Evening journal., 1895-09-05
where tho cunt Lies.

between the manhood, wOmanhood and
childhood Of our city and the mutilation
and death which turks beneath the
wheels.
While companies Of other cities have,
by reason Of compulsion by statute or
ordinance, or fear Of being mulcted IN
large sums OF money for personal in
iuries, equipped all. or nearly all Of
their cars with these life-saving devices,
the company which enjoys what 1t as.
sumes to call the exclusive right to oper-
ate cars within the corporate limits Of the
city Of Wilmington has utterly failed to
take this precnution so essential for the
personal safety Of our citizens, and, more
particularly, that Of our children.
We frankly admit that the number Of
deaths due to the trolley cars traversing
the streets Of our city is small when
compared with the fatalities attending
their operation In other and larger cities,
yet we must consider that congestion Of
traffic, one Of the most ordinary es-
sentlals Of such fatalities. is absent here.
But comparisons weigh for nothing g.when
the bald fact is before us that our citizens
are being killed, and that on one side Of
the argument stands life and on the
other turks death.
Had our cars been equipped with
tenders it Is probsblo-yes, certain-that
several graves which now exist in our
cemeteries would never have been dug.
1t is useless for the management OF the
Wilmington City Railway Company TO
make the assertion that the Tenders OF
to-day are nothing but experiments. 1t
has been clearly demonstrated that they
are not. Such an assertion on It's part is
simply q makeshift. in oonsonance with the
several "testa' which we're made in this
city in times gone by. The aimpls truth
OF the matter is that the company Is too
selfish to spend the money necessary TO
procure the equipment It lie too busily
engaged In the work Of extending It's
lines to think OF the public safety. The
blood OF innocent aud playful children
may dabble its tracks. but peck Of sand
covers the stain OF the guilt Of nsgll
gence, and the race for the almighty
nickel is resumed with greater engerness
than ever. The corporate mind has no
tima TO think Of the grief-strieken home;
no pricks Of conscience for tho blood
which stains the nickols which are
turned into It's Golfers by It's army OF
agents. LIS sole effort Is to shift the
responsibility Of the fatality from itsolf
and it's agent to the inanimate form
which fell e prey to corporate eupldity,
and whose lips are by the seal Of death
prevented from speaking in contradlc.
tion.
Thoughtfulness, playfulness and way
wardness are characteristics Of child
hood So they were before the trolley
car csme into existenee, and so they will
be when that mode Of oonveyanos has
been wholly supplsnted BY some other
and more improved method Of rapid
transit Il Is not just or sensible to
expect a child at play to exercise the
same care and discretion that q grown
person should and weuld, naturally,
exercise. Neither can We expect
motorman TO perform the imposeibllity
Of stopping a car, going at full speed. In
such emergencies az usually result Ia
fatalities But the public does expect,
and it demands. that the company place
upon the fronts Of It's cars the very best
Tenders that can be found 10 the markets
Of the world, In order that such child
may be picked up tossed into the net
ting and restored to its parents, none
the worse FOR It's adventure unless, per-
chance, it should have received a few
slight scratches or bruises
THE fender does not always do the
work FOR which 1t was designed" " the
street railway apologlst will say. Ad-
mitted. Neither does anything con-
ceived by the human brain and executed
By human hands. But the operations Of
the fender In other places have clearly
demonstrated that It may be safely de.
pended upon 10 about eight cases out OF
ten. and, IS the fender Is improved, the
per centsge is constantly increased.
There is no reason why our citizens
should not have the benefit Of the 50
per cent Of safety. II is sssuredly y
preferable to the 100 per cent. Of danger
which now tesets them.
While confident that the company has
no chatter right TO use electricity as a
motive power We are not Of those who
would deprive il Of the power which il
has arrogeted TO itself The present
method is bstter for the company AID
better for the people. Neither are we Of
those who would ask from the compau,
guarantee Of absoluie safety to thl
public In the operation OF lis system b.
this unchartersd power Alive ask, II
the name CT the public, Is that It appl
those safeguards which advanced scienc
has placed at its command It Isl re-
quest as reasonable and righteous az It !
humane and modeGt
The company enjoys the benefits Of
great franchise aud the people get bu
little in return beyond the convenieuc
Of rapid transit. It WAS given charter
the freedom Of our streets; the prlvileg
Of running by our doors and within