The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-14

The Thompson Automobile Bill.
TO the Editor of The Journal.
Grant me a little space to plead for the
common people WHO suffer victims to a
most astounding encroachm upon their
rights. The auton1aniac, Barney Oldfield,
| In a recent magazine article, f1ippantly
| tells of the three men he has killed with
| his machine, while descanting upon the
wonderful sensations afforded him by his
reckless speed. What of the victims who
| died that he might experience a sensa
tion? What were the sensations of those
who loved them? What Of the old man
| by the roadside in New York, his horse
| and wagon scattered to the four winds :?
With a glimmer of consciousness he said
some young fellow had run over him with
| an automobile, leaving him crushed and
| senseless to die like a dog.
Day after day these tragedies are re-
| peated, until the CHASTITY record becomes
! simply appalling, and all that a few may
| experience a new sensation. Life and
limb sacrificed. legitimate business i'm
peded, the people and dumb brutes terri
fed that a few may ''scorch." may tour,
| may fill an idle hour with tragedy.
| The senator from Fillmore county had
this question brought forcibly to his no
tice when one of his nearest neighbors, a
| lady loved and respected. by, all in the
village, was run down by an auto and
placed for weeks upon bed Of pain. Let
us dismiss the destruction of horse and
carriage and ask why it is needful to
multiply misery? What purpose is
served? None that is: useful surely, and
there remains only the lippant excuse of
Oldfeld, which is really that of every
| automaniac. '' ''; 49,
| One Of the most impudent> and offensive
of the clan, who. sis hated and; feared by
| the farmers, recently .attacked the SEN
eator thru the aedftors " focal paper,
announcing grandttuqTentty that automo-
bile owners were responsible and could
pay for the damage they did. AS a rule,
they run away from their Victims and
are never identified, but how could all of
them together pay for some Of the dam
age they have done to human hearts and
homes? This Is damage beyond a money
value. and it is to guard against such
injury that Senator Thompson labors.
Every automaniac in the state is attack
ing him and they are besieging the legs-
lature to prevent the repeal Of our 1903
automobile statute-the most vicious in
.existence-and prevent the adoption Of
proper safeguards to protect the people.
Now, it is time for the people themselves
to act, and every person who reads this
, should let the legislative delegation from
!, his section know his views. .,.. .<t.-
i When 1t comes to votes, the automani-
Il acs cut a small figure, and the farmers
all over the state have marked for politi-
cal destruction any man who opposes
just and needful legislation to protect
the people. But 1t Is our duty to let
them know about it. The Scovil bill now
before the New Jersey legislature pre-
q sents substantially the recommendations
i of. Governor Murphy in his message,
which IS in line with Senator Thompson S
bill, except that it is more stringent.
Numbers are required on four sides, so
that a machine may be identified from
any point Of view, and arrest without a
warrant, with imprisonment, is pre-
scribed. II ''>
President scarretts of the = Automobile
Club Of America threatens to leave the
state If the. bill passes, and the people
say amen, for If 1t does not pass, they
will have to leave or quit business.
In Illinois the Automobile Club of Chi
cago is pleading with the legislature for
a$speed limit of twenty. miles an hour
In the open country, while our 1903 law
!! permits twenty-five miles an hour, and
the automaniacs insist upon retaining
that deadly speed rate on our highways,
as well as the right to go anywhere with
their engines Of destruction.
5 House bill 37a,. now before the Illinois
legislature, provides for numbers on sides
and rear, prohibits speed In excess Of a
J mile In ten minutes, in thickly- settled
sections, or a mile Ia six minutes in a
village or city, Or a mile in four minutes
elsewhere. In dangerous places a mile
in fifteen minutes in the limit, with full
!, stop at the signal Of an appraised hand, to
|; allow safe passage for horses or people,
While in cases Of accident, the auto
driver must get out render assistance
and give his name and address. Local
authorities may estop motors from any
; highway, while fine; and Imprisonment is
provided for violations Of the law.
The automaniac leads double life. AT
the meeting of the State Agricultural so
clety big man in brain and body gave
an illustration. A friend whom he con
s1dered gentleman, asked him to ride
! IN an auto. After starting, the auto
driver seemed to have suffered a. trans
formation and became oblivious to all but
speed, more speed, until, in imminent
danger Of running down a lady with4a
frightened horse, he had to be forcibIy
brought to his senses when. with a
sh1ver, he pleaded that he never saw her.
Such men need to be protected against
themselves by stringent laws I'll
M. F. Grattan.5
i Preston, Mimi, March 6, 1905.