Why Not Try it Here?

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 6, 8 February 1923, Page 17

Why Not Try it Here?

We commend (says a Home paper) the following extract from an American contemporary to the notice of our readers: “Detroit has a judge by the name of Charles L. Bartlett, who appears to have some common sense and knowIdege of human nature. Some motor-car drivers were before him, week before last, convicted of speeding. Before passing sentence, he bundled them all into a patrol-wagon, took them to a hospital, and made them view some casualties caused by carelessness and fast driving. Again last week, when another batch of seven came before him, he took them to the county morgue and exhibited to them the bodies of three persons who had been killed by motor-cars. Judge Bartlett seems to have some idea of the nature of law ; he seems to know that the law can do little unless in co-operation with the reason and conscience of mankind, and he goes very sensibly about securing that co-operation. We feel pretty sure that those speeders paid their fines and served their sentences with an entirely different conscience than if he had not put them through that enlightening experience. Respect for law will revive soon as Judge Bartlett’s method is made general. People are apt to respect any law that can be made to engage their reason and conscience; and our present disregard for law is chiefly due to the fact that most of our law's are wholly arbitrary, and that neither reason nor conscience is concerned with them.” ._———————