Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-06

There Is most any Kind Of a lesson
che vents TO draw IN the piufulIy
weak note left by Mrs suydam. later
Mrs. Noble who left her rich hus-
band. oloped with q plumber ana died
with him IN their apartments ne the
result OF death pact.
Too late the erring wife realized
the meaning OF the words. Thou
shalt not That she pronounced
sentence upon herseir. in her own
weak, yet telling way. is the first
thing that strikes one IN reading her
farewell note.
u Is quite well known that suicides
as a rule are due 20 mental weakness
lin fact. were the truth known. a
large per cent OF the eases OF suicide
are directly due to temporary lnsan-
ity. Nothing moro clearly shows Il
than the farewell messages so often
left by the persons seeking self de-
struotion.
But IN the case Of this woman her
note rang true. She undoubtedly was
not insane--she was lnflictlng. as she
said, the wages Of sin upon herself.
And she wrote that religion was not
for "old fogics;" too late she realized
that the command. Thou shalt not.
used In the Ten Commandments
was the great immortal and all pow
erful order from divine lips.
But the case OF Mrs. suydam. OF
Mrs. Noble. as YOU choose to term her
Is not even extraordinary enough &c
be considered along these lines. II
is simply one more incident OF tho
failure to find happiness In wrong
The case Is worth considering. how.
ever. In connection with a few fig
ures shown by the last census
namely the figures on self dostruc-
ton.
The census Figures show that dur.
ing 1910 sixteen persons out OF every
100000 in the United stntee commit
ted suicide. This IL proportion that
Is anything but comforting 10 per.
sons who give the matter muci
Tho only hopeful sign is that 81
1910 the rate was one person less thar
In the preceding year on a basis OF
each 100000. breaking for the frs
time the increase In self destruction
that was shown by the census from
year 20 year.
There are SO many facts IN connec-
ton with these figures 10 be taker
into consideration that full discus
sion Of this remarkable state Of thingi
can not be had Ia such short space
Bnt ono thing stands out clearly upol
Investigation OF the reports OF cit.
police department statistics. and tina
81 that too many cases were due 4
just such affairs as that Of Mrs. say
dam and her plumber affinity.
Il seems well TO give tho fact pub
llcity. for suicide Is due 90 menta
is most frequent, not where there
most suffering from climate, diseas
and poverty, but on the contrar
where meteorological conditions an
general circumstances are most favor
able. as in California. where. II W
remember Alright. the rate average
80, or in such cases as the pne jus
cited. whore the still, small voice ca
not be downed
Discussing the figures announce
by the census bureau. the New Yor
Herald observes; '"The constantly IN
creaslng suicide rate which OF LAT
years has become appalling, Is no
broken for the first time. IN
knowledge Of It's growing fFequeno
has sometimes acted as a sIggestly
Influence on those who were cor
templating suicide. Wide publlcit
FOR the slight but definite decrease 1
self murder win serve as hslpfl
motive for resistance to some az Leaf
Of those who might otherwise swe
the list Of self murders"
Any consideration Of the subie'
forces the thought that there res
upon society for SIS own protectio
the heavy responsibility Of inculca
Ing right Ideas Ia individuals as
the relatlou which each sustains
the whole, IN which the problem r.
solves itself largely Into one Of trr
education FOR. after an, error Is
the root OF most OF the worlds Ills
A WORLD COMnINE.
phe raport submitted 10 cOngrcl