The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-18

Under o democratic government, where
public improvements cannot be made by
ukase and all factious opposition is quelled
by the strong hand, progress in what is the
pressing need of the masses is often tedious
and liable to every form Of hindrance that
combined money power can exert. Hence
often arises crisis in which ordinarily law
abiding citizens become FESTIVE at the oppor-
tunity which the laws numbering uncer-
tainty gives to public enemies with money
to spend in defence of their profitable abuses.
1t is some consolation that the public right
generally triumphs in the end, but not
always, and the end is often so long
deferred that it maketh the heart
sick. We saw the Tammany Ring,
entrenched behind what appeared law,
trampling on tho dearest rights of the
citizens and robbing the public treasury.
We saw it at length overthrown, and we
have since seen the chief among its thieves
fight the city for possession of his ill-got
gains with the money he had flched Now
that the city has obtained O verdict against
him we see another struggle in progress on
behalf of BOSS" Tweed, to see how little
restitution he can make This is fair par
allel to the position the horse car railroads
have taken with regard to rapid transit.
Having had privilege conferred on them
to serve the people with horse car transit
they have the audacity to tell the people
that they shall have no other transit than the
horse railroads are willing to supply. After
begging to become the servants of the peo-
pie and falling shamefully short of their
engagements they arrogantly announce
themselves the peoples masters and draw
their second hand collins across the route Of
every rapid transit line, as the London
omnibuses did to crowd horse railroad
off the experimental line along Hyde Park
years ago. The horse car roads are just now
piling injunctions upon the steam railroad
companies engaged in attempting to furnish
New York with its greatest want. We see
the work delayed or stopped in every direc-
ton by the insolent interference of horse
car companies, who apparently find courts
and judges ready to jump at the chance of
assisting them. We wish to ask the judges
of New York if they would not act more de-
Gently by fastening less to do the bidding of
the plundering and obstructive monopolies
We ask the horse car companies how long
the people, by law or without it, will permit
them to sit like nightmare on the progress
of the city?
When the mo Seat No Fare" bill was cor
ruptly killed in the Assembly it may be re-
called that some of the more brazen-faced
apologists of the act stated unctuously that
rapid transit would correct the over-crowd-
ing. We valued that at it's worth, and events
have justified us. The President of one Of
the horse car companies has boosted that they
had four million dollars, and would spend it
all to defeat rapid transit. There is some
truth in. this bombast. A large corruption
and obstacle fund has been gathered, but
there are one million people interested on
the side that favors rapid transit, and we ask
that million how much longer they will
allow the plundering monopolies and their
aiders and abettors to cheat them?