The New York herald., 1874-03-27
Tho Rapid Transit Bills-A Test 6ss
the Honest Assem- III vmeu

the Honest Assemblymen.
The people of New York are in the hands Of
the Legislature, and the Legislature appears
to be in the hands of the wealthy corporations
of the city and State. If Mr.. Lincoln. of On
tariO and other gentlemen from the honest
rural districts choose to give away the railroad
and other franchises OF the metropolis, without
regard to the wishes or interests of the resi-
dents of the city, they have the power to do So
People will entertain their own views of tho
honesty of the act despite the rant and fustian
of political clown or the effrontery of an ex-
member Of an Erie investigating COMMITTEES.
But they are pOwerless to resist the outrage.
and Legislative corruption is so shrewdly COW
cred up that, SO long as the bold and fragrant
perjury of lobby agents is permitted to 90 un-
punished, it is difficult to send the bribed and
the bribers to the State Prison, where they
ought TO be.
Rapid transit is 80 essential to the people Of
New York that SO long as they secure steam
railroads they do not care in what manner
they may come But it is as necessary that q
rapid transit road shall be run for the public
convenience and at low rates of fare as that
it shall be built If we had steam travel to-
day between the Battery and the Westchester
border it would only be mockery unless suf-
ficient trains were run to meet the public
want and at fares low enough to be within the
means of the laboring classes. This is one
reason why a Rapid Transit Commission
should be appointed, with the power to regulate
and control the operation of such roads in the
interest of the people.
Mr. Vanderbilt is practical railroad man,
possesses large wealth and owns two
lines of railroad terminating in the city.
He manages his railroads, not as stock
jobbing speculations on Wall street, but
in business manner, for the good of the
roads and the accommodation of the public.
He could, no doubt, give New York such
rapid transit as the city needs if he chose to
do so, and should he be the coming man who
is to solve the problem every citizen would be
in favor of giving him as many franchises as
he might desire. But two things are to be-
guarded against in common prudence, with
out implying any insincerity of purpose to
Mr. Vanderbilt. First, we must take caro-
building the road, for the purpose of prevent
ing any interference with his present mo-
nopoly of steam travel, and next that he does
not use the rapid transit road when it is built
simply as an extension of his through Lines
and refuse or neglect to supply the residents
of New York with such accommodations as
they need at low rates of fare. The first
danger can be guarded against by making
the forfeiture in case of the non-con-
struction of the road five hundred thousand
dollars or one million dollars, instead OF
only one hundred thousand dollars. If ME-
Vanderbilt honestly intends to build the road
he will be just as willing to make the for
feiture one million dollars as one hundred
thousand, since he knows that the amountwiu
never be forfeited. The second danger can be
averted by stating in the bills the minimum
number of trains that shall be run on the road
per day and the maximum amount of fares
that shall be demanded Of the passengers.
Now, if the members who stand up in thu
Assembly asserting their honesty with vigor-
Gus lungs intend to give the rapid transit fran
chise to Mr.. Vanderbilt, for his own purposes
and his own profit, they will not allow these
eminently proper, just and prudent provi-
sions to be inserted in the bill. IT, on the
other hand, they give the franchise to Mr..
Vanderbilt in the interest of the city and foE
the public good, they will favor these provi-
sions and will not suffer the bill to pass with
out them. Their action in this matter viii do
more than all their rhetoric to settle the ques-
ton of their Legislative integrity.
The possibility of a meao issue Of inconuertib!s
paper regard aoiM dmGzement and d'rriety, and,