The New York herald., 1875-02-04

~ ~ @ult1tuo0 OF cOUuDellOxS tooxo II
safety we may feel sure that out Of this rapid
transit discussion We shall have plan worthy
OF the city. A beautiful aspect of the dis
cussion 10 that it shows the people to be
thoroughly aroused. There is nothing New
York cannot do if it only makes up it, mind
to do it. The trouble about rapid transit in
the past has always been that the people
never entered heartily into the movement.
They have never believed it possible. Every
body felt the serious want, in dreamy, list
less. languid way, hoping against hope.
mourning over the city's paralysis, tho ten
dency of population towards Kings county
and New jersey. But when rapid transit
came it was either as . job or ring. One
scheme destroyed another, and above all
was small selfish, jobbing class
who feared that any extension Of
the city limits or any addition to
the happiness of our people would in some
way affect their own property. Consequently
rapid transit never became . purpose until
the present time. Now the necessity Is 90 ap-
parent that the people insist upon 1t a. .
matter of municipal life or death.
We cannot take any of the halEdozen lines
of railway which converge either in Jersey City
or Hoboken without witnessing what quick
transit has done for New Jersey and lament
ing the evil effects of slow transit in New
York. 1t is only a few years since both of
these cities were either wood or meadow.
Now they ore looming up into commercial
rivals of the metropolis, while beyond them,
far into the State is city after city, each OF them
representing the depicting forces which have
been operating against New York. There is
no reason to regret that these places have
grown with o prosperity unexampled in the
history of the world, but we ought at least to
learn the lesson of their growth. They
could not have been but for the rapid transit
which the railways afforded from tho bust
ness centres Of this city. It was easier for
The downtown merchant to go to Orange,
Elizabeth or Paterson, or even New Bruns-
wick OF Morristown, than to Harlem or Man
hattanville, and 20 New Jersey gained what
New York lost. For ten or fifteen years
there has been an uninterrupted hegira across
the North River, and during all these
years we have talked rapid transit and
yet we have talked it with the
want of purpose which characterizes
children who build castles in the air to forget
them before they are built While our splen-
did underground or elevated railways were
constructed only in words or on paper and
our purposes seemed the sole chatter of
children, New Jersey called score Of cities
into existence, each one of which is . monu-
ment to our foolishness
The solemn fact is now apparent that New
York stands still, while her suburbs rush
forward toward metropolitan wealth and
supremacy. The last decade shows that Jer-
sey City has increased in larger ratio than
any city in the Union. OF course this means
not the increase of sister city, but the de-
cline of New York This atrophy has not
only injured the business section below the
City Hall, but the wide outlying districts of
Westchester. New York city is rapidly and
practically abandoned to beggars and million
naires. The great middle class-our business
men, our mechanics and artisans, our profess
sionA men, who are the glory and strength
and real sinew Of community, have been
driven out of the city limits. The exodus still
continues. To arrest this, to make New York
the home of the poor as well as the palace Of
the rich, to keep within its limits the money
earned by its citizens is the purpose. It is, as
We have said, the life or death of New York
There are many ways Of attaining this re-
suit The most feasible plan is that which
addresses itself to the patriotism, the muni-
cipal pride, even the business interests of our
wealthy citizens The prosperity of New York
for the last fifty years has developed large
class of very rich men. Their property repre-
sents the growth and grandeur of the metropo-
lis The possession of wealth brings opportu-
mites and duties, O desire for fame and
usefulness, wish to stand well in the public
estimation. How, therefore. can this class
crafty these natural yearnings better than by
giving US rapid transit? They would thus
build monument more enduring than bronze.
Not only would it be an advantage to the people,
an honor to their name, credit to their pub
lie spirit, but it would be of business value.
Men of large fortunes, like Astor, Stewart,
Vanderbilt, Cooper, Tilden, Anderson. Brown,
Belmont Duncan, Lenox, Dodge and Goelet,
can do this. Here are dozen gentlemen who
can contribute . million dollars each toward
the building Of city steam railway. They
could even make it present to the city with
out feeling the burden. Many Of them, in
fact would regain the amount of their contri-
button in the increase of their own property
and resources. What is asked now is not
simply gift like the gifts made during the
war; when vast sums were poured into the
Golfers of the Sanitary Commission for the
benefit Of our soldiers, but an invest
ment. We do not see any reason
to doubt that properly built steam
railway through the city Of New York
would be q desirable investment an immedi-
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