The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-24

would themselves have been startled. Anti
rapid transit is, in shorter and palmer Ian
guage, slow transit. These gentlemen,
therefore, invite the people of New York to
join with them in movement for slow
transit They call upon the citizens to
prevent the passage from the business to
the residence quarters of New York from
being made less tedious, less inconven1ent,
less wearisome, less wasteful OF time.
Their argument, concisely and accurately
stated would be that people live above
Canal street at their own risk that it is
monstrous for any one to pretend to sleep
in Tenth street while there are rooms vacant
| in Baxter street tenement houses and lofts
to let in Chambers street. As for the ridlcu-
lous people who prefer Twentieth or Ihir-
tieth or Fortieth street as for the wretches
who would like to see the Central Park as
| for the abominable waits and estrays who live
in Harlem and Manhattanville--they have
| evidently no rights which slow transit man
is bound to respect The atrocious crime OF
living on the upper end of Manhattan
Island evidently, in these good peoples
minds, puts man beyond the pale OF re-
spect or protection.
What is the object Of this slow transit
movement? 1t is useful to look it squarely
| in the face. 1t seeks to put penalty on
living above Astor place. 1t says to labor
ing man, to q mechanic, to q clerk, to
young lawyer, to any man who cannot afford
! to keep carriage, ''Your wife and children
shall not live in comfort; they shall not
have fresh pure air; you shall not have
cottage for them; they shall swelter in our
tenements and be crowded for our profit in
bel against this command Of ours, We
will make you pay at least tenth of
your whole life; you shall sacrifice
between two and three hours out of
every twenty -four; We will compel you to
lose seventh Of your waking hours every
day." That is what these slow transit
people are saying to the Woodworking me-
chanics artisans and clerks of New York.
! But we can imagine one of this indus
trious class appealing to a slow transit
magnate. "Why are you SO hard on us ?" he
asks in pitcous tone. "Why do you cruelty
| compel our wives and little ones to live in
tenements when they might occupy pleasant
and healthful cottages? Why do you compel
us overworked men to lose two or three
precious hours out of the short work.
| ing day, and not only to lose them,
| but to suffer WEAKNESS and discomfort in
them?" And if the slow transit man were
as frank, as truthful, as outspoken as he
ought to be, he would reply, II own tene-
ment houses, and want to have them
crowded )" or, Il own horse railroad stock,
and want larger dividends /; if you don't
like it move over to Brooklyn or New
jersey"
We should like to have all sham, pretence
and humbug removed from this transit dis
custom There are, it seems, men in New
York who hold that the facilities for
moving about the island are already
great enough we should like to see them
state their case frankly. They fear that
rapid transit roads will empty the filthy
tenement houses of the lower part Of the
city they are afraid that an elevated rail-
road will lessen their dividends from horse
car stock. Very we'll; let them appeal to the
furnishing with fine and Imprisonment every
| mechanic, laborer or clerk who attempts to
| live above Thirtieth street, and prohibiting
all residents of Brooklyn, Williamsburg or
Jersey City from doing business or follow
| ing their avocations in New York. And let
them demand that the fine be heavy one
at least the equivalent in value of two
IL a H. L
exact
We have stated the case Of the slow tran
sit men fairly. They hold that it is not adj
visable that New Workers. shall be able to
| ent. Is not that q monstrous proposition to
offer to the working and business men Of
New York? They hold that the city is big
enough for their plan will most effectively
keep it from growing. But do the taxpayers
think New York big enough? 1t is impos-
sble to state the case Of the opponents Of
rapid transit without making them appear
the enemies Of the city, the enemies of the
whole laboring population, the enemies of
the taxpayers.
| Oh, but there are vested interests, it
seems With rapid transit it is probable that
the best part of the tenement house popula-
ton would remove to the upper end of the
| island. Well. it ought to. But the owners
of these overcrowded, filthy and unwhole-
some tenement houses would lose some part
Of their income. Well, they ought to.
Every interest of the city every real and
legitimate interest, we mean--demands that
the overcrowding, the budding together in
the lower wards shall cease; and it can cease
only when we have not one but half dozen
rapid transit roads. We ought to have these
at once. Slow transit is a premium upon
vice and paupersm. 1t is important to