The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-29
Mayor GaynOr Bitterly De-
nOunceS the N. Y. Editor
In Speech at News Gatherers'
Banquet.
An ATTEMPT TO REPLY
Is HOwled Down by the 700
Guests Present.
A. P. Receives Congratulations
From the Old World.

New York, April 29.-The regular
joint dinner of the Associated Press
and the American Newspaper Pub
fishers association was thrown into
riotous and prolonged disorder when
Thomas 7. Williams, business man.
ager for William R. Hearst, was re-
fused permission to speak as he rose
to reply to biting criticism Mayor
Gaynor had just made of Mr.. Hearst's
part in journalism.
For rs minutes the uproar contin-
ued, while men stood in their chairs
and women craned from the balconies
of the banquet hall.
Mr.. Hearst is not here. am his
friend and have right to be heard
Mr.. Williams shouted, climbing on
the speakers table and shaking his fist
in the face or the mayor.
Put him out" Shut up," .'Free
speech" came from all parts of the
hail..
Toastmaster N. c. Wright. of the
Cleveland Leader, hammered in vain
for order, while Mr.. williams stood
impassiVe but obstinate and waited
with folded arms to be heard.
This is a disgrace to the press of
the United States, it must end"
shouted Adolph S. Ochs, proprietor of
the New York Times, as he stood on
his chair behind the toastmaster and
DSSR6Q IOf a WOrQ.
Mr.. Williams, L promise you, has
less than forty words to speak, let me
say them for him.
No. yelled the diners.
Mr.. Williams says" began Mr..
Ochs.
mo. no." broke in the thoroughly
angered diners. with added insistence.
Mr.. Ochs sat down, while the orches-
ira thundered Dixie" but Mr.. Will
liams kept his feet and a sem mbIance of
calm was not restored until the Rev
Newell Dwight Hills of Brooklyn with
a felicitous speech, brought laughter
that drove out anger.
The directors, executives members
of the Associated Press and the
American Newspaper Publishers as
sociation had met at their joint ban
quet at the Waldorf-Astoria to sink
for the moment their wholesome ri
valrfes as competitors in a sense of
their fellowship in one profession and
a realization of their cooperative en-
deavor to inform so mfiIfons of a
reading people, their subscribers and
critics.
Mayor Gaynor, Guest of Honor.
Seven hundred sat down to tables
and after the coffee the hosts began
to hear things about themselves from
their guests. Mayor Gaynor, the
guest of honor and first speaker, took
for his subject:
THE press in it's relation to public
officials"
He spoke as is his wont and as he
had been invited to do, without mine
ing words.
In an attack of almost unexampled
bitterness William Randolph
Hearst, who ran against him for the
mayoralty and has since criticised his
administration sharply, he applied
epithets seldom heard in public speak
ing.
Then followed the scene described
Coming to the Hearst incident Mr..
Gaynor declared THE press as a
whole is just to public officials, but IL
q publisher or editor be himself a
perennial office seeker he may desire
to assassinate every one whom he
thinks in his way and then, alas, what
a disgrace he brings upon Journalism.
Let me illustrate by mentioning one
18th 18th Of this month. month ". W. 1.e r. Hearst IA rne
printed in his newspaper here the fac
simile of a draft on the treasury IN
this city for $4S,0OO with headlines
and an article attributing such draft
and the expenditure to the present
mayor. The head lines and article
assert that fixed the award and the
American Union paid 1t and the draft
is printed to prove it. But when you
look at the draft as given in the ar
ticle (but how few people scrutinized
1t that closely) you perceive the date
here as printed in this newspaper to
show it to you and here it is When
you look at the original draft which
I have also brought here for you to
see, yOu SSS NAAC Oe1N0 VI II at Ln6 TOP
in large letters and figures as 'Decem-
ber 81. 1909. which is before the pres
ent city government came in. When
you examine the said original further
you see that it also bears plainly the
date when audited and vouched which
established the claim, as a legal liza
bility of the city. was recorded in the
comptrolIer's office namely 'Decem-
ber 29, 1909. This date is also omit
ted in the newspaper copy, as you
perceive. In plain words. two state
felonies, namely. forgery and falsifica-