New-York tribune., 1909-10-02
cAYNnR,s PRnsE POEM.

That was a very remarkable statement which
Justice GaynOr put forth in the eXaltation Of
his hour of triumph. We venture 10 say that
its like was never addressed TO the American
people before by the candidate for office Of any
responsible political party. In parts a prose
poem in parts the utterance of a mystic rapt in
the contemplation Of the wonderful hidden
forces that use men for their benefcent pur-
poses. and all the outgiving of a sublime egost.
it makes US wonder whether 1t is true that 1.-The
hour has struck as il says, and that "in the
'slow ripening of time we have reached
the end Of the old and the beginning Of a new
era" when all our candidates will parade
splendid egoism before a marvelling world.
The candidate reaches at once his lofty vein
and accepts, as follows:
had thought to pass my life in my present
exalted Office. bur man proposes and God dis
poses, and / am content
We contrast this with the conventional Mr.
Bannards words Of similar purport TO make our
point clear:
I am deeply impressed with the honor and
obligation conferred upon me by the Republican
City Convention in naming me as one of its
candidates.
How tame and sane Mr. Barnard sounds
God nominated the Tammany candidate, while
the Republican City Convention nominated Mr.
Barnard
We like this passage in the prose poem,
though we prefer it set in Whitmanesque verse
and accordingly have taken the liberty 10 pre-
sent IL thus:
know the people of New York and they
know I feel that I do not need TO say
word TO them.
They know that the hour has struck
They know that in the slow ripening Of time
by the work of our schools and colleges Of all
kinds, and Of all our influences for good,
Especially upon our children as they have
We have reached an end of the old and the
beginning of era in the government of
this great city.
Another splendid passage in this prose poem
is the following
And ! say unto the splendid and unseIfsh
public virtue, intelligence and integrity Of the
without regard TO national party names or
Which so well know. and which have worked
so long without break or falter TO destroy and
prevent official wrongdOing and 70 lift govern
ment up and make il Intelligent and decent
say unto you all, etc.
We are tempted to put side by side these two
notable passages:
Unlawful and annoying interference, oppres-
sion, lawless force and violence
Lawless inprisOnments without anv charge
Of criminal offence,
Lawless trespasses and extortions. dishonesty
and corruption
Are doomed in the government of the city of
New York.
Likewise are the slanderers and the knock
ers"
Against the citys morals. fame and financial
condition and credit
To be made TO shut up
There is not q more decorOus and orderly city
in the world
such passages seem as fatty contradictory
and irreconcilabe as Gaynor the rcformer and
Gaynor the Tammany candidate But 1t is
poetic license, that is all. Even the writer of
Whitmanesque verse must be allowed TO use
poetic license
Many critics will object that we have not
chosen the most rhythmical parts of the Justices
prose poem and viii instance examples like the
following cf exalted blank verse:
For nov thee many years in season and out
OF season. even with the persistency
OF Cato calling for the destruction
OF Carthage, / have taught, etc.
But we have considered not form alone but
substance and for elevated thought welded 10
majestic language we regard the earlier passages
we have quoted as the most remarkable in the
judges prose poem. If NietZsche could have
put aside his melancholy and adopted the hale
optimism Of Whitman, together with his die
ton, and had been nominated by Tammany Han
he might have written a poem like that of the
new Brooklyn singer candidate Whitman could
not have equalIed IT, Egotism as a code If
morals and politics not sufficiently deveI-
.aIf in nc dow