The Citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1903-1912, 1912-08-17
SUICIDAL
INSANITY

aYHTfIfff q fTfHSff
What is the cause Of the terrible in
crease in the crop of suicides7" was
the psychological problem propounded
by one of PittszurR's notable scientific
men In the presence OF reporter for
the Pittsburg Diepatcb u do not re-
fer especially TO pittsburg. he con.
| tinued, for this species of insanity
seems to be general In America. aud
| In all other countries lt liz "A CHASTITY
record. this self-destruction 10y bullet.
by deadly drugs, by the knife the
rope, by gas. by drowning, by almost
every means conceivable. and some
nearly inconceivahle
! MANY of the suicides are ttaccahlo
to causes that are really trivial Int
those are mostly confined 10 women
and for the most part. think the r,c-
ords will show, to young women ui the
shallower sort, who have been disap-
| pointed In what they imagine love
| Sometimes II II domestic diflCuIty.
and dare say that nlne-tenths Of tho
cases of this sort are really due 10
the impossibilty of the family to
| e.
This affects the wife aud mother
poignantly, probably because of tho
presence Of daughters who visit TO
dress more showly than the purse or
the father viii permit The father
also Is fond of his children and w at.
tempting TO give them all that his
purse VIII allow he often gives more.
gets deeper and deeper into pocuuiary
difficulty, and concludes that the oasi-
est way out is the way that viii end
all for him, not stopping 60 consider
that the sensible way would be 10 1.-Two
we'll within his means no matter what
the demands on his income
Nearly always this IS the result %
wishing to live like other people live
whose incomes are larger II liz "a
wrong, silly view OF life, and 10 some
extent 1t Is peculiarly an American
view. The show that mere money viii
give induces a sort of craze TO make
the same sort of show that somebody
olso's money gives, and where there
Is much more money. | have here
3 clipping Of an interview with Frederic
Harrison OF worldwide reputation AZ
n publlcist, and IL IN so much 20 tho
point that hope IL can be reproduced
In the Dispatch The comment 81
Mr.. Harrison was called out by the
suicide OF q young stOckbrOkur. Mr..
Coleman, whose income was about
$4,000, but who lived to the limit ~
about $4,000 lie became involved in
debt and paid his debts by putting u
htH1 - la. al Iss.lV 4
I ment:
; However terrible the cost people
I must be In the swim. Each man to-
; day In England copies the scnsc'oss
: extravaganza OF his richer neighbur.
I They follow like sheep one after the
other, and no one has tho courage OF
= his convictions.
, THE case OF Mr.. Coleman f. o en-
ger post on the road along which Wa
are travelling today
"Thc taste for luxury has Increased
beyond all bounds, spreading from the
upper classes. who started il. 20 tue
/, middle classes, who were free lum Il
: | 90 years ago.
People cannot keep quiet low.
, They cans be- alone, they can't read.
they can't stay ut home. Formerly
!, people went to the thcutcr to oujoy
, the play. Now, the play Is not enough.
, They must have supper at an oEpeD-
siyo Restaurant after the thcgtor
and u Is not because they really
. desire these luXuics that they Indulge
= In them. II Is something oven more
: poisonous to public life than mere Idle
y extravaganza.
!, 1T rs want Of mental balance Tho
y middlo-class family has lost the power
OF estimating things on their own MGR,
iia, They do things now because they
a fear TO be out Of it. II Is sufficient
for man or woman 10 sec their neigh.
bor8 in enjoyment OF some luxury TO
>, want II themselves. It Is luuacy Of
u imitation.
= In Germany people go TO The thea.
" ter simply dressed, because they love
> the thcatcr. And II man goes IN the
. stalls II Is because he finds them more
;, comfortable than the pit-not because
= he Is ashamed 10 be- seen in a cheaper
/" part OF the house than his neighhors.
nut We are losing our sense or pro.
a UbIllOU bUu hNl 'VldNlilllJ. NiN
, when those are gone there will be no
~ delight left In NE
y There are many causes I would as
sign for this. The young people have
too much 10 say Thcy have not tuf
Gciont mental balance TO bc foauG
influence, though the enthusiasm MA!
- be theirs, But enthusiasm must 10
Pr pruned, or It win run wild
- THE prudent and steady people
10 have been pushed into the background
A. and they are beginning to th'uh n
IT, must ho their proper place We want
Va them back again 10 the van
10 Then, Eull.-h society. which 20
" years ago was !mporyious a. fore Gn
~ influences. has lr' the restless Apsri
'' can spirit peryaGo 10 a. late Maaoy
must Zee spou'. Ava tho mere 20. cAr
20 spend the rohl"r ts ,lo "ugk you vliN
~ have done for society
+ This must be foaxa, We must
y make England realize tina, the simple
~