New-York tribune., 1899-12-24
MANHATTAN AND BATTERY PARK

IL is safe 10 say that there is little public SYM
pathy with Tammany Hall in the warfare which
II has been carrying on against the Manhattan
company during the last year. and OF which the
Park Boards demand that the elevated roads be
removed from Battery Park is the most serious
DEVELOPMENT This community owes the Man
haitian company much less than II would he glad
10 owe That corporation has long misused an
unexampled opportunity TO gain the goodwill OF
the people Enjoying franchise OF immense
value, II has uniformly neglected to perform its
Just obligations to the public If 1t had been at
ientive to reasonable complaints, assiduous in
meeting or anticipating the demands Of it's pa
irons and solictous 10 provide new conveniences
and additional facilities as fast as circumstances
permitted, there would have been no disposition
TO begrudge it the possession Of privileges which
have produced an enormous return upon It's act
ual investment and generally earned good divl
dends on Its profusey watered stock. 1t might
easily have acquired the singular distinction Of
being n popular corporation. whereas we sup
pose it is perfectly fair 10 say that there is not
more unpopular one in the city.
Nevertheless. we repeat that the public has
steodny refrained from taking sides with a
Tammany government in It's assaults on the
see For many years Tammany and Manhattan
were in a close alliance for mutual profit, the
principal object Of thc transportation company
being 70 prevent the realization OF all rapid
transit schemes and Of The dominant political
machine to obtain Il satisfactory equivalent for
its cooperation TO that end. Suddenly, for rea
sons generally presumed to have arisen Jointly
from the course of tho stock market and the op-
Of ba Dotx
Company, relations which had been strained for
some time were broken, the partnership was dis
solved and the Tammany administration began
tic hostilltes which have continued ever since
Nobody believes that these successive attacks
were inspired by an honest desire on the part Of
The municipal authorities to compel the Mauhat-
tan company TO do IT'S duty by the public The
whole history of Tammany Hall forbids any
such supposition. and moreover some OF Us
GanGuvrcs have been 50 pa!try as clearly TO re-
veal the spirit of persecution behind them
But this latest purpose 10 force the elevated
roads out of Battery Park is more important
and on the face Of il more rational The COM
pany has been there all these years on suffer
ance. and IL II can be excluded without serious
public Inconvenience II ought 10 be. The queS-
ZION Is one, however, on which public sentiment
needs 10 be consulted. The Wcs: Side elevated
roads must reach South Ferry in some way II
there were no other means Of access, o. II Gry
different route would be. according TO the gen
cral judgment, a change from bad TO verse, the
community would insist on their continuing TO
use Il strip of Battery Park and would morally
compel the city government to let them stay
;hcrc. But though the problem is not an easy
one il does not vet appear that VIC are reduced
to that necessity In reply to the Part Boards
demands the company has proposed three alter
native schemes. Its suggestion that tho railroad
structures In tie park should remain where they