The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-16
Rapid Transit.


The latest argument in favor of rapid
transit will be found in the cold weather
which has distressed us FOR the past few
weeks. Of course, this is exceptionally Sc
we're, but there is no reason why we should
not have repetition Of it for many winters
to come. The conditions Of our climate are
such that we are never assured against the
coolest weather in winter and the warmest in
summer. We shall never be able to meet
these conditions with q due regard for the
demands of civilization and the usefulness OF
members of society until We tortiiy ourselves
against every possible contingency OF nature.
No story will be stranger than the narrative
of the present day, as it will be read by our
grandchildren fifty years from now. They
will be told how suddenly there came a frost,
a severe stress Of weather; how the ice came
rolling down the Hudson and surging to the
bay, how it was swept up by the tides into the
East River, how Brooklyn and New York were
divided by mountain of ice, blocking up
the ferries, embargoing the wharves how
ferryboats filled with passengers-gay pleas
ure seekers hurrying homo from the theatre
and the ball-were exposed to the discomforts
and dangers of long winter night in the
middle Of the river. They will read how
their grandfathers, when they left their
Brooklyn homes in the morning, were not
sure of being able 10 return at night how
discomfort and misery fell upon them,
business men finding their affairs neg
lectcd, friends mourning for absent friends
families separated, q sudden rent and assure
in the whole social system, which made New
YORK and Brooklyn MS far apart as New York
and San Francisco.
They will read further that New York was
the city of the rich man and the beggar; that
because of the impossibility of traversing the
island without too serious waste Of time q
waste thst the poor man could not afford-the
laborers and the artisans and the great,
worthy industrial class were compelled to live
in tenement houses to swarm around the
noisome quarters of the lower city, or to cross
the rivers and face the wintry perils which we
have just described. They will read also that
the history of New York-a proud history,
showing how, step by step, it advanced from
a secondary position among our cities to be
the metropolis of the continent-was arrested,
how from this growth it suddenly tell away,
how contiguous suburban cities drew from it
their sustenance and rose to metropolitan
prosperity They will read also that not
withstanding the common sense and interest
of the people pointed out the true remedy
the building of rapid transit railway
it was long while before this could
be accomplished First, there were corrupt
rings, combinations among politicians who
allowed no measure to become law which
did not yield them large share Ct gain.
There were then sordid, rich men, large
owners of property, who, with the conserva-
five timidity of the rich--like the English
landowners who opposed the railways because
they scared the pheasants-opposed rapid
transit on the strange plea that it would re-
duce the value of the property on Broadway
by enabling people to live in Yonkers. So
powerful were these rich men that they were
enabled to paralyze this movement They
will read also that with the revolution of 1875
a great party came into power, disciplined
party, well controlled, under complete drill,
powerful, ambitious, eager to win public
fame that instead of devoting themselves to
remedy for this evil, for this sitting of New
York, for this paralysis of the metropolis, the
leaders of this party devoted themselves to
craftsmanship" to the consideration of
affairs in Louisiana and to the actions of
President Grant, and they drifted on and
on and on into high speculations for the
Presidency and schemes about the national
finances, neglecting the one plain duty they
were called upon to do, and, finally, it
will be told that nothing but an absolute up
rising of the people, putting down corruption,
partisanship, avarice and obstinacy, COM
PEELED the adoption Of a rapid transit measure
and the building of road that renewed the
prosperity OF New York
This, we take it, is what our grandchildren
will most likely read when they come to the
history of 1875 Is there no person in the
government Of New York who can take this
rapid transit business and bring it to con-
clusion? Nothing is simpler than to build a
railroad which need not cost, at the utmost,
more than half million dollars per mile.
We have the power, the money, the energy,
the will, and we have an argument in favor Of
it in every movement Of the thermometer.
The Apology for the Cancan.