The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-12
NOT A GENTLEMAN.
That Is What They Are Saying Now
About Mayor Van Wyck.

New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.
On New Years day, after the peculiar
Inauguration of Mayor Van Wyck, Colonel
Strong, Van Wyck's predecessor, went to
his club, left his hat and overcoat in the
cloakroom and then sat apart, the picture
of distress and modification. 1t was Such
an unusual manner for Colonel Strong to-
assume that some of his friends thought
that he might be i'll and others wondered
whether, after all, he was not grieving as
the realization came upon him that he had
departed from the public office that he mad
held for three years. In all the time that
he has been mayor Colonel Strong has been
g~ood-natured. fond of fun, and has met the
embarrassments and vexations which are
necessary associations with the of1ce or
mayor with a cheerful philosophy which
has been the admiration of those who know
him.
Now, within an hour after yielding the
Office of mayor to his successor, Colonel
Strong had every appearance that char
acterizes the man who is IN an unhappy
state of mind. At last one of his friends
ventured to speak to him and asked him
if he was feeling Ill. Colonel Strong re-
piled that physically he was perfectly we'll;
that he had begun the Day WITH anu31 "a
gone to the office of mayor with kindly feel
ing for his successor and for the new adj
But said he, ST do not know exactly
how to lake the reply which Van Wyck
made to my few words of welcome: ~
seems to me as though 1T were a gratuftouS
insult to me-. the only one which / have re-
ceived since the day when / became mayor.
i am not sure WnGJneT the WORDS were u
tended as a personal affront or what the
motive was which caused Mr.. Van Wyck
to speak them, but they have given me deep
pain. If that was the purpose with which
they were spoken, it was entirely success
full"
Colonel Strong was not the only one who
departed from the mayors office that day
wounded and humiliated- The retiring
mayors of Brooklyn and OF Long island
City, who were in that room for the purpose
Of greeting with cordial courtesy the mayor
of the enlarged New York, were Snubbed.
They do not know whether the snub was
Intentional, and therefore implied malice.
or whether it was unintentional and there
by only implied bad manners and bad breed
ing. Whatever the purpose, these two for
Of the citizens of Brooklyn and Long Island
City shared that Indignation.
Yesterday two men, much respected
faithful and honorable representatives OF
the Board of Education, had an experiences
with the new mayor which, as they spoke
of 1t afterward, caused the not blood "a
mount not only to their cheeks but TO ting
cheeks of citizens to whom they narrated
their experience. The Incident was faith
fully reported in the papers, and 1T has oc-
casiOned much unfaVorable 1t,
together with the manner in which Mr.. Van
Wyck entered upon his duties, has wholly
removed an impression which vas general
that Mr.. Van Wyck, whatever his political
associations may have been, was in his or
binary intercourse with citizens, a gentle
man who faithfully represented That ariSto-
cratic Dutch lineage which is allied to the
only true family aristocracy of New York,
and which authorized the admission OF Mr..
Van Wyck to the Holland Society or this
city.
Some lawyers who practice in the court
of which Judge Van Wyck was chief judge
attempt to explain this brusque and dis
courteous conduct by saying that 1t Is a
manner which was characteristic or the
mayor when he was upon the bench, and
one which led many lawyers in this city to
prefer to bring their cause If possible before
some other judge. Whatever be the reason,
the fact remains that the mayor has not
haOI1n we'll. and IT was said this morning
by q very able Democratic politician that IL
discourtesy and offensive speech were to
characterize the mayors relations with
those who sought him upon public business
then the number of Democratic
in this city would exceed the number OF
Republican mugWumps.
1t is also said that in these outbreaks or
what are said to be bad manners and GER
tainly are symptoms of an uncontrollable
Mr.. Croker insisted that Van Wyck should
remain silent during the campaign. He
feared that some unfortunate speech, some
rash expression of bad temper might inn
experience for New York. Men have been
chosen mayors who were known to be OF
indomitable Will, intOlerant or any opp0Si-
ton. partisan or personal, who have, never
theless, in their public conduct, maintained
all the conventionalities which are ASSOC
ciated with good breeding. Fernando Wood,
fierce and obstinate as he was, was a model
of courtesy and pOliteneSS, and he was able
to strike a deadly blow With the manner
of a c%ourtier. The recent Tammany line OF
mayors, Edison, Gilroy and Grant, although
they were brought up, at least Grant and
Gilroy were. in a humber and rougher
school than was Van Wyck's lot, neverthe-
less remembered always that it was the
part of one VINO held high public Office to
do everything, even those things which were
diSagreeable, with courtesy.