New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-12-04
ssGcsr SIE> ana Morals.

Us pity that Buckle is dead; or. that
dying, he did not drop his mantle. What a
held the last few years have afforded for a
demonstration Of his iiyoyitc doctrine, Is
there IN al! his volumes such an instance us
the relation @. geography to morality as was
Afforded by the extension Of our territory to
the Pacific, and the co.nci,icnt development
oI Christian statesmen" Or, coming to mi
nor themes, is there not food for fine thcOriZ-
ing IN the effect cXCrtci on morality BY horse
cars There are many branches of this sub
lcct. We are not prepared, for instance,
WITH statistics OF the comparative number
and intensity Of the oalhs of the jehu, on
omnibus tops, and the driver, on front plat
forms. The consequences of halkinc~s in
the respective teams, and Of ob,tructons ON
The road or the traHway, wnulh need Ia be
coliated for the calculation. Then ~ 10 the
passengers there was good huinay in the
old stage load, which we miss in the modern
conveyance when detention occurs. More
drunken men get into cars than eyer did into
omhlbuseS, In the matter Ot pigkpnckrt-
the difference tnF the worse almost hr,,.ars
comparison. We know of several in taucps
where sufferers who have lost thirr second or
third t!mcpieCe, being still obliged h. ride i'm
the cars, have given up carrying watch
altogether.
But perhaps the most remarkable eject Of
the present mode OF city locomotion is in the
matter OF car fares. 1t is an admitted fact
that III considerable proportion of eases if
lie conductor neglcct> 10 ask Tor the fare, the
passenger calls to remind him There are
few Of Is who have not seen a tnin whose
appearance would prcsupposc wcil-lnel
pocket h'o" and balance in bIlk, sitting
tor while with yc-ccnt piece between hI.
thumb AMI tGger, and after the Ccuda,tlr ha-
passed by, quietly slipping the CON inlo his
vest POCKET. There Is, however, Il greater
AUST on The part Of the car companies IA the
AVERAGE honesty of the passenger than in
That 1T the conductor. The patent box -
system, moro ~ vogue in other cites than ~
GA. o"n, depends upon this faith. Yet We
al" Informed that even this soon indicates Il
lF"grc s>Ec decline OF morality. The patron.
"i ii new route pay as they enter with treat
i:onptiilt!e and honesty bat il ig the con
N!rlioE d! the r0Ii owners that after "a wear
or iW" they are carrying Il considerable mum
Ter g regular passenger, who seldom or
ne}v. pay their l5rcs.
But the determination Of morals in the case
Il conductors, Il report speak, truth, Is some
lh.H% lnshtiul to contemplate. At all events,
aH systems oi management at present are
based upon the suppOsitiOn that conductors
are dishonest. From time 10 time a change
III the method 90 the introduction Of some
continuance tpr checking the receipts. indl-
Gates the extent Di previous decentralization.
The remarkable circumstance Is that sooner
on Later ali checking contriyanccs are more
OK less cya,lcd, AMI The old piiclIny il rcsum-
eel. The iadeT that used To be- placed in
caIa 10 show the number "f fares proved
yaIueless "n long routes, hecau.e the con-
ductO;s soon discovered that Passengers
would hot trouble themselves about it,
record. The patent box was introduced on
. 4 BrgaAI} "a road, aHH suddenly raise receipts
by 30 per cent; bat gradually they fell
away, and la 4 lew months were at their
previous standard. y e. all admit that there
~ a high moral toIg about the atmosphere
81 Boston that excite Our hopeless envy.
Yet ttcA that h:.-..ji locality there came
some time AGO L tale 81 ingenious hprsc-car
immortality whici wu,..j raise blush on the
indefinite CLcca ,. Ncw-York conductor.
\ company there ...d introduced the punch
gong systcIu. !.j,ll CONDUCTOR a. be took a
fare, Wa, obliged g squeeze a punch which
mIgGCd Its record on slip 81 PAPER, and
simultaneously fIilg 8. small gong attached
10 the punch. Iar passenger was II note
the ing ot the gong. For while the
receipts were llrao.y sWclicd. Then they
declined. At iru-3a they reached lower
point than cyeE before. Detectives rode
up aud down 10 90. gsT-, listened faithfully
l,r the note o! lee gong with each fare,
heard q every J.a,. and vet the receipts
we.o -A"r:. Month rliired, AMI the p.0-
pf!rt1sa we're ut .A-.s wits end. At lenyLh
tile tsl.E vas d......-..,!. An Ingenious ar
L,.au l.,i luru.-.,,l almost every coulu. tor
a!gl. HaH -. To-. .. gong, which, carried
y...sr4...! ia JH- .... &, 90 the l.nglns with
out recording.
Now we reoo.s-,. that there were -tDrie-
ia the obi tme about The omnibus drivers
who sorted si-.eggc- Zone Tor uc and one
for the boss and = pleasant legend ii
one whom bis employer overheard in the pro-
cess 81 sorting, and iorgaye because he
threw the odd sizpeuec III the boss piie.
/ But there wa no -leA stcnalic 10. Of
morals ia an entire class a. this 81 to-day.
As sc have said, K we had a Buckle, Ne
might be able 30 reduce this matter 10 a
demonstration. Perhays the food question
Is at the roo, 81 the nloffer. We al know
that the ear cJudust0T i III sufficiently led.
He i Obliged to snatch something 10 the
scrnblanee OF meal in the les minute
waiting Of the car at tie ends OF the line.
His hours are l0ay and weary. SuppOfe, a.
all Other devices have proved more or les
modified failure, some car company tries
the experiment d giving time enough foI