The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-07-07
PATRICK F. MCGOWAN
Acting Mayor Of Greater New
York q Remarkable Man,
Is President of Board of Alder
men Of Metropolitan City.

ter lie completes his daily ditties at
graduation aud commandments
which demand so much of his time
aud while he is away New York will
have for MAYOR the Hon. Patrick r.
MCGOWAN. Thereby hangs Il tale. says
the Boston Republic.
Mr. MCGOWAN is president OF TIL.
board of aldermen of the mctropoli
tan city, and has worked Il way into
the vital part of the city's existence
For years he has been active in pub
lie life. and if appreciation is Il meas
ure of the tastes of /, community. it
public life for many years longer. The
time has not yet come when a man
can continue always to fool the public.
and Mr.. McCioWan's length of service
and the repeated instances of public
approval which stud his career give
evidence as to the quality of man he is.
Mayor-to-be MCGOWAN is IL REMARK
able man. His is typical of Irish
American success. He came to this
country when hundreds of others came
here, but while others have stood still
he has gone to the top. Not suddenly
and without preparation. but after the
most thorough and testing of training.
The world WAS his school, and !: very
good school it was. When Mayor Me
Clellan sought reelection last year.
against the most spirited opposition
which has ever graced Il municipal
contest in New York--not even except
ing the opposition which sent Tweed
down to defeat in 10. or the opposition
which was able tn land Strong in the
mayors chair in '?5-Tnmmany NOM
mated for the second highest position
on the city ticket Mr.. Patrick f. Nc
CiOwan. The issue of the election was
doubtful to many. in SO far as it con-
,erncd the leaders. but M one ever
had u doubt as to the ultimate triumph
of Mr.. McGnWun. And since he has
Been in office everyone i'm New York
il;t> DccH toHStaluiatlllS everyone else
on their good fortune in having him
there. Not everyone. because. of course
The irrecnncilahlcs aren't satisfied With
Mct;owan or with anyone; but the big
majority which landed him in city hall
has been substanti;,t"l BY ~ majority
support in his activities that hcnnt, $
the interest in the man.
What New York remembers most
vividly about MCGOWAN and what MIR.
McG;oWan will probably cherish as his
most fortunate work. is his labor for
the public school system. More than
amy other Individual. Mr.. MCGOWAN
contributed to the solution of vrxing
haps than to anyone else is due a
share of the praise which, the present
magnificent school system commands.
A few months ago the educators of New
York City conceived the idea of let
ting Mr.. McGnwan understand their
appreciation of his work. and Il ban
Duet was arranged and carried through
which was distinctly the most COM
plcte social triumph ever held in the
big city as Il means of expressing graft
itude. This very interesting story sur
prises Mr.. McGowan. who maintains
ti,at after all. he has done practically
nothing for New York schools, except
to see that they were right and stayed
right And that's the truth: but it is
Il very big truth. Mr.. McGowan. prac-
teal. peculiar in his knowledge of
small things that go to make up the
schonlboy's life and the school teach
er's life. found conditions ill-Suited to
what they could be or what they SHOULD
he. considering the vast amount of
money which New York every year
spends for the instruction of her cos
iuopohtan. students. \ man Of the
people himself. denied at home the
training which big men generally have.
aud denied it also here Mr.. MCGOWAN
rose to the top All along he figured.
as SO many other men of his type
have figured that education was his
will-o'-the- wiSp. his ignis fatuus,
which, had he been successful in catch
ing. would have reduced other men to
Il denomination common with his own.
Because he succeeded without any
fine frlls of learning. he figured that
there was the one thing he needed to
make him irresistible. He met men
everywhere who were educated and
successful. he seldom stopped to think
about the educated men who were fail
ures. And that's good policy too: it's
the mark OF the great big man: the
man who has no time to think about
'lightweightS." but must ever train his
guns on the able and the witty and
the clever and the brainy. To be just
mite stronger than the next fellow
was McGOwans game when he was a
young man. and he figured that edu-
cation would have made him that
without so. much struggle Hence his
estimation-an mation-placed
upon learning But New York profit
ed from his philosophy. and after all
it was the right philosophy. because
just as a country never suffers from
too much religion, so country sell
dom suffers from too much learning