The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-16
oday New Suicide Reason. Gold Interests Rakovsky. Praying by Electricity. More Spiritualism.
By ARTHUR BRISBANE


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 Men and women have killed them selves for thousands of reasons. Grief, greed. cowardice. very often love and frequently despair cause suicide. One man killed himself be- cause he was tired of dressing and undressing every day.
 A famous Greek philosopher, past 90. stumbled and fell as he left his class, He killed himself in disgust at the infirmity of old age. The un- fortunate Mrs. Anna Glickstein of New York found an entirely new req son for killing herself. Her hus- band was recently shot dead by a young woman. The widow commits suicide in fear that the killer of her husband would be acquitted by the 5ury-and she was not willing to live to see that.
 The majority of us cling to life desperately through all ills. With 8 few, life hangs on a thread.
 NotninB lhtcEoStluB rum GoHOh, us this is written, except MT. Rakovsky of Rrssia. That gentleman cannot keep his mind off the United States gold reserve and is full of sugges- tions that the reserve be used to fi- nance poorer people in proportion to their population.
 Strange what practice does to theory. Only little while ago Rus sia was convinced that tho one thing to do was to "do away with money entirely" That was done quite suc- eessfully. Russia succeeded in mak- ing her money worth nothing and getting rid of all of the money that was worth anything. But that doesn't seem to have helped much.
 In India Buddhists, believing that numbers count in prayers, have prayer wheels. Every time the little wheel goes around, a prayer is sup D, to be said and the prospects of eternal happiness are as much the better. Buddhist priests. who find profit in the prayer wheels even have them turned by water power. That saves the trouble of turning the wheels.
 When the British wanted recently to harness mountain streams, the priests of Buddha objected. They needed these streams for their prayer wheels. The English said: Don't worry, we'll turn the little wheels for you by electricity, free of charge. and they will go 100 times as fast as ever"
 So that was settled.
 Up above in the Buddhist heaven. somebody Is obliged to count fast and do rapid bookkeeping to keep track of those Buddhist prayers.
 It is an interesting, pious picture. William Jennings Bryan might make "A cheerful speech about it. You see the mountain stream turned into electricity. the electricity turned back into superstition. and everybody happy.
 Lady Doyle, wife of the novel writer. says spiritualism is beautiful because 1t ends fear of death. My children fear death no moro than passing into the next room" With a little elaboration. spiritualism might make an acceptable religion Among primitive men religion was born in fear of death and the fear of dreams.
 q am all right now, eating my rhi- noceros meat" said the ancient saw age, but what about later on when I shall be dead like the rhinoceros, I see my grandfather" Then rehg- ion began to answer his questions
 According to Lady Doyle, there are no children in heaven, but in spirit land woman's fondness for babies will be gratified in some way. What is very important. everybody there Is ir love with somebody else; they au travel in pairs. In England. says Lady Doyle, only one in ten goes to church, but the spiritualist churches are jammed.
 A heaven in which there is no childhood to worry. no old age to bother you, and everybody in love with somebody else. is sure to attract customers.
 Mrs. Edith Mccormick is interested in flying machine project to carry passengers between New York and Chicago. The plan is to have each machine carry 200 persons and make the journey between New York and Chicago in 10 hours
 That will seem very slow before long. Meanwhile. 1t Is interesting to see . woman of intelligence and en- ergy helping to develop the new transportation. Human beings living and travelling in the air will improve with every generation. In few cen turies they will be as far beyond us as the trout in the swiftly flowing brook is beyond the dull fish lying with open mouth on the bottom of stagnant water.