into the professional ear have cheaper re-
course to the patent medicine advertisements.
We suspect the relief Of writing a Testimonial"
must be enormous You confess your 'symp-
toms" to listening world. The new bureau is
a suicides confessional for the empty of pocket