Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/235

 isted by the

courtesy of the District-attorney, who was a machine man; Lindsev gave himself the legal right to demand all children’s cases. He had exercised discretion; he gave himself explicit authority to exercise discretion. He had found adults at fault for the criminality of children; he drew a paragraph making parents, employers, business men, and all other grown-ups amenable to the criminal law for neglect, abuse, or temptation of children. This is his now famous “con- tributory delinquency law against adults.” Need- ing probation officers, he authorized the appointment of them, and since the police and the Sheriff and the District-attorney were all tied up with the liquor and other business interests, he gave his probation officers certain police powers. The child-labour law was only one item in the legislation Judge Lindsey went after.

The Judge’s bills were most important legis- lation, and to put them through he had to proceed most carefully. He began in the convention, by taking a hand in the nomination of legislators. His enemies fought him there, and they beat his man, but he came up on good terms with the others. They introduced his bills and started them through the mill, very quietly. Hardly any notice was taken of them. Apparently the lobbyists didn t do their work well, for the interests