The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-05 00:00:00

THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF GIRLS.

SUICIDAL RECKLESSNESS.

Reports of accidents that reach us from all quarters I,
she% that there is an increased necessity fur the pro
tecturp of people against themselves (says the Hew
York Times). The great mass of moving population,
which, for want if a more sueoient deseription, we
call "the travelling public,* is a special scarce of
anxiety. Steamship managers say that disasters I
brought about by the popular desire for speedy ecean
transit far outnumber all others. The fog is disregarded,
vessels are built for fast sailing, no delays for small ac-
cidents are tolerated, and everything, that makes for
safety is sacrificed for speed. If the public did not de-
mand' fast ships, fast trains, and fast steamboats, there
would be less racing, less competition, and less risky
navigation. As it is, even those who decry the sacrifice
of good old-fashimed notions of safety to speed will give
their preference to routes which promise the shortest
passage. It seems necessary that we should have legis-
lation to protect people against the gratification of
their insane desire to get ahead. On some of the North
River ferryboats passengers often climb deliberately
over the gates with which the boat is provided, jump
across the chasm to the dock, rush up the bridge like
stars shot madly from their spheres, and, when the
street is gained, walk leisurely homeward. Although
riding on the platform of a railway train is highly
dangerous, and all railroad cars carry conspicuous
warnings against the practice, passengers pers:st in it;
and conductors have sometimes been obliged to use
force to save men in their sober senses from this
exposure to a horrible death. The Pacific railroads
have lately had a hot controvesy with some of the
newspapers on the subject of gamblers on the overland
trains. Passengers who bad been "cleaned out" by
sharpers demanded that the gamblers be forcibly put
oil the trains by employes of the company ; that is to
say, the travelling public clamours that it be prevented
from playing gambling games with men who do not
play fair. It asks to be protected against
its sown weakness and liability to temptation.
The man who loses is indignant that he
has had a chalice at the game which he thought he
understood. With the tempting lure before him, be
cries, "Hold me, somebody ! Notwithstanding all
this, legislation is bound to take society as we find it.
There is no reason for abandoning heedless persons to
their fate because of their heedlessness. On the con-
trary; if men will rush on to destruction, in spite of
eafegmards, paeventives, and warnings, human in-
genuity must be racked for more severe remedies. If
passpngers climb over the gates of the ferry-boats,
eluding the vigilance of the employes they should be
fined, and the fine should be rigidly enforced. If men
will rush into danger of any sort after being warned,
they ought to be punished if they escape, so that they
may know beforehand that they incur two penalties
when they rush—one endangering life and limb and
one damaging the pocket. The same rule ought to be
made to apply to all means of passenger conveyance
whatever. Our people are always in a needless
hurry; it is appalling to see how many lives are daily
risked by the mad desire to gain a few seconds.