The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-01
BONE a. HuMAN sYMPATHY.

BOND OF HUMAN SYMPATHY.
The whole nation has been watching
for two weeks with anxious solicitude
the welfare of its most distinguished. in
valid Mrs. william Mckinley, wife Of
the president Of the United States. No
care. no service, however minute, has
been neglected that would ease the pain
or add to the comfort OF the first lady
Of the land. At the very threshold Of
the White House occurred an incident
that was flashed far and wide across the
country in the press dispatches On
leaving the railway station in Washing
ton the Mckinley carriage was driven
down the broad, smooth sidewalk, the
crowd being cleared away for this pur-
pose. The street was roughly paved
with cobble-stones. BY using the side
walk for a driveway jolting Of the in
valid was avoided.
Would the washington city authorities
permit its walks to be used by one of
the plain. common people2 is the in
quiry suggested at once Would the
privilege be extended to an artisan of
humble station. who was called upon to
carry away from the big Pennsylvania
station his beloved wife as painfully
and seriously i'll as was the wife Of the
president? Truly the world is not a
is to be inferred that the Washington
authorities would be gracious to any
sorely stricken human being. They
would if they followed the example they
have themselves set and are seconded
in by a Chicago incident. The Chicago
incident is the more striking because it
happened among the lowly. It deserves
note as expressive of the fine human
sympathy and feeling which exists in
the world. Not yesterday, not last year,
but Now 1t is a living, moving force.
Hope is that the incidents will multiply.
In Chicago the municipal authorities,
for the sake of easing the suffering and
possibly saving the life Of a little girl
shut off one Of the principal streets, for
the length of a block. to all traffic and
stationed stalwart officers at each end
to prevent vehicles of any kind from
using the thoroughfare.
The little sufferer was the daughter of
an ordinary citizen, who had appealed
to the authorities in the name of his
little child, solely with the hope that his
request would meet with a friendly re-
Spouse. Racked with pain and worn with
suffering, every sound in the street
threw the child into hysteria- The doctor
advised that unless she had absolute
quiet no human power could save her.
It was at this juncture that the city was
appealed to. There was no hesitation
about the reply. Busy officials, burden
ed with the enormous cares Of great
municipal government, concentrated all
their efforts upon the case of the little
sufferer. Thousands of citizens became
interested in the incident. In its ac-
count Of the work Of the police in carry
ing out the order to close the street.
the Chicago Record-Herald says:
when a wagon came rafting down
the street the policeman would stop it.
a little girl is dying down there he
would say. pointing toward the house
If you drive by, the clatter may Kill
her. If everything is quiet, there is
hope that she Will get we'll Almost in
variably, with not word except per-
haps God help the little girl the driver
would turn his horses head and willing
" drive three or four blocks out of his
way to save her pain. For five long
weeks this continued day after day and
night after night The policemen were
always on guard The neighbors' chill
dren went elsewhere for their noisy play
The street musicians and peddlers hawk
ing their wares yearned not to come
that way, or else to pass in silence.