The Washington times., 1915-11-18
THE CHICAGO BABY's CASE

The foremost argument advanced
by people who would have saved, at
every hazard, the life Of the defec-
tive Chicago babe that was allowed
to die because its parents and the
attending physician agreed that was
the better course, is that life must
be preserved whenever possible.
Life, in this view, is sacred; and
there is even demand that the ply
sician be prosecuted for criminal
negligence.
The sacredness of human life has
been one Of the things on which
man has agreed, only to violate his
own dictum, from the beginning of
time. There is surely contradic-
tion between the demand that this
life be saved, and the insistence of
law that other lives be deliberately
sacrificed. Life is made up Of mex
plicable contradictions. Let it be
imagined that the physician in this
case be indicted, tried and convicted.
He comes before a judge to be SEN
tenced; and on the same day there
comes before the same Judge the
duty of sentencing a criminal to the
gallows! The judge, sentencing the
convicted physician, declares it the
states policy that human life is
sacred; it must not be allowed to
be sacrificed. Then he turns to the
next case, and in the name Of the
same state condemns another de.
fective to give up his sacred life or
a gibbet!
Manifestly, broad generalization
is not quite safe. The state thai
takes life deliberately cannot b
entirely convinced that to take life
deliberately is altogether beyont
palliation. The civilization tha
hurls millions upon millions of mel
against each other, armed with th'
deadliest contrivances that can b.
devised, fer the purpose of taking
each others lives, is not quite il
position to condemn the perfect!
sincere humanitarian motive tina
would save a helpless child from tn,
tortures of life that under no con
ceivable conditions could be brigh
and happy. The notion Of an es
sential sacredness, of human life j
denied by the practice, the law, an
the national policies of civilization
When the best and most useful hu
man lives are sacrificed by millions
when men upon whom families ar
dependent are sent out to give thei
lives for a cause they do not kno,
or understand or care about-it j
at least possible to realize that ther
is an argument in the case Of tn
defective infant in Chicago.
One commentator says the moth
er should be the arbiter. Anothe
says the mother, of all people
should be saved from the fearfr
responsibility of deciding. 1t is nc
easy even here to adjudge tn
merits; but it would seem that tn
mother ought to be saved from tn
responsibility Of decision in sue
case. The community, if deci!
ions of this kind are to be made
behalf of the community's concer
about results, ought to provide il
own instrumentalities for decidin
the course to be taken. If it is d'
sirable that hopelessly defecti,
children be permitted, in such case
to be removed by natural processe
then it is desirable that all of tn
class be so removed, not that ha
of them, because their mothers tai
; particular view, be surrendert
!, while the other half be saved. The
=, must be a mode of determinatit
, which shall eliminate the pure
:. personal and sentimental consider
, ton, and give a verdict on the fact