Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-06
DISREGARD or LIFE.
Needed An Aroused Public Opinion,
Sort of National Conversion.
(From an Editorial in tie March

(From an Editorial In the March
Century.)
When one reads the accounts CON
stantly appearing in the newspapers
of instances of the heroic saving of
human life. especially in fire and
mine disasters, one is impressed by
the value put by all men upon life.
The rescues of miners, continuing
sometimes from day to day, have the
whole country, sometimes the whole
world, for sympathetic audience. The
city of New York, was thrilled lately
by the story Of the rescue of fire
man, after twenty-four hours of ex-
ertion on the part OF his comrades,
the first hours OF which were with
the hope of finding his 6ead body
only. Incidents like these awaken
a passion of tenderness, of heroic
struggle, of widespread sympathy. AS
for firemen, they are proverbial for
reckless courage In saving endanger-
ed lives, and when it comes to the
rescue ofsone ofjtheir own, number
they will actually fight for the privi-
lege of flinging themselves into posi-
tions of deadly peril in order to save
a threatened comrade. There never
was time, moreover, when such
good care was taken of the sick and
afflicted; or when so much time,
money, equipment and individual de-
votion were given to the discovery
and application of remedies for dis
ease, and of means for the prolonga-
tion of human existence.
Reading of such things from day TO
day, and nothing else, one might, as
we have said, come to the conclusion
that in America the sacredness of
life is keenly felt throughout the
community. But as a matter of act,
the newspapers that give us minute
details. in column upon column. of
these heroic rescues. on the same
page chronicle events which bring
the observer to the very opposite
conclusion:
Here We read of scores of men
working day and night, without
thought of self. to save a single life:
and then we read, for instance, of
autombile tragedies where the speed
craze leads to the loss not only of the
life of the speed crazy, but of the in
nocent passerby. We read of rail-
road accidents where many lives are
lost through some phase of reckless
ness. We are given the appalling
statistics of railroad fatalities and of
often easily preventable accidents in
the various trades, and we find that
America is far behind Europe in the
use of safety devices in tho various
occupations
Such exhibitions of safety appli-
ances as that held in New York, un-
der the auspices of the American In
stitute of Social Service, inform the
public usefully of specific means of
saving life and limb. But perhaps
the most useful function of such a
demonstration this we believe
was the first in Americas the
awakening of public opinion.
1t is an aroused public opinion that
we need-a sort of national conver-
sion. There Is need to spread abroad
a new respect for the human frame;
a conviction that 1t is unneighborly;.
that it is wrong; that 1t is wicked;
that it is unendurable; that people
should amuse themselves in way
that endangers the bodies and the
very existence of their fellow citizens.
Railroad trains, electric trolieys and
are constantly put to a
speed that implies. an outrageous
spirit OF recklessness.
A man has no business to take
reckless chances with his own life.
much less with that of his fellow citi-
zen, who has an equal right to the
safe use of the public highway This
would seem to be truism, but too
many people act with total disregard
If so elemental principle as this
There are so many delinquents, there
S such "a lack of persistent de1ense
laps those are wise who think that
counter movement should be start |
d, ard that the scattered and inef-
ectleal Indignation Of the community
ho4id find effectiHe expression IN a
pedN pgeanigatiof