The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-28
WHAT Is THE LAW?

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
few evenings ago the usher at the Grand Central
Depot refused to let me pass through with Young
girl Of fifteen to get her proper berth on the Sleep
ing cars ana said she could get from the sleeping
car conductor. "But said l. (which sleeping car |?
What conductor? She cam take care of herself; who
ia to take care of her?' 1.-The porter" he answered
trumphantly. Here, porter!' and the porter
stepped up and rushed her along and had no help
for IT, except to exclaim, lyon might as well pass
her through shovel"
Now Mr.. Editor, this whole thing was an I'M
mitigated outrage. made enough of to get
that child. starting in the night $40 miles
journey, saved from harm perhaps, but how will it
be in other cases, in which all interested?
lady who is attended to the cars by gentleman is
practically introduced as entitled to be treated with
respect. But if she has to make her own way
alone and unattended she is not secure from
experiments to find out who and what she is, which
in themselves assaults upon her. Ii could have
gone with the child in question last night could
have influenced the assignment Of berth to her.
se one n0t easily DC
to be done about 1t and. perhaps. taken
section, or found matronly oversight for her, or
taken her to the other cars But this new rule of
the company turns girls and young ladies loose upon
the rush and clamor of starting night train, giving
them not even the attention. OF railroad porter.
unless forced to 1t by masculine indignation; and
humanity shudders at the fortunes to which they
may be subjected under the circumstances.
In the present was not the legal guardian of
the child. and thus might be embarrassed in raising
the law question involved but hope the question
will be raised and tested speedily by father, hus-
band or brother, whether female has not the legal
right and her proper relatives the legal right of
tomary escort into the conveyances of common
carriers She certainly has the right herself t, enter
and attendance by her proper companion
is part of such right. Any rule of the
carrier to the contrary illegal because unreason
able and contrary to the lawful custom already
tabished. am lawyer myself. and furnished to
the complaint Book" the hint upon which the Coe
nuisance at Newtown, L. L. abated. and feel
sufficiently that the law is with in this
venture the suggestion that those interested
should make common to test 1t by suit for that
purpose.
am informed that in England the companies pro-
vide platform tickets sold at four cents in
rency) to meet OF attending friends. The pres
rule has been in operation since about the 10th
inst. and may be intended to prepare the way for
law allowing a similar practice and charge in this
country. do not know that there would be much
objection to this The railroads. in the words OF the
lingo paraphrase used by you the other day,
Have got the land have got the brains,
And got the money too.
So let them have the four cents If they want it. But
in the meantime the courts should be set at them
and il the rule of damages that a party who is
driven to the courts to assert right ought to
damages enough to pay him for coming there. be APP
Piled the suits will. if successful pay their
sonabe expenses and teach the railroads decency and
Law at the same time. LAWYER.