New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-28
RIGHTS ON RAILWAYS.

Here is paragraph which Is " meander1ng
through the newspapers, and now makes It's Sec
ond appearance in our own:
Inthc Brfo Police Court It held last week 81 at
Indies are legally entitled to no more privieges 10 puo
lie conve yancea than gentlemen, ana tnat "heh .no
Ter nav for seats they have pei 1ect right 70 occupy
them 40 long as they conduct themselves 10 proper
manner conductor accordingly Med sooo ior
erecting man from car because he reiusea u S"o
his seat to o woman
This is interesting to everybody at this time
of much travelling, and will be, more or less, at
all seasons in country covered with railways
Perhaps the decision of the Buffalo Police Court
carries with it no great weight Of authority, but
as it happens to be strictly in accordance with
the law of contracts and with the principles OF
common sense, it is quite as respectable as II
it came from the Supreme Court OF the United
States. A contract to be carried by railway
company implies bench to sit upon during tho
iourney-not benches for women and children
alone, but benches for men. The woman above
mentioned had right to a seat, but she had no
right to that Of another passenger. Now this IS
what ladies. especially in America, find it hard
to understand. They make in this matter no
appeal to the civility or courtesy of the passen-
ger ousted, who may be an invalid or much more
weary than they are; but with Get up"
in every line of their lovely faces, they wait for
obedience to the silent but imperious mandate,
and then plump down without one word of
thanks. There are, it is true, privileged women
those who carry infants in their arms, and
those who are old-tO whom the coveted place
will be instantly offered by every gentleman.
1t is, indeed, wrong and shame to sell
tickets to passengers for whom no places have
been provided but the ticket-otfice is miles
away, and there can DO no redress then and
there for the swindle. But It does not By any
means follow, because passenger plesses to in-
sst upon his simple rights, that he is to be
bullied By the conductor, and much less does it
follow that he is to be elected from the car be-
cause his ideas Of polleness may differ from
those Of the officer in charge OF the train.
American gentlemen have been soured, and
made, perhaps, forgetful of what was due to
themselves, by tho persistent incivility, in |
theaters, in lecture-rooms, in railway car
riages in all public places of congregation,
of underlined women. who insolently de-
mand that which they can rightly ask only
as kindness. Most men submit to impo-
sition rather than appear uncivil; and
in nine cases out of ten they receive no thanks
for their courtesy. Now aud then, some old
gentleman who does not care to cut knightly
figure, resolutely refuses to bulge, and ia pro-
nounced a beast for his pains. But what, after
all. is his ofense lie has hired a place, and
that place he pleases to keep. Why not visit
little Indignation upon those who leased places,
and then neglected willfully TO provide them'
In tho name of many millions Of legs which
have ached in the past, and of many more mil
lions which are destined 10 ache in the future,
We protest that the true remedy for the evil will
be found, not in bullying those who will not
submit % be swindled, but in providing sutfi-
cient number of seats TO accommodate comfort
ably all who may buy tickets. If lady buys
a ticket, and then is not properly provided for
let her bring her action against the company.
Let her, if necessary, leave the train, hire con-
veyance, or stop at some hotel, and send her
bill to tho company. She would have law on
her side; and two or three eases, resolutely
followed up, would astonishingy increase the
number OF cars on some of our railways.