New-York tribune., 1910-01-05
Is THE MAYOR A HCMORIST'

A prophet is ordinarily not without
honor save IN his own country and
great humorist is often better appre-
ciated by those with whom he has never
come into daily contact. Distance gives
the truer perspective, and for that rea-
son, perhaps, we should attach impor-
tance To the discovery in far-off Balti-
more that New York City possesses in
IFS new Mayor a richly endowed hu-
morist. The Baltimore Sun" stakes it's
reputation for critical intelligence on
the judgment that Mayor Gaynor's re-
cent political acts and utterances have
been imperfectly understood by the New
York public, and that instead of being
interpreted. as they have been. in a
matter-of-fact spirit. they should have
been perceived to be the playful per-
versions of master of subtle humOr and
Illuminating irony. Mr.. Gaynor, The
Baltimore Sun" thinks. tries TO teach
through sardonic parallels, and New
York has missed the point Of the lesson
because 1t has taken literally humorous
exaggerations meant TO convey exactly
opposite impressions.
For instance. the Mayors references
10 "the moral awakening" of the Hon.
Charles L. Murphy are considered by
our Baltimore contemporary to be a
masterpiece of sarcasm. 1t is the Balti-
more view that having inwardly amused
himself at Mr. Murphy's awkward
efforts TO become a factor in the dis
tribution of patronage under the new
adminiStration-culm in a self
sacrificing enthusiasm for pedestrianism
and q fervent desire TO do the country"
about st. James in fellowship with His
Hfghness - Mr.. GaynOr sardoncally
SOlaced the Tammany chieftain by pre-
senting him TO the public as a real
statesman, who asked that only 1.-The
best men be named for Office. and who
after a first dip into the wisdom of
Epictetus and Benjamin Franklin is con
vinced that "a political organization
cannot survive and grow broader on
patronage alone, without political ideas
''and virtue. but must shrivel UP and die
from worse than dry rot" To turn
down a patronage broker representing
an association which has never in its
long career been accused of having
political ideas or a speaking acquaint-
ance with political virtue and then TO
assure the public that leave to practise
virtue and abstinence is all that the
broker and his associates demand, is
perhaps 10 be ranked as a humorous in
vention of the first order. The Balti-
more Sum thinks so. and it is undoubt-
edly far enough away to see the real
point of the Mayors joke.
If we were TO accept The Suns"
hypothesis. many other apparent puzzles
might solve themselves. On the theory
that Mr. Gaynor is a consummate hui
morist. his seemingly innocent inquiries,
Where is Tammany Hall?" and $50
this is Tammany Hall; but where is
the Tiger may now be understood as
reflections of his inner conviction that
Tammany Hall had lOOmed entirel. too
large in the imagination of the city.
Was he simply showing throughout the
campaign his contempt for an organiza-
tion which was already talking about
swallowing him. i'll spite of the fact that
the conditions on which the swallowing
was 10 be done had not even been agreed
on. much less reduced TO writing? Was
he trying To educate Tammany by hint
ing to it that its street address had
ceased 10 BE of any particular cOnse-
Quence: With the humOrist hypothesis
in mind. it is also easy TO reconcile the
Mayors alleged statement TO Explorer
Cram that only good Democrats would
be put on guard with the mistaken inter
pretation OF that assurance by Mr.. Cram
in his unfortunate speech TO the hungry
and thirsty of Tammany. Mr.. Cram
was not humOrist enough t realize that
good Democrats and Tammany Demo
Gratis might not be Synonymous, just as
ed put in Office may not have been recog-
niZable by him as even passable when
their names were handed down by the
Mayor.
If we have at the head of the munich
pality master of irony. the fact should
be realized both by the public. which
loves humor, and by the serious minded
politicians, who abominate ii as an in
reference with business. Tammany will
stand for n good deal But in these
days of wintry stringency its feelings
ought not to be trifled with. 1t would
be inhuman to ask il TO take seriously
the partial canoniZatiOn of Mr.. Murphy,
If the chiefs reported conversion to
age or contracts, is only joke