University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-03-19

INSOLENCE

1t would not be easy to say upon
just what ground every right minded
man wishes to kill an automobili>t. bur
there can be no question that the uni
rersal desire jumps with the >"n>c OF
Il novel duty which the conditions have
imposed. In this rude swain. who
stands with his shotgun by the roadside.
and aims it at the chauffeur whose like
:an over his chicken the day before. i,
OF one hot blood with the gentle schoI
ar who has brought smile To the lin,
"f the ioy-rider by his awkward efforts
To escape with his life in cro,>in. the
city street before the motor and who
longs To throw bomb into the iap OF
I he motoriSt.
1t is not merely danger to life and
limb from the rapidly multiplying MA
chimes on all the highways and byway>.
with the irresponsibility of locomotives
jumping their tracks, it is not merely
the damage when We fail to escape
them. but the SENSE OF indgnity which
remains with lis when we succeed. But
we should not ourselves complain OF
the chaulfeurs sins of commission as OF
his sins of omission in the matter OF
warning. He is bound by the law
which he Outruns and ovcrridcs i'm So
many ways to sound his horn at cor
ners and crossings. and i'm close proN-
unity to the needless pedestrian: and
We do not see how he is to fail of this
obligation without grievous and some
times deadly wrong. His machine can
not signal the passer as does the tram
pllng of horses hoofs: and without
that lnsolent hOOtin%, You are i'm danger
Of lar worse injury from him. With
out 1T You find him at your very shouI-
Ter, and as you founder backward. or
bound forward. he whir> by You with Il
smile far worse than any
ionking or snorting.
Too commonly, but not invariably.
us passengers partakc his gayety. and
hey all seem to think that Won will
inter- into the joke Yourself But Won
and You 90 away addinp in
our palpitating heart to the store of
'ate for the automobiles which must
ONE day burst in fury upon him. 1t
: not eNtrava2ant to say that one new
r goes up or down town without being
ware OF narrowly escaping unhurt
rom an automobile. and that il is
onstant care To avoid the danger which
Is public wrong to put upon the
rIvate person. As yet the law j, not
live to the atrocity of this condition
things: hut the streets of the city
nj the lanes of the country should be
'ade and Kept safe. so that with the
asst caution Cne need not incur injury
them. They have been rendered
ghly unsafe by the reckless Use of
achlne> which may Yet be forbidden
'em: with their immense increase the
ing has gone from bad to worse. The
a>>acre OF automobili>t> has not vet
gun but the hatred of them i pres
It. II latent. in at least all the non
ltomobili>tS. There is no horror of
hlch the average person read, with
Httle unconcern as the crushing of
me motOri>t under his own machine.
III this Is because the motorist.
neither he realizes it or not. is a public
envy. When he has killed or MANNED
me hapless foot passenger who wa,
I prompt in flying from him. there is
hunger in every heart for his swift
nl>hment with the EXTREMIST penal,v
at can he inflicted When very rarely.
zen most exceptionally. justice forces
reluctant law to some penalty com
'nsurate with his offem>e. there i, but
voice from the public. and that is
praise for the magistrate who has
the courage to stand in its de-
'>e-Harper's Weekly.