The Washington times., 1911-07-22
TREAT WQULD-BE
SUICIDES HUMANITY
TO III. Editor OF THE TIMES:

To the Editor OF THE TINES:
The editorial in your journal of the
14th ultimo on the proposed plan OF
one of Washingtons finest" TO legis-
late the Would-be suicide to punish
ment by Imprisonment or other drastic
measures, is both timely and humane,
ard it Is to be hoped that it's argument
shall have weight and directive influ-
ence. 1t is not a question easy to de-
termine whether the wOuld-be suicide
be abnormal in mind or not. Hamlet
mused upon the act-seriously-and af-
fected insanity. 1t is not improbable
that the trials OF some lives make them
mediate the act as a surcease from the
wIongs-imaginary or otherwise-which
fate has visited upon them. That it is
cowardly. no one of poise can doubt:
merted? The writer does not believe
this Is always so. More truly is 1t the
act Of one who is too cowardly to face
the music" And if We begin by inn
prisoning cowards-well, some might be
snatched up who now least expect it.
1t is said that Napoleon gazed into the
Seine seriously contemplating a watery
grave there. Those who. by fair or un-
fair means, SO order their lives that
they are reasonably satisfied with re-
suits can scarcely enter into the psy-
Geological phases of those who are diff
ferently constituted, and there is a sug-
gestive old maxim that The shoemaker
should not get above his last.
If there be the animation of a humani-
tartan impulse, the parks might be
turned over TO the crowded pOpulace
these hot right and so aid in avoiding
unrest and discomfort and, conse-
quent encouragement. II is not such
far cry from one to the other. The po-
lice have not much to do, and could
see that they did not carry OF the
benches or run of with the shrub
berry! And when too long idle, they
ging some fine woman and mother
through the White Lot-or by or
through some other Via Doloroso, as
serting their expert knowledge as to
her psychological status-for the police
are ali psychologists. The writer saw
recently a poor foreign boy, who made
his living from a basket of lemons, car
ried off in a police patrol wagon. He
was perfectly orderly and his sin was
probably that he had transgressed the
sidewalk law of vendors by remaining
a minute or two too long in one place.
II was a pathetic sight to witness this
young fellow receiving the smirch OF
an arrest, carrying his entire stock in
trddc-nlS basket Oh lcIIlOHS-lIOIH
he made out his existence, knowing little
of the language, in a strange land,
obediently going with the "officer,"
who was so brave and manly-too much
so to say to the poor fellow to move on.
But the police must seem to have busi-
ness! ::
Now, suppose some such should feel
so keenly the smart that rather than
see again and hear the taunts of their
fellows, they should cowardly attempt
TO Hshuffle off this mortal COLL" shall
they be further imprisoned and cuffed?
The problem is one that should have
IT'S solving in more huma anitarianism,
in a large Christianity. Let not our
finest" assume to direct or diagnose,
and. incidentally. they might have q
care not to mistake fainting and i'll
nersons for inebriates and be guided
by that milk of human kindness" of
which we occasionally hear, and learn
how 1t nourishes the giver as the re-
ceiver. and there may not be so many
who are desperate. l.. H. Nj.