At every cross road in the country there is a warning signal: “Look out
for the Locomotive.” At every railroad crossing in every large city,
there are bells rung, whistles blown, and even guards let down when a
locomotive passes.
Policemen stand at corners to warn people to look out, etc.
Why all these precautions? Simply to prevent people from endangering
their lives. Yet, there are lives lost every day from failure to heed
the warning signals, and many persons are maimed and crippled for life
from the same cause.
The impression seems to be that people do not know enough to take care
of themselves, and that they are disposed to rush into danger heedlessly
and imperil their lives.
The impression is based upon truth. People do not know how to take care
of themselves, and therefore the law exercises a sort of guardianship
over them. It is all very nice to feel that there is somebody caring for
us and shielding us from our own stupidity. That is what it
is—stupidity.
If men would only stop, look and listen, that is, keep their wits about
them, there would be fewer accidents, fewer failures in business, and
fewer failures to succeed at anything.
It is not the foolish, the ignorant, and the small child who incur risks
that are fatal, but grown men, men of intelligence and even wisdom and
sagacity who venture too far and are caught up by hidden or exposed
dangers, and lose their lives.
It is almost suicide for any man to lose his life through his own
carelessness and inattention to danger signals.
These warnings exist everywhere in every department of business, and in
every occupation. A suit for heavy damages is no consolation to the man
who throws his life away through carelessness.