New-York tribune., 1868-06-04
THE HORSE-CAR NUISANCE.

The careless, supine goOd-natuTe with which
Americans submit to all sorts of imposition in
strect-cars, ferry boats, aud other vehicles of
public travel, has long been matter OF sur
prise to Old World impartial observers of our
manners and customs. That good-nature has
been indulged too far-has, in fact, degener-
ated into n sort of wcak-minded servility,
against which it is needful that an earnest
protest should be made. In that mood of
protest we desire, at the moment to direct
the attention of our readers TO the necessity
of determined and incessant resistance to the
mpositons continually suffered by the public
under our present system of horse-car travel.
We do not hesitate to make the sweeping
statement that it is almost impossible for a
lady or n gentleman to ride III hOrse-car,
on any line in this city, without encounterlng
some sort of personal discomfort or some sort
of unciyil treatment. Most of the cars are
dirty; some of them contain vermin. That
they are all habitually OyercrOwdcd the
reader need not be told. Cars that afford
decent accommodation for only 4 people, very
often. nj certain hours OF the day, are found
packed with As and sometimes with GO
persons The mcphitic air within these
carriages is, on such occasions, something
too filthy for description. If we add that the
car-drivers are, very often, reckless and bru-
tai; that the horses are overloaded, Over-driven,
and sometimes cruelty beaten; and that many
of the car-c0nductOrs are dirty in their per
sons, ignorant of their duties, and frequently
insoent, we shall give te party far idea of
the actual state of things on the New-IOrk
horse cars. We appeal to the general expert
ence of well-bred persons when we affirm that
the tone of conductors on horse e-cars-cOnsider-
ing them as a class, and making all due ex-
ceptions-is, in particular, offensive and lntol-
erable. As n rule, you cannot get car to stop
long enough for you to get off of it without
risk to your personal safety Whether lady or
gentleman, it makes no manner of difference.
We have, with our own eyes, seen ladies so
hustled off of horse cars that it was n wonder
they escaped with life. AS to wOrdy imperti-
nencc on the part of car-cOnduct0rs that is so
common a grievance as almost to be trlte.
The passenger is told to come On," to hurry
CUP" TO "bc lively" TO "get out of the way"
"not to be all night" etc, etc, etc, TO the
end of the chapter; and ne may think himself
fortunate if his motion is not also expedited
by the laying on of particularly dirty hands
None but our people submit to this kind of
imposition. The conductor on a horse-car, and
all officials on all sorts of vehicles of public
travel are hired to perform specific du-
ties in the service of the public;
and these duties they ought to per-
form thoroughly, civilly, decently-as ser
wants and not as masters. The passenger who
pays the required fare in vehicle of public
travel buys the right to decent accommodation
and respectful treatment. Women suffer greatly
in these horse-cgrs To them comes the double
mdeness of blackguard fellow passengers and
blackguard conductors. passenger that we
know of was obliged, on last Wednesday even
ing, to interfere, on a University place car, for
the protection of poor, ill-cad servant girl
from the insults of loathsome, half-drunken
ruffan; and the result was that, although the
girl lrdS protected, the passenger had to incur
a stream of coarse abuse from the rufian, fol-
lowed, in due course, by rudoness from the
conductor, who had been a silent witness of
the whole transaction, knew that a woman was
being insulted in the car, and was either too
stupid or too cowardly to kick drunken brute
off his carriage. All conductors, happily, are
not like this one. We should be glad, indeed,
if our words as to this subject induce improve
mcnt where it is so greatly needed At any
rate, we do earnestly entreat all gentlemen who
ride in public convcyances to see to it, in every
possible instance, that personal rights are re-
spected