Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-18
Policemen
Need
Compassion
ny ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.


Copyright. 1915 by Star Company.
God measures souls by their capacity
For entertaining his beat Angel Love.
Who loVeth most Is nearest kin to God.
Who is all Love, or nothing
lie who sits
And looks oft on the palpitBtiug world,
And feels his heart swell within him
large enough ..
To hold all men within It. he is near
His great Creators standard though he
outside the pale OF churches and knows
! A feast day from fast day. or a line
| of. scripture even. What God wants Of
Is tbst outreochins b,gness that ignores
All littleness OF aims or Crseds.
And clesps all Earth and Heaven In its
embrace.
ON November 10 an article was pub
lishcd in this column headed by let
-yr from a young woman in the Bronx
who criticised policemen for their in
difference to suffering animals The
Article was published with the young
lady's initial and some comments of the
writer which suggested a school of edu-
ton for policemen in kindness to ami
mails. The article has brought forth the
following. interesting letter from = 20
Ii. eman:
Dear Madam: In your article on kind
ness e. animals Of November 10, YOU
criticised policemen for their indiffer-
cuce toward suffering animals,
| wonder II YOU know that the police
mans lot Is in many instances worse
than the stray dog you say they beat
with their sticks The dog can find some
thing i'm garbage can to satisfy his APP
petite, but the policeman has to fast for
nine to ten hours at time. IT is too
had the officer laughed at the young
woman, but IL he had conversed with her
for a few minutes he would be leaving
himself liable to charges for which he
would surely he fined as much as five
days pay II YOU don't believe this, 20
down to the trial room at police head
quarters any trial day. and you will find
conditions the more deserving OF your
sympathy than the dogs.
she probably never thought that there
WIS human shoo-fry watching the police
re<han. ready to frame him up for fifteen
minutes conversation If he spoke to her
tor two. Did she stop to think what kind
of a reception the policeman would get
at the station house il he brought in
stray dog to Mr.. Lieutenant
You don't need any school TO teach
policemen kindness to animals Just
now, We are studying physiology.
nsnces. rules. drill and gymnastics, and.
occasionally our chaplain lectures us on
theology. If we require anything further,
it is the insane asylum.
1 assure you, policemen as a rule are
not unkind to suffering animals las We
are friends OF misery. But We are
little jealous Of the rich lady's dog, so
comfortably clothed and fed. while we
stand hungry in the cold. Yours respect
fully, POLICEMAN.
This letter will cast a new light on
the New York policemen for many people.
They are such hearty. ruddy, healthy
looking men, l think it never occurs TO
most of us that they can be hungry or
in need of the necessities of life.
Internationally the policeman's- famil-
iarity with the disorderly type of street
riff-raff hardens his heart after time
and causes him to be more or less
brusaue in his treatment Of these unfor-
Inmates. .
A young woman of the writer's ac-
quaiptance was unexpectedly detained
over night at a friends house where she
had dined. Her home was only few
blocks distant in the morning she
started to walk home this short distance
with a long wrap covering her evening
. gown: she was hit by an iron pole which
"Sas being carried in wagon by a care
ess driver.
The young woman was unconscious Tor
some moments. When she awakened she
found herself in the hands of a very
severe policeman, who considered her.
evidently from her evening costume,
much the worse for liquor. He was de-
lcrmined to convey her to the station
house and was very skeptical when she
assured him that she was respectable
individual with home near by. She
was finally allowed to return to her
home and called a physician to attend to
her bruises.
No doubt the policemen become hard
cned in their too frequent contemplation
Of the rough and disorderly element and
too frequently find statements made to
them Ly those whom they are obliged
to arrest lacking i'm foundation in truth.
compassion is not only the policeman
need, but the need of humanity today.
The world is tired of Sunday religion
which shows itself I'm prayer and PEN
ance and communion service. II wants
a more practical, everyday religion
II is easy to stand in the pulpit, or in
the closet to kneel,
And say-"God do this; Gcd do mat
Maize the world better: relieve the Sor-
hows OF man; for the sake Of Thy
son.
"Oh, forgive all sin!1 Then, having
planned out Gods work, TO feel
..assir duty is done
II is easy to be religious this way.
Easy to pray.
Il is harder 10 stand on the highway.
or walk i'm the crowded mart.
And say. Il am He, I am He!
Mine the world burden; mine the sor-
rows OF men; mine is the Christ
work
To forgive my brothers sin; and then
to live the Christ-part
And never to shirll.'
II Is hard Tor you and me
To be religious this way
Day, after DAY.
- In Ohnnto -