New-York tribune., 1909-09-30
JEROME ON GAYNOR.
New Yorl

The District Attorney used all his oldtime
sharpness on Tuesday night in what he had 10
say about Justice Gaynor and Tammany Hall.
and the duel between Mr. Jerome and the
Tammany candidate for Mayor is evidently
going to be one of the interesting features or
the coming campaign. His characterization is
excessively severe. as Mr.. Jerome's character
izatiOns are likely 10 be, but there is enough
truth in it TO give serious minded citizens pause
On the subject of Justice Gaynor's personal
liberty decisions" which, he says. have con-
SISTED of orders restraining the law enforcing
powers from pursuing lawbreakers. and have
served as a protection for them" the District
Attorney should be in a position during the
campaign 10 give details which will enable the
public TO make up fits mind whether the judge
is a safe man TO put in control of the Police
Department Justice Gaynor's views on this
subject are well known. and there is reason %
believe that If he should carry them out law
enforcement would he badly crippled in this
city. Mr. jerome can perform no more useful
service than in discussing this topic from the
stump in the coming campaign.
1t is IA serious situation that confronts the
city, as Mr. Jerome says. With the tax rate
mounting rapidly and the city's debt great
that il costs S50OO0.0OO a year TO carry it
more than so for every man. woman and child
in the whole city-and with the budget huge
that every one is morally certain il covers
prOdigiOus waste. Tammany proposes to put at
the head OF the municipal government Mayor
of no business capacity, a man Of eccentric
habits OF thought and not free from the taint
OF demagogy OF which Mr.. Jerome accuses him
AS he is totally unqualified to deal with the real
problems before the city, SO he is disposed by
character and temperament TO divert public
attention from those problems The public
mind should DE fixed upon the business OF gov
erning the city, but as Mayor Justice GAynor
would very likely keep it occupied with a
variety of political fireworks The city needs
a first class administrator, but there is offered
to il an agitatOr and one whose theory of the
police and law enforcement is utterly subver-
sive of the true system
What Mr. Jerome said about the character
of the men 10 whom the Brooklyn Judge will
owe his nomination is perfectly just The
Democratic City Convention which Mr. Gaynor
likes to talk about will he farce Murphy and
his adviser, COhaan, will dictate its action and
the Democratic nominee for Mayor will owe
his nomination to them. We should not like
10 apply Mr. JerOme's phrase "a political char
latan,' to the prospective nominee: we leave
that 10 the District Attorney. But what words
shall honest men use with regard TO a man of
Justice Gaynors record who stOOps to accept
nomination from such boss as Murphy :?
Why, in the last public speech he made he
ascribed the evils OF the traction situation in
this city TO the vulgar and corrupt bosses Of
Manhattan Island and their creatures, the city
officials. Yet he himself is going to seek office
at the hands OF one of those bosses and going
10 lend whatever strength his name has with
the people to perpetuate that boss in power!
Only when Hearst effected his deal with Muir
ply and obtained the nomination for the gov
ernOrship from him there a situation so
obviously impeaching the sincerity OF the can
didate