Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-10
THE SUICIDES.

0OAS10Lo.
 Of all purely ethical and personal questions there are few that have caused more difference of opinion than the question of suicide. From the re- ligious standpoint there is, of course, no room for argument, nor is there from the legal standpoint, for the lawmakers have decided that the man who tries to kill himself and fails has been guilty of an offense against the laws. But it would seem that neither of these view points affects deeply the individual bent upon self destruction. Once resolved to travel to that "bourn from which no traveller returns,' religious, ethical, and legal viewpoints are dis-egarded.
 There have been few more striking cases of suicide than that of Prof. and Mrs. J. P. Gordy, of the New York uni. versity, who killed themselves because of the untimely death of their daugh. ter. The grief engendered by the loss was too hard for them to bear, and they at once decided that it was bet ter
 "To take arms against sea of trou,
 els,
 And by opposing end them"
 The case is the more grievous because of the standing of this man and woman who chose, for even such cause, to "shufhe oil this mortal coil. - Prof. Gordy was only in the prime of life, fifty seven years old. His life work lay before him, and he had fitted himself by long years of study for that work. Books he had written were cited as au- thority; his education had been culled from both Europe and America. He had done loyal service as an educator in Ohio; he was engaged, at the time of his trouble, in the noble occupation of teaching teachers how to educate the young.
 And yet all of his education and cul- ture, the possession of good position, the companionship of helpful wife, the respect and honc- of his associates were not sufficient to stay his hand, and the example he has set in his tragic taking-off will. in all probability, mora than offset all the good that before his trouble came upon him, he set out | to do.
 No one willingly speaks harsh words about the dead. But surely it is not unkind to take lesson from this tragic occurrence. It is not unfair, surely, to point out that one of the highest du- ties of man is to live up to his op- portunities. It is not true that any one of us may live or die wholly to our selves. There is an obligation between man and the God who made him, for God alone may know how severely a man is tried; but there is an obligation, also, between man and his fellow man, and upon us all lies the duty of full filling our obligation. For the poor, un- educated man, the man who cannot, by virtue of birth, breeding, or education, understand the meaning of noblesse oblige, we can have nothing but pity, if, in ''the fell clutch of circum- stance" he go mistakes the purposes of God as to take the question of life of death into his own hands. But what can we say about the man who has won up to the place of teacher of the people, the man who has won his spurs; the man who, armed with the strength of his fellow-men's s love and respect, weak ems at the hour of trial, fails to keep the faith, and refuses to face with man. ly courage and high determination the | fate that is in store?
 Sad and pathetic as this case. of double suicide is, it serves to empha- | size once more how utterly selfish and cowardly it is for a man to fly the bat tie of life, to quit the field vanquish- cd, when he should be a victor. It is orly through life and the opportunities of life that. it is given us to express the purposes of God. If we fail Him, then