Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/178

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reflect for a moment frankly upon the meaning of this fact: There is opposition to Judge Lindsey. That men like Heney and La Follette, Everett Colby, and (even) Mark Fagan, should have to fight for the right to do right, is significant enough of the power of evil among us; but Ben Lindsey! This man is so just and so gentle; his purposes are so pure, his work is so beautiful, so successful, and—you would think — so harmless, that no one would expect to see any man’s hand raised against the Judge of the Juvenile Court of Den- ver. Callous souls might show indifference, but why opposition ? And such opposition ?

The two bosses of the two political parties con- spired together once to keep Judge Lindsey off the bench. At another time, some men tempted him to disgrace with a woman! Legislation is pro- posed (and has been passed) to divide his Court and thus limit his power as a judge to serve the children of his county. Physically delicate, the only rest this overworked man takes is when he travels, as he does, thousands of miles to tell people what wonders “justice with love” has done for the “bad kids” of Denver. This time- off he justifies on the ground that his lectures further the cause of the children elsewhere, and bring in money to carry on his plans for his own “Court gang” at home; and he spends thus all