Such　treatment　of　the　public　would　have　raised　a　riot　anywhere　but
  in　this　land　of　freedom。　　Do　you　suppose　any　one　murmured？　　Not　at
  all。　　The　well…trained　public　had　the　air　of　being　in　church。　　My
  neighbors　appeared　astonished　at　my　impatience；　and　informed　me
  that　they　were　often　detained　in　that　way；　as　the　company　was　short
  of　boats；　but　they　hoped　to　have　a　new　one　in　a　year　or　two。　　This
  detail　did　not　prevent　that　corporation　advertising　our　train　to
  arrive　in　New　York　at　three…thirteen；　instead　of　which　we　landed　at
  four　o'clock。　　If　a　similar　breach　of　contract　had　happened　in
  England；　a　dozen　letters　would　have　appeared　in　the　〃Times；〃　and
  the　grievance　been　well　aired。
  Another　infliction　to　which　all　who　travel　in　America　are　subjected
  is　the　brushing　atrocity。　　Twenty　minutes　before　a　train　arrives　at
  its　destination；　the　despot　who　has　taken　no　notice　of　any　one　up
  to　this　moment；　except　to　snub　them；　becomes　suspiciously　attentive
  and　insists　on　brushing　everybody。　　The　dirt　one　traveller　has　been
  accumulating　is　sent　in　clouds　into　the　faces　of　his　neighbors。
  When　he　is　polished　off　and　has　paid　his　〃quarter〃　of　tribute；　the
  next　man　gets　up；　and　the　dirt　is　then　brushed　back　on　to　number
  one；　with　number　two's　collection　added。
  Labiche　begins　one　of　his　plays　with　two　servants　at　work　in　a
  salon。　　〃Dusting；〃　says　one　of　them；　〃is　the　art　of　sending　the
  dirt　from　the　chair　on　the　right　over　to　the　sofa　on　the　left。〃　　I
  always　think　of　that　remark　when　I　see　the　process　performed　in　a
  parlor　car；　for　when　it　is　over　we　are　all　exactly　where　we　began。
  If　a　man　should　shampoo　his　hair；　or　have　his　boots　cleaned　in　a
  salon；　he　would　be　ejected　as　a　boor；　yet　the　idea　apparently　never
  enters　the　heads　of　those　who　soil　and　choke　their　fellow…
  passengers　that　the　brushing　might　be　done　in　the　vestibule。
  On　the　subject　of　fresh　air　and　heat　we　are　also　in　the　hands　of
  officials；　dozens　of　passengers　being　made　to　suffer　for　the
  caprices　of　one　of　their　number；　or　the　taste　of　some　captious
  invalid。　　In　other　lands　the　rights　of　minorities　are　often
  ignored。　　With　us　it　is　the　contrary。　　One　sniffling　school…girl
  who　prefers　a　temperature　of　80　degrees　can　force　a　car　full　of
  people　to　swelter　in　an　atmosphere　that　is　death　to　them；　because
  she　refuses　either　to　put　on　her　wraps　or　to　have　a　window　opened。
  Street　railways　are　torture…chambers　where　we　slaves　are　made　to
  suffer　in　another　way。　　You　must　begin　to　reel　and　plunge　towards
  the　door　at　least　two　blocks　before　your　destination；　so　as　to　leap
  to　the　ground　when　the　car　slows　up；　otherwise　the　conductor　will
  be　offended　with　you；　and　carry　you　several　squares　too　far；　or
  with　a　jocose　〃Step　lively；〃　will　grasp　your　elbow　and　shoot　you
  out。　　Any　one　who　should　sit　quietly　in　his　place　until　the　vehicle
  had　come　to　a　full　stop；　would　be　regarded　by　the　slave…driver　and
  his　cargo　as　a　POSEUR　who　was　assuming　airs。
  The　idea　that　cars　and　boats　exist　for　the　convenience　of　the
  public　was　exploded　long　ago。　　We　are　made；　dozens　of　times　a　day；
  to　feel　that　this　is　no　longer　the　case。　　It　is；　on　the　contrary；
  brought　vividly　home　to　us　that　such　conveyances　are　money　making
  machines　in　the　possession　of　powerful　corporations　（to　whom　we；　in
  our　debasement；　have　handed　over　the　freedom　of　our　streets　and
  rivers）；　and　are　run　in　the　interest　and　at　the　discretion　of　their
  owners。
  It　is　not　only　before　the　great　and　the　powerful　that　we　bow　in
  submission。　　The　shop…girl　is　another　tyrant　who　has　planted　her
  foot　firmly　on　the　neck　of　the　nation。　　She　respects　neither　sex
  nor　age。　　Ensconced　behind　the　bulwark　of　her　counter；　she　scorns
  to　notice　humble　aspirants　until　they　have　performed　a　preliminary
  penance；　a　time　she　fills　up　in　cheerful　conversation　addressed　to
  other　young　tyrants；　only　deciding　to　notice　customers　when　she
  sees　their　last　grain　of　patience　is　exhausted。　　She　is　often　of　a
  merry　mood；　and　if　anything　about　your　appearance　or　manner　strikes
  her　critical　sense　as　amusing；　will　laugh　gayly　with　her　companions
  at　your　expense。
  A　French　gentleman　who　speaks　our　language　correctly　but　with　some
  accent；　told　me　that　he　found　it　impossible　to　get　served　in　our
  stores；　the　shop…girls　bursting　with　laughter　before　he　could　make
  his　wants　known。
  Not　long　ago　I　was　at　the　Compagnie　Lyonnaise　in　Paris　with　a　stout
  American　lady；　who　insisted　on　tipping　her　chair　forward　on　its
  front　legs　as　she　selected　some　laces。　　Suddenly　the　chair　flew
  from　under　her；　and　she　sat　violently　on　the　polished　floor　in　an
  attitude　so　supremely　comic　that　the　rest　of　her　party　were
  inwardly　convulsed。　　Not　a　muscle　moved　in　the　faces　of　the　well…
  trained　clerks。　　The　proprietor　assisted　her　to　rise　as　gravely　as
  if　he　were　bowing　us　to　our　carriage。
  In　restaurants　American　citizens　are　treated　even　worse　than　in　the
  shops。　　You　will　see　cowed　customers　who　are　anxious　to　get　away　to
  their　business　or　pleasure　sitting　mutely　patient；　until　a　waiter
  happens　to　remember　their　orders。　　I　do　not　know　a　single
  establishment　in　this　city　where　the　waiters　take　any　notice　of
  their　customers'　arrival；　or　where　the　proprietor　comes；　toward　the
  end　of　the　meal；　to　inquire　if　the　dishes　have　been　cooked　to　their
  taste。　　The　interest　so　general　on　the　Continent　or　in　England　is
  replaced　here　by　the　same　air　of　being　disturbed　from　more
  important　occupations；　that　characterizes　the　shop…girl　and
  elevator　boy。
  Numbers　of　our　people　live　apparently　in　awe　of　their　servants　and
  the　opinion　of　the　tradespeople。　　One　middle…aged　lady　whom　I
  occasionally　take　to　the　theatre；　insists　when　we　arrive　at　her
  door　on　my　accompanying　her　to　the　elevator；　in　order　that　the
  youth　who　presides　therein　may　see　that　she　has　an　escort；　the
  opinion　of　this　subordinate　apparently　being　of　supreme　importance
  to　her。　　One　of　our　〃gilded　youths〃　recently　told　me　of　a　thrilling
  adventure　in　which　he　had　figured。　　At　the　moment　he　was　passing
  under　an　awning　on　his　way　to　a　reception；　a　gust　of　wind　sent　his
  hat　gambolling　down　the　block。　　〃Think　what　a　situation；〃　he
  exclaimed。　　〃There　stood　a　group　of　my　friends'　footmen　watching
  me。　　But　I　was　equal　to　the　situation　and　entered　the　house　as　if
  nothing　had　happened！〃　　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　sacrificed　a　cloak　to
  please　a　queen。　　This　youth　abandoned　a　new　hat；　fearing　the
  laughter　of　a　half…dozen　servants。
  One　of　the　reasons　why　we　have　become　so　weak　in　the　presence　of
  our　paid　masters　is　that　nowhere　is　the　individual　allowed　to
  protest。　　The　other　night　a　friend　who　was　with　me　at　a　theatre
  considered　the　acting　inferior；　and　expressed　his　opinion　by
  hissing。　　He　was　promptly　ejected　by　a　policeman。　　The　man　next　me
  was；　on　the　contrary；　so　pleased　with　the　piece　that　he　encored
  every　song。　　I　had　paid　to　see　the　piece　once；　and　rebelled　at
  being　obliged　to　see　it　twice　to　suit　my　neighbor。　　On　referring
  the　matter　to　the　box…office；　the　caliph　in　charge　informed　me　that
  the　slaves　he　allowed　to　enter　his　establishment　（like　those　who　in
  other　days　formed　the　court　of　Louis　XIV。）　were　permitted　to
  praise；　but　were　suppressed　if　they　murmured　dissent。　　In　his
  MEMOIRES；　Dumas；　PERE；　tells　of　a　〃first　night〃　when　three　thousand
  people　applauded　a　play　of　his　and　one　spectator　hissed。　　〃He　was
  the　only　one　I　respected；〃　said　Dumas；　〃for　the　piece　was　bad；　and
  that　criticism　spurred　me　on　to　improve　it。〃
  How　can　we　hope　for　any　improvement　in　the　standard　of　our
  entertainments；　the　manners　of　our　servants　or　the　ways　of
  corporations　when　no　one　complains？　　We　are　too　much　in　a　hurry　to
  follow　up　a　grievance　and　have　it　righted。　　〃It　doesn't　pay；〃　〃I
  haven't　got　the　time；〃　are　phrases　with　which　all　such　subjects　are
  dismissed。　　We　will　sit　in　over…heated　cars；　eat　vilely　cooked
  food；　put　up　with　insolence　from　subordinates；　because　it　is　too
  much　trouble　to　assert　our　rights。　　Is　the　spirit　that　prompted　the
  first　shots　on　Lexington　Common　becoming　extinct？　　Have　the　floods
  of　emigration　so　diluted　our　Anglo…Saxon　blood　that　we　no　longer
  care　to　fight　for　liberty？　　Will　no　patriot　arise　and　lead　a　revolt
  against　our　tyrants？
  I　am　prepared　to　follow　such　a　leader；　and　have　already　marked　my
  prey。　　First；　I　will　slay　a　certain　miscreant　who　sits　at　the
  receipt　of　customs　in　the　box…office　of　an　up…town　theatre。　　For
  years　I　have　tried　to　propitiate　that　satrap　with　modest　politeness
  and　feeble　little　jokes。　　He　has　never　been　softened　by　either；　but
  continues　to　〃chuck〃　the　worst　places　out　to　me　（no　matter　how
  early　I　arrive；　the　best　have　always　been　given　to　the
  speculators）；　and　to　frown　down　my　attempts　at　self…assertion。
  When　I　have　seen　this　enemy　at　my　feet；　I　shall　start　down　town