The New York herald., 1879-01-01
A Monument for mr.. Field.


When Mr. Cyrus W. Field, responding
to Dean Stanloy's expression Of surprise
that the place Of Major Andres execution
had not been marked by monument,
promised to supply the omission, he could
have had no idea that the most sensitive
American would take umbrage at his action.
He thought only of preserving the memory
of the event and pointing out to the curious
in future years the exact locality Of the exc
cution. But Mr.. Field has now an oppor-
tunity to build monument to himself, to
which no oae will object, by bestowing upon
rapid transit. Long after his busy and
useful life has closed Mr.. Fields name
will be recalled as that Of one to
whom above all others the world is indebted
for the priceless gift of the ocean cable-the
great instrument Of progress, prosperity
and peace to all nations. This will GER
tainly be an enviable fame. But to the
working people of New York O rapid transit
road, run at q rate of fare that would place
its use always within their reach, would be
of more real value than score of ocean
cables. It would liberate them from the
thraldom of tenement house landlords !;
would enable them to live in healthful,
happy homes; would afford them more
time for rest and recreation. and would
supply employment for labor by giving an
impetus to building Investments which
always move hand in hand with other i'm
provements Mr.. Field has it in his power
to present this great boon to his fellow citi-
zens, and if he viii resist the temptation of
high prices SO strong to corporations,
and in return for valuable franchise will
secure to the people the full advantages Of
rapid Transit by placing the rate Of fare
at five cents, he will be remembered at home
even more gratefully for this than for his tri-
umph as the champion of ocean telegraphy.
Mr.. Field is not o man to stop half way
in good work, and as he has declared HIM
self favorable to placing the fare on one
car Of each train on the Third avenue
road at FIVE cents We believe he
will soon recognize the expediency
of adopting the bolder and more sensible
policy Of uniform five cent rate. If, as
Mr.. Field believes, gentlemen who escort
ladies to the opera would prefer fifteen
cent palace car to the crowded five cent car,
there might be no objection to placing one
of those luxuries on certain trains for their
special accommodation. Even the addi-
tion Of a band Of musicians, or at least of
musical box, for the qualification of the
gallant escorts and their fair friends might
be permissible. But ''class" trains in o
country where there are no class distinc-
tions will never. be popular, independent
of the fact that they would not meet the de-
mand for a low rate of fare. What the people
expect of Mr.. Field is the establishment of
the principle that the rapid transit roads,
holding their valuable franchises from the
people, shall be managed in the interests of
the people and not Of the favored corpora
capitalists who have built the roads are en-
titled to fair and even liberal profit on
their investment, they shall, after securing
this, recognize their obligation to give the
people the benefit Of using the roads at the
lowest possible rate of fare. It is
demonstrable that the Third avenue road,
run at Eve cents fare. would carry greatly
more than double the number of passen-
gers it can secure at ten cents fare, and
would, therefore, increase instead of dimin-
ishing its profits by adopting the lower
rate while at the same time immensely bene-
fiting the people. The monument we urge
Mr.. Field to erect to himself is one which
will record the fact that he has stood up as
the peoples champion in this matter, and
that while at the head Of corporation he
has recognized the peoples right to consid-
Grafton and has bestowed upon them the
boon of cheap rapid transit road.