Saving Property and Human Beings

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 16, 1909

Saving Property and Human Beings

BEN LINDSEY, the boys’ judge of Denver, Colo., tells, among other stories, how a gang of seven boys were accused of stealing five bicycles. Immediately, of course, the whole machinery of the law was in operation to save the bicycles.

The leader of the gang was caught, and because he refused to tell anything, the police gave him the third degree, beat him, and strapped him to a bed. The other boys were not found at once, but their records were looked up, and it was found that every one of them had been in jail.

Lindsey went in to see the boy, who was strapped to the bed. The first thing the boy said to him was: “You can’t make me snitch on the gang.”

“That’s right,” said Lindsey, “I’m glad you won’t.”

With his insight into human nature, the judge saw that the finest quality in the boy was his sense of loyalty. Instead of trying to destroy this one good quality, he tried to strengthen it. By this means he gained the boy’s confidence. He told the judge all about himself, and brought the other boys in, one at a time, to tell about themselves. This is called “snitching on the square.” Incidentally the bicycles were recovered.

Some of the police officials, however, thought the judge was entirely wrong. His business was to protect property and get back the bicycles. “Which would you rather do,” asked Lindsey, “save five bicycles, or save seven boys?” That was a staggerer. “You have sent all these boys to jail at least once,” continued the judge, “and you haven’t saved them; so your plan is a failure. Neither did you save the bicycles, for the boys took them after they had been in jail. I think it is more important to save the boys than the bicycles, and if I save the boys, the bicycles will be saved anyhow.”

Because of Judge Lindsey, six of the boys are to-day upright and successful citizens. Only one of them was a back-slider.

Judge Lindsey put his healing touch upon the sore spot of nearly all our law administration. The judges are sitting up nights trying to save property, and never give a moment to trying to save human beings.

The highest court in New York has decided that a law forbidding women to work nights in factories is unconstitutional. If they did not work all night, certain property might be produced less cheaply than it is now. Many of these overworked factory women are mothers. Because of their long and painful labor, their boys and girls are, of necessity, neglected. Neglect is the father of crime. The high court saves a little property, and makes more criminals to give the other courts an occupation.

Suppose our learned judges devote themselves to trying to protect and rescue human beings? Can any one imagine but that the number of criminals would be less, that crime would be less frequent, and that in the long run the learned judges would be surprised to find that in protecting human beings first, they had really given a greater protection to property than they did when they made property their first and only consideration?

Down in New Zealand they have been doing this for some little time, and one curious result is that the people can go away for weeks at a time, and do not even have to lock their front doors.—Selected.