The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-08-16
SUICIDAL
INSANITY

s INSANITY +
What IL the cause OF the terrible In
crease in the crop Of suicides?" was
the psychological problem propounded
by one of P~ittszurg's notable scientific
men In the presence Of a reporter for
the Pittsburg Dispatch. 81 do not re-
fer especially to Pittsburg," he con.
tinued, for this species of insanity
seems to be general in America. and
In all other countries. II Ia a CHASTITY
record. this self-destruction by bullet,
by deadly drugs. by the knife. the
rope. by gas. by drowning. by almost
every means conceivable, and some
nearly inconceivable."
Many OF the suicides are traceable
to causes that are really trivial. but
those are mostly confined to women
and for b most part, ! think the rec
ords Will show. to young women of the
shallower sort, who have been disap-
pointed In what they imagine love.
Sometimes Il is domestic difficulty.
and dare say that n~ine-tenths of the
cases OF this sort are really due to
the impossibility Of the family to
make the social show they desire.
This affects the wife and mother
poignantly. probably because OF he
presence OF daughters who wish to
dress more showily than the purse OF
the father will permit. The father
also Is fond OF his children and In at
tempting to give them all that his
purse will allow he often gives more,
gets deeper and deeper into pecuniary
difhculty, and concludes that the east
est way out is the way that will end
all Tor him. not stopping to consider
that the sensible way would be to live
well within his means no matter what
the demands on his income.
Nearly always this Is the result Of
wishing to live like other people live
whose incomes are larger. 1t is a
wrong, silly view Of life. and to some
extent II is peculiarly an American
view. The show that mere money will
give induces a sort of craze to mako
the same sort OF show that somebocz
else's money gives, and where thers
Is much more money. I have here q
clipping OF an interview with Frederic
Harrison OF worldwide reputation as
a publicist. and II Is so much TO the
point that hope 1t can be reproduced
In the Dispatch. The OF
Mr.. Harrison was called out by the
suicide OF a young stockbroker. Mr..
Coleman. whose income was about
$4,000, but who lived to the limit of
about $4,000. He became involved in
debt and paid his debts by putting a
bullet in his brain. Here is the COM
ment:
However terrible the cost. people
must be In the swim. Each man to-
day in England copies the senseless
extravaganza OF his richer neighbor.
They lilo like sheep one after the
other, and no one has the courage of
his convictions.
"The case Of Mr.. Coleman Is a fin.
ger post on the road along which We
are travelling today.
The taste for luxury has increased
beyond all bounds, spreading from the
upper classes. who started il, TO the
middle classes. who were free from IL
90 years ago.
People cannot keep quiet now.
They cans be alone. they can't read,
they can't stay at home. Formerly
people went 10 the theater 10 enjoy
the play. Now. the play Is not enough.
They must have supper at an expen-
sive restaurant after the theater.
And 1t is not because they really
desire these Injuries that they indulge
In them. 1t Is something even moro
poisonous TO public life than mere idle
extravaganza.
1t Is a want Of mental balance. The
middle-class family has lost the power
of estimating things on their own mer-
its. They do things now because they
fear to be out OF it. II is sufficient
Tor a man or woman TO see their neigh
bors in enjoyment of some luxury TO
want 1t themselves. II is a lunacy of
imitation.
In Germany people so to the thea
ter simply dressed. because they love
the theater. And IL a man goes in the
stalls IL Is because he finds them more
comfortable than the pit-not because
he Is ashamed TO be seen in a cheaper
part OF the house than his neighbors.
"But We are losing our sense of pro-
portion and our equanimity. And
when those are gone there will be no
delight left in life.
There are many causes I would as
sign for this. The young people have
too much TO say. They have not suf-
fcient mental balance to be a sound
influence. though the enthusiasm may
be theirs. But enthusiasm must be
pruned. or Il will run wild.
THE prudent and steady people
have been pushed into the background.
and they are beginning to think IL
must be their proper place. We want
them back again In the van.
Then, English society. which 20
years ago was impervious to foreign
influences. has let the restless Ameri-
can spirit pervade II Of late. Money
must be spent. And the more you al
spend the nobler Is the work you will
have done for society.