New-York tribune., 1909-12-21
MURPHY LETTERS
AROUSE GAYN0R
BITTER SPEECH At
BAR DINNER.
Mayor-Elect Asbrs Help of
Bench an Condemnation Re-
form Eude1TOrs.

gave in his honor last night at the Wal
dOrf. that the publication OF private let
ters which was now going on would not
continue under his administration.
Something more than thousand law
yers and judges cheered and yelled.
when. after scsthing srraignnnent OS
the newspaper that Is publishing the let
tiers received and sent by Charles ?.
Murphy while at Mount Clemens recent
". the Mayor-elect said.
1T was not always like this in this
city OF New York and. mark my words.
IL will not long remain So
Judge GaynOr started his address BY
remarking that he was certain they
would not object to his speaking plainly.
because they had always been used 20
hear him talk directly 20 the point
With this Introduction he proceeded 10
speak in that fsshion-first. about the
waste Of the city's funds in the zcquir-
ing OF land by condemnation proceed
ings.
MAY / also refer to the low estate tn
which the law Of libel has sunk here OF
late years." he continued. Gentlemen
OF the bar. whether IL snail remain there
or go even lower depends largely on you
The law of libel is the same here as in
England. The difference is IN its lack
Of enforcement The respecta bic Jour
nalists and newspapers are being de-
based by the other kind Help the great
profession Of journalism 10 restore its
integrity"
Referring then more directly 70 the
letters which have been recently pub
lished in The American said TO have
been taken from Mr. 1Iurphy's room az
the Mount Clemens hotel. the Mayor
elect continued
We have long had a statute IN this
state which makes IL a crime 10 publish
any letter or private paper belonging 70
another without his consent. and yet IL
is even now being done openly and de-
family. and the prosecuting authorities
do nothing about il.
Il may as we'll say 10 you that my own
house in the country was entered in the
night and my desk and papers ransacksd
a few days after closed II. three weeks
ago have since read in a newspaper
gsrhied copy OF a letter l received
while there
rs all sense Of decency and shame
being Iosto Mus. We begin to guard our
desks and scrap baskets and ash barrels
from journalistic sneaks."
APPLAUSE FOLLOWS ATTACK.
Long applause followed Judge Gay
nOr's remarks on this subject. and when
he added his promise that things would
not keep on that way long. there was
cheering and yelling that interrupted
him for more than a minute.
Speaking on his official prospects. the
Mayor-elect told his fo-msr associates
Of the bench and bar that he would
doubtless make mistakes. but ne would
ask TO be Judged justly. and helped By
them. Some Of the evils existing here
now. he said. were attributable to the
bench and the bar. and these could not
be eradicated without the assistance OF
both
1T is my purpose" he continued. to
try 10 stop the waste OF the City's funds
in the acquiring Of lands by condsmna-
tion proceedings. cannot do IL unless
the Judges unite with me- The abuse
could not even be abated. he declared.
unless the judges united with him IN
the effort. The expense of these COM
missioners. he said. was now greater
than that OF the whole judicial estab-
Iishment in the four counties within tina
citv's limits. and the awards made for
land generally ranged from two % fivs
times its actual value.
Commissioners sat for months. he said.
to do what could he done in a day. and
for years 70 do what could be done IN
months, 10 swell their fees and ex-
honor OF sense Of public duty.
Fit commissioners could easily bs
found. the speaker said. and he cited IN.
example Of the commission which made
the awards upon the widening OF Living
ston street in Brooklyn. a few years
ago. which completed its work in ninety
days Justice Luke n. Stspleton. 80 ths
Supreme Court. J. Edward Swanstrorr
and Michael Furst constituted that COM
mission. Judge Ciaynor said and n "
had been like many Of the commissions
appointed. il would be at work on tbs
proceedings now.
JUDGE PARKER PAYS TRIRUTE.
Ex-Judge Alton 3. Parker. the toast
master Of the evening. introduced IN.
guest of honor as ''an able. a fearless
and a just Judge"
This is our tribute" said Judge Par
ker. Ito a great Judge who for sixteen
years served the people 90 the best of his
ability. Whatever he did on the bench.
We believe ne did from his consciencs
and from the bottom OF his heart
Judge Albert Hsight. Of the Court %
Appeals. followed the Mayor-elect on
the speaking list. and Justice Almst p
jerks of Brooklyn: Justice Pascal =. j.
De Angels. and former Justice Morgan
]. O'Brien wound up the speaking of the
evening
Among the diners were several women
lawyers Of the New York har-Ntarv
Grace Quackenbos. Henrietta NJ John
stcn Wood and Emma Neuman PoIsk
Attorney General Edward r OMauey
occupied a seat on the dsis with Ed
ward NJ shepard. Judge William r.
Werner. Of the Court of Appeals: Justice
Scott, of the Appellate Division: Justics
Truax and others
In his opening remarks Judge Parker
referred with regret 20 the defeat OF
Justice Truax in the last election. and
the reference brought a round OF hearty
applause.
The overflow ~ some two hundred odd