New-York tribune., 1906-12-15
MRS. STOKES A SPEAKER
ATTACKS HORSEC4RS.
Says They Hurt Spiritual Side of
Men and UOmen.

As friend of the working men and women"
and a Socialist Mrs. ]. G.. Phelps Stokes.
who was Miss Rose Harriet Pastor. appeared
yesterday before the Board of Aldermen's COM
mittee railroads and denounced the city's
antquated horsecars. She glad such con-
ditons existed because il helped the cause Of
socialism. Mrs Stokes predicted "a change in
our industrial conditions in less than hun
dred years. which she hoped would come
without blood" Her protest based largely
on the injury the cars brought to the spiritual
side of the men and women.
II appear for the workingwomen and the
workingmen." said Mrs. Stokes And l
here as a socialist. The greatest danger to the
people has not been stated, and that is their
spiritual danger. Men and women imbruted
by these horsecars. They are embittered. and
they become hateful through them and the con-
dtions they meet on them. 1t is not so much
the lack of comfort and the neglect, the in
jury TO their physical being. and even to their
morals. hut their morals suffer through their
spiritual side. AS a socialist l am glad. ins
measure of this oppression. l glad if such
conditions exist strongly enough 10 make peo-
pie protest If it calls their attention heinous
wrongs il is good. II makes strongly for social
ism. IT means that the change is coming in our
industrial conditions | hope it will come with
OUT blood and peaceably. but 1t will come-yes.
and in less than hundred years" This
said to some Of the aldermen. who smiled
You gentlemen don't realize what they suffer
on the East Side They can't protest. They
don't know what to do. Some of them don't
even know you exist. If they wanted to pro-
test they couldn't spare the time to come here
But they fee these conditions deeply, and they
are learning, and they will some day make the
change from this industrial system to better
one"
When Mrs. Stokes concluded her speech she
was warmly applauded Several other women
also attacked the horsecars. representa-
tive of the University Settlement followed, and
asked the committee to introduce to the board
an ordinance. which read as follows:
That the Board Of Aldermen publicly censure
the Metropolitan Street Railway Company for
IT'S neglect of the public comfort and the de-
fiance of the public right.
That the Board of Aldermen request the
Board Of Estimate and Apportionment to take
such steps as are within its power 10 remove
the horsecars from the city streets.
That the Board OF Aldermen request. and II
hereby does request. the Legislature at the
next session to give power TO the Railroad Com
lnissioners 10 enforce its orders or TO create a
local board with adequate power to cope with
the transit problem.
That the Legislature be requested to enact
legislation for the removal or horSecdrs from
the city of New York.
~
of the New York City Railway Company for
libel. and has brought charges against District
Attorney Jerome also took the floor as strong
opponent of the horsecars. Mr.. Amory had a
long speech prepared and in il were innumeraole
charges, including one in which he invited MI
Vreelsnd and Mr.. Jerome 10 sue him If II was
not true This charge said: There would be no
horsecars in this city to-day if the managers
Of the Metropolitan Railway Company had not
robbed their own stockholders Of millions of DOL
lars and cheated the citizens of New York
Mr. Amory was exceedingly bitter In his attack
on Mr.. Jerome
After the speaker had made charges against
nearly all of the men connected with traction IN
tereStS IN the city he asked by Alderman n
Diemer if he could proved what he had said
Mr. Amory positive that he could. Alder
man Diemer thought Mr.. Amory was wandering
from the subject under discussion, and told him
ca E,ut other aldermen cried out: Let him go
an and the speaker continued for many minutes
Mr. Amorys statement was accepted, and he
was told that he would be called on later for
-,rII.