The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-24

Even of greater importance than the rights
of passengers in the street cars is the question
whether pedestrians have rights in the public
streets. If this inquiry could be answered upon
theoretic grounds the reply would be in the
affirmative but practically it can only receive
negative response. The drivers Of the
Broadway stages deny that people on foot
have any rights which they are bound to re-
spect The liveried lackey, who calls himself
not gentlemans coachman but coachman
and gentleman, laughs at the simplicity of
such q proposition. The express wagons
seem to be made expressly for running over
people who dare to cross crowded thorough
fare The whole brotherhood of profane-
tongued Jehus appear knit together in league
as indissoluble as the line of their vehicles
in Broadway of an afternoon for the extin-
punishment of the pretensions of pedestrians.
We were about to say that, strangest Of ALL the
policemen were apparently part of the
league; but anything o policeman may
choose to do is q mere matter Of
course There is one thing however, these
preservers of the public peace never do, and
that is to make the street crossings safe and
available. A network of vehicles, each over
tapping the one Immediately before it, for
often mile in length, is never broken unless
for handsome woman who is likely to SUBJ
NIT to policeman's attentions, which fall
little short of an embrace. The Broadway
policeman especially thinks himself being
set apart for the purpose of paying attention to
all the pretty girls in the metropolis Thereis
an obsolete law that gives precedence in the
streets to foot passengers, but with the guar.
dams Of the law blind to the mad courses Of
impudent drivers it could not be made efsc-
tive if it were re-enacted every year.
Perhaps the worst feature in the invasion Of
the rights of pedestrians in our streets is the
use made of the sidewalks by our merchants
Not content with taking complete possession
of such streets as Crosby and Mercer they
must also monopolize Broadway by making
the sidewalk in front as well as in the rear of
their stores the receptacle of boxes and bales
Of goods At many places our leading street
is almost impossible, and yet neither police
nor people seem to take the matter seri-'
ously to heart. It has often been said
that the people of New York are the most pa
tent and long-suffering people in the world.
We not only never complain, but submit 80
quietly to the invasions OF our rights that the
right seems to be in the wrong-doer. We ap-
pear 10 think our Jehus have the privilege Of
running over us if they can. We bow pleas
antly to the merchant who impedes our steps
in Broadway. We regard the rights Of the ap-
pie woman as inalienable, and even the booths
and soda water fountains on the sidewalk
we affect to consider blessing-no, it is
not merely an affectation, for do not some Of
us go to them for our cakes and carbonic acid
gas? We are always willing to acknowledge
the prerogatives Of the vendors of patent dolls
in the streets as superior to our own, and We
cheerfully get out Of the way of walking signs
and animated bill boards Everybody has
rights in the streets OF New York except Pc
destrians; but, speaking seriously about the
abuses to which we, have just called attention,
we do not think tits altogether to the credit Of
our people that they submit 80 unoomplain-
ingly