New-York tribune., 1909-12-09
GAYNOR ATTACKS
FORMER BOSSES
TO ESCAPE
. THE LAW, HE SAYS.
also Tells Southerners of
Reluctance of Good Men
to SerUe City. d

Mayor-elect William j. Gaynor, IN nfS
first public utterance Of note since his
election. read the Southern Society OF
New York an extensive lecture on munic
ipal morality last night at the annual
banquet OF that society at the Waldorf.
The five or six hundred Southerners
present evinced the keenest interest IN
the remarks Of the Mayor-elect. and his
reference to former bosses Of the city.
now living abroad. and to the two men
whom he had asked to serve in his ad-
ministration. but who had refused. were
received with many knowing mods.
To his table mates on the dais. Mr..
Morgan and Mr.. Gary. the Mayor-elect
particularly addressed the remark that
in the dealings OF capitalists with the
city in the coming four years so-be-
tweens of any kind would be unneces-
sary.
He brought in the familiar "Hoh." of
the campaign. saying:
I'VE have men here in political con-
troll. and have had for years. without
mentioning any that we have now. who
wouldn't wrong or cheat an individual
for anything in the world. but when IL
comes TO the government-hoh. that's .
different thing"
William O. McAdOo. president OF ths
society and the postmaster OF the occs-
sion. introduced Mr.. Gaynor as "a benev-
olent master. not despot" As he un-
derstood il, said Mr. McAdoo. the Mayors
elect stood for personal liberty and for
the least possible amount Of law for tbs
governed
The toast to which Mr.. Gaynor re-
sponded was The Outlook" and he said
he presumed they meant him 70 speak
on the political outlook
CONDEMNS TAX DODGING
The government Of the city. said Mr..
Gaynor. would be Just as moral as this
community.
Tax lodging he condemned vigorously.
and he went on TO say that before honesr
city employees could be obtained and kept
honest there must be a raising of ths
standard OF dealing with them
The large property owner who got this
assessor to undervalue his holdings and
\ the builder who got the inspector to
/ wink at violations. both for a considers-
I ton. were as much 10 blame for bad
| government. Mr.. Gaynor said. as were
those weak ones who fell when they
We're tempted He appealed TO the men
who made up his audience TO 60 out and
I he the originators in broad moral re-
form which would at least reduce those
/ things 70 a minimum.
The outlook for subways seemed good.
he told them in closing his address. the
/ great pivotal fact being that the city
was now in a position 10 build it's own
subways
That doesn't mean any unfairne.s To
private capital" said Mr.. Gaynor. but
it does mean that private capital can't
have things Tvs own way. unless its way
is right
Il do not promise anything n is bet
ter 10 do little than 70 promise much"
Jacob VI. Dickinson. Secretary Of War,
preceded the Mayor-elect with an ora
tion on the Southerners in the country's
/ history. and surprised that Southern
audience very much when he told them
Of the great leaders OF the Confederats
army who had come from states north
of the Mason and Dixon Line He in
stanced also many Union leaders OF that
time who had come from slave holding
states. but the wave of surprise was gem
eral and genuine when the Secretary Of
War from Tennessee mentioned leader
after leader of the lost cause" who vas
born and partly brought up in Northera
territory.
Mayor-elect Gaynor said:
If the citizens are generally corrupt. gov
ernment will be corrupt. II large owners
OF real estate. for instance. will bribe the
assessors 70 undervalue their property BY
giving them one-fourth or One-half OF rhs
amount thereby saved in taxes, assessors
will yield 10 the temptation. The result.
is the inequality OF valuations for taxa
ton which prevails throughout the civ.
and the gross injustice caused thereby to
the owners who are not favored These
contemplate brtbers ought 70 ger no
mercy.
IL is impossible to MI all OF the PLACES
with men proof against such temptation.
and the appOintees are corrupted BY a cor
rupt community. IL is difficult even 10 gen
heads OF departments who are incorrupt-
ible, let alone the tens OF thousands OF
subOrdinates.
LACK OF CIVIC OBLIGATION"
There is also a lack OF feeling % civi-
obligation. Honest experienced and com
petent men generally feel under no oblixa-
tiOn 20 for Office. 90 accept places
in the government as heads OF departments
when requested do the Mav0r