The Washington herald., 1907-01-15

Hon. ". J. Gaynor, of the New York
Supremme bench. was in Washington yes
terday. He took luncheon with the Presi-
dent and left last night for his home in
Brooklyn.
Being asked by a Washington Herald
representative TO state the most important
questions before the public to-day, Judge
Gaynor said:
THE most important matter before the
country is to put an end to the use of
the public highways. namely, our rail-
roads, for the enrichment of d few by the
destruction Of many and the injury of
all others by means of favoritism IN
freight rates. That the public highways
OF "a country should be used to carry the
freight of any man or set of men at a
rate lower than their business rivals
have TO pay and thereby enable them TO
undeTseu and ruin such rivals and es
tablsh a monopoly in themselves ana
control prices at will. is thing so heart
less and so infamous that no government
which should allow it to continue perma-
nently could in the nature of things long
endure. No people Mt TO be free could
makes many poor 10 make a few rich,
that suits not a Commonwealth said
Cromwell, bluntly, and no one has said
it as well since
should Uphold President.
The prime object Of government Is
distributive justice to all For govern
ment to suffer the public highways TO be
used TO Illustrate this object and enable
some to get more than their distributive
share of the product of the country
would be failure and breakdown of gov
ernment at the essential point Every
man in this country without regard 10
party should do all he can TO sustain
President Roosevelt in his efforts 90 stop
this evil, for it stops. or else this govern
ment stops. The railroads are by the
very law Of their being public highways
open TO all on exactly equal terms. The
majority of the country do not favor gov
ernment owning and operating the rail-
roads, but. nevertheless, they intend that
government shall take the railroads If this
shameful iuiqUity has become so deep
rooted that it cannot be eradicated in any
other way.
This country is great enough 10 do
anything it wishes"
Asked bow freight-rate favoritism can
hc stopped, Judge Gayuo~ said:
Government should appoint the gen
craI freight agent of every railroad. not
10 tx freight rates. as some viii insist
say, but 10 see that every one pays
the schedule rate, whatever it is. no more
and no less He would dismiss every local
stSent who gave any favoritism, and the
government would also prosecute such
dismissed agents criminally. This would
stop rate favOrit.sm at once. As il is now
this generation viii not see il stopped.
The law may be and is easily evaded in
ZOO many ways.
GaynOr and His Career.
Judge Gaynor's years are in the mid
die hfdes. He was born on an Oneida
County farm. which his grandfather won
from the wilderness. ak in hand In
Judge Gdynor's appearance one discerns
traces of his uncompromising ancestry.
his face is honest. fine. sensitive, of a
quick interest, and is replete of an old
fashioned force There are thought and
courage in his face. and the refinement
that comes of scholarship and a much
-Nt-NAs'to va AFR+ASs aAAtG F+k DtNiNA tue
look that tells of alcoves and libraries
IS the look militant A great thinker.
Judge Gaynor would make a greater sol
der Among the best as a jurist. he
would be Il better executive.
In Brooklyn hour of political pIiaucy
and knee-bending subserviency TO the ma
chine, Judge Gaynor performed divers
notable feats. Among these might be re-
membered the following: Boss McLaugh-
lin ruled Brooklyn, and the rule Of that
N!lloughby street potentate carried more
Of profit than OF honor for himself.
There was a mayor, u mayor compounded
OF putty and respectability in even parts.
Boss Mclaughlin and his ringsters de
cided that Brooklyn should buy 2 water
works, price Sl,5o000. The putty mayor
was ambitious in boneless way: he
wanted 10 be governor. Working on this
ambition, Boss Mclaughlin showed :. con
tract Tor the purchase II chose water
works. price Sl.5JaCOC. under the mayor 's
noSe-as eagerly up-Jilted toward that
GoNernorship as though 1t smelled am
orchard, The putty mayor signed t. All
was well with the putty mayor and the
Mclaughlin ring, one seeming 4 govern
orship, the other graft"
Awakening of Boss.
Neither Boss Mclaughlin nor the putty
mayor thought of Mr. Gaynor at that
happy pinch. 1t was "a rude avakenine.
when the coming judge filed "a tax
payers" suit against them with William
Zieglcr. the baking powder man. as ,he
taxpayer. The suit was sustained: in
stead Of $L5O0oO0 Brooklyn paid s250.00
for those water works. Mr.. Gaynor cut
down the figures Sl.250,0O0. being the black
volume of the Mclaughlin graft" Will
lam ZiCglev died the other day. leaving an
estate of twenty-five millions His will
named Judge Gaynor his executor.
Following that anu-graft, anti-Mc-
Laughiin explicit, the pleased taxpayers
put forward Mr.. Gaynor for a place on
the Supreme bench. John y McKane was
chief of police and ex-officio boss of
eGravesend. Cruel, brutal, unchecked. Nc
kaa1 was the GTavesend terror.
On being nominated for Judge. Mr. Cav
nor warned this maletaCtCr that If he at
tempted his customary frauds he would
put hip3 in stripes Boss McKane laughed
ana cast mis- seven thousand fraudulent
ballots as of arrogant yore. In spite of
those Gravesend frauds Mr Gaynor was
elected by 5000 majority, and a former
ring majority OF 2J,030 was overthrewn.
Judge Gaynor did not sit idly down with
his triumph. There was that Sirg Sing
promise made to Boss AIcKane; IL must
be kept He went 20 the prosecuting off
Ger. who-ring ridden-did nothing. He
went 20 Gov. Flower VINO did nothing
As Il corrective to gubernato-ial apathy.
Judge Gaynor wrote an open letter 10
CcT- Flower who stiH did nothing Judge