Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-24
Outside Point of View.

Human life as an asset both TO the
owner thereof, and as a part OF the
public's valuable possessions. has les
sened in a large percentage during the
present century. Suicide statistics bring
this out in a remarka BILE manner. Ac-
cidents now so common are the result
of a reckless disregard of common
rules of safety. The driver OF the ma
chinery of the automobile becomes not
only reckless of the lives of pedestrians
but of the occupants, including NM
self, of his machine. The comparative
ly new craze for travelling thru the air
is another illustrative case. Such men
take their lives in their hands every
time they leave Mother Earth. DO II
deliberately. knowing full we'll that the
breaking of any part Of their tran
machine means almost certain death
We are accustomed to cite the jap
anese as a nation valuing life less than
national honor or personal disgrace.
In times of war such feeling is pre-
dominant, but in these piping times
of peace" it is hard to understand
why human life is held II be OF so
little value and importance.
During the present month an Eng
and for that matter. citizens of all
civilized countries, by a deliberate pro-
/ posal 10 remove" one unfortunate
t class of human beings. A special from
| London is that the mayor OF plymouth
| has caused a sensation by sending the
following letter to Sir Edward Brad
ford, chairman of a meeting 10 con-
slider the care of the feeble minded'
I'VE are wasting millions on ths
erection of expensive buildings In the
most sa!uhrious neighborhoods, on the
maintenance of an enormous oHiclai
staff and on providing good food 10
help live those who have not and new
er will have one CLEAN of intelligence
This is called humanity,
Medical science has made sucn
strides that it is possible to submit
these idiots to painless death and re-
lease them from the purgatory OF nol'-
Intelligence. Spend the money no"
wasted in such prohigacy on schemes
such as maternity Institutions ane
creches and different dawn vii
arise" And 1t was the writer's per-
sonal experience to once hear one o
the officials at Glenwood. where oul
asylum for the feeble minded is located
say. IF this institution should burn To-
night and with it three hundred of tn
inmates with these walls it would b'
an unmixed blessing. again. not onl,
10 the state, but TO these unfortunate
human beings, who have no future pu
pain and suffering
And not so long ago Connection
state judge, not only refused TO punisl
h s11
stated that in his opinion. suicide un
/. der certain circumstances, was praise
worthy and justifable.
Into all this discussion invariabl
creeps the religious side. Some of on
best thinkers claim that this lessene
value OF human life has come in di
: rect ratio. with the lessened belief i
future existence That the moder
man or woman having no fear of flu
ture punishment. deliberately escape
the painful present by taking thei
I own lives. Proof of this line of argu
ment is offered by telling us that sui
eide in countries dominated by tn
Roman Catholic religion is less tina
in materialistic France or japan Ths
suicide in this country Is largely
the ranks of nom believers Acceptin
this view, are we TO conclude that II
average owner of an automobile. {
The operator of an aeroplane is outsid
of the circle Of religious believer
!. Carrying this idea to the extreme
;. follows that mine owners, railroad O
fcials. and all men that are in chars
of death dealing machinery. are N
;, Christians Wonder if there ism
- something IN this idea?