New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-30
INCIDENTS on THE ROAD.

Several parties OF law-abidlng citizens were
nut In imminent peril of death by wanton law
breakers In Central Park on Sunday last. That
is q simple record. not publicly blazoned, but
absolutely accurate, and of daily repetition
The people whose lives were endangered were
quiet family parties, out driving, with gentle
horses at a lawful rate OF speed. Those who
endangered them were humpbacked loafers
mounted on bicycles, riding at an unlawful rate
of speed. The horses were frightened at hav-
ing the "scorchers" swish past under their very
noses. with yell or n screech from some da-
boljcal alarm whistle and ran away-as any
horse fit for anything more than crowbait might
without blame do In such circumstances-an
only the utmost exertons Of the police saved
the people In the carriages, some of them women
and children, from injury or death. The fellows
on the wheels escaped, of course, not only IN
Jury. but even arrest, for. they shrcwdly
reckOned the police too busy saving their
victims to pay any attention to them. If only
the worthless "scorchers'' could have been
spilled from the wheels they were msusing and
put out of condition for such crmnalty for
considerable time to come, the decent part OF
the community would have learned OF their
misfortune with beautifully tempered regret.
II
one no good citizen can afford. and especially
no wheeman can afford, to regard with indif-
ference. It Is properly no reproach upon bicy-
cling any more than the picking or pocKe's Is
rcnrooch upon the possession of fingers. But it
is an offence that is peculiarly hagrant anu
odous. and that must unquestlonably create
widespread prejudice against bicycling unies'
II ,s checked and unless reputable wheelmen
show their detestatOn of IL In positive az wei
as a negative way. There have been ehacted
many laws for the benefit of wheelmen III Is
incumbent upon wheelmen in return to give
their influence toward the maintenance OF saiu-
tary laws for the benefit of all people Anu
nothing can more powerfully conduce 10 the en-
forcement Of the just, reasonable ana penencent
law against "scorchng' in our streets auu
marks than the individual and organized lhnu-
ence of all who ride wheels for health OF peas
IRE or business or any other purpose thah 10
make of themselves an eyesore, nuisance anu
n menace 20 the community
The vast majority of wheelmen are members
os oome league or club of wheelmen. Every
such organization should make sure mat none Vi
IT'S members ever transgress the law. IL there
should be any pirate organizations fOrmeu lor
the purpose Of promoting lawbreakihg the!
could be dealt with effectively In ways WHICH
need not here be discussed. And. indeed, there
ore possIble ways of dealing with the whole
matter Some countries compel every wheeiman
70 have n license which Is to be revoked II ne
Is caught "scorchng" Some cities have decreed
that every rider who stoops over the hahuie
bars shall. ipso facto, be deemed "scorcher
and punished for it. unless he can prove hiihsel
nhvscaIlv deformed so as to render 1t impossl-
ble for him TO sit upright. Those are sensible
and wholesome regulations. We should be sorry
70 see il become necessary to apply them mere.
Rut worse things than even that might happen.
And II such laws were applied here 1t would
no. bo ronutable wheelmep or the reputable
uhenl trade that would suffer.