The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-09


Gaynor then studied the great Nc
Laughlin ring, and formulated plan
for the overthrow of the Boss. HIS
great opportunity came in 1889. when
the town of New Lots was annexed TO
Brooklyn. There was little water
company in New Lots known as the
Long Island Water Supply company.
The Mclaughlin ring secretly Dougnt
up the company through dummies Tor
$185, 900, and then got Alfred G. Chapln,
mayor of Brooklyn, and his associates
to make contract to buy 1t Tor the
city for about s., 800 000-a profit for the
ring Of more than 81, 5000
Mr.. Gaynor denounced the deal as
swindle and said it would not go
through if he could prevent 1T. Tne
mayor and the ring smiled and ignored
him He, however, went about Brook
lyn seeking for some taxpayer VINO
would allow him to use his name as
plaintiff in a suit to stop the steal But
none of the leading citizens to Wnom
he applied dared to court the enmity cI
the powerful Mclaughlin machine, the
mere mention of which was enough 70
make a property owner tremble, De-
cause everybody knew the Boss" was
yindictive and unforgiving. MI cay
nor however finally induced one OF MS
old clients, Mr.. William ziegler, 10 az
low the use of his name. That sun,
carried through every co our ooo 70 o the
highest, defeated the S1,3oO,0OO water
svindle and carried CONSERVATION 10
the ring. Mr.. Gaynor was compare
lively moor man. but he paid the Wnoie
cost of the fight, $14,700, out OF ms oma
pocket. 1t was great victory any
completely exposed the rotteiinsSs
machine politics ~sva the
Mr.. Gaynor afterwards gave !ne
neon1e of Brooklyn another ILLUSTRATION
of how they were robbed me elevae-
ed railroads of that city mao ne We,
maid a dollar of taxes and the OFFICIALS
refused to sell their property for non
payment. although the possessions o.
every poor delinquent were solu
promptly. Mr. Gaynor brought tax
PAYERS suit at his own expense ano q
the end the companies were opileeu
TO nav their taxes in FULL about one
nil1ion of dollars-another astonlsh-
ing defeat for the McLaughlin ring
the members of which owned large IN
terests in the elevated railroads.;
Mr.. Gaynor again de1eaeeo tne
Brooklyn ring by exposlLe .n1
ding bill presented by the McLaugh-'
lin officials for the Columbian ceiepra-
tion in BROOKLYN More brass bands
were charged for than could pc got III
Brooklyn and New York combined "A
bill for one street stand carried more
lumber than was contained in all the
stands. He denounced the bill as a
swindle and declared the offlclal aualt
TO be a fraud The ring went 10 the
legislature and had the bill legalzeo;
Mr.. Gaynor went to the governor ano
had the bill vetoed. In spite OF the
ring Mr.. Gaynor compelieo 'he 'iue
audit
Declined the Mayoralty.
Tn 1893 the people of BROOKLYN be-
came fully aroused. The sight of one
man whipping the combined forces or
political corruption in battle ait
A mass meeting asked MT. Gaynor
IN RIM for mayor. He declined, say
ing that he had worked to create
nrblic sentiment that would drive the
ring out of power; that was his OBJECT
not to get office for himself. A few
Weeks WEE 1ster he was unexpectedly nom
mated for justice of the supreme
court. He at first refused the nomin-
alton. but was finally persuaded to
run to help elect Mr.. Schleren, the 1u-
sion candidate for mayor The cleo
tion was a tremendous victory for re-
form. The standing ring majority OF
10000 votes was wiped out Mr..
cavnor was elected to the supreme
court by a majority of $4,000 votes,
and the whole ticket with him. Thal
was the end of the famous Mclaughlin
ring. 1t never got back into power.
The smashing of the Brooklyn boss
was not the only fruit of that fight.
It also resulted in the downfall and
Imprisonment of John Y. Mckane, the
brutal and corrupt master of Coney
Island. one OIL In0 HlO5l CNAA uAid OCS-
perate men in the state. He was chief
Of police. He had padded list OF T.
600 voters in a township which claim
ed only 10000 inhapitants- He swung
this vote in a mass from one party 10
another. No man dared to dispute his
power. for he was surrounded by thugs
who would not have hesitated at muir
der.
In the campaign which resulted in
his election to the supreme court Mr..
Gaynor publicly declared that If Nc
Kane attempted to again debauch the
ballot box he would send him and all
his associates to states prison.
Mr.. Gaynor sent watchers to the Nc
Kane polling places. He armed them
with an injunction procured from the
supreme court, forbidding the Coney
Island boss to interfere with them.
McKane laughed loudly when the
watchers appeared, and said, "1njunc-
tions don't go here The watchers
were assaulted and driven away.
1t was predicted that Mr.. Gaynor's
election would satisfy him, and that
nothing more would be heard about
the Coney Island boss. But Mr.. Cay
nor forced the governor to appoint
deputy attorneys general to take the
matter out of the hands of the rings
local district attorney, and he threw
himself into the work of prosecution
so vigorously that the community was
greatly excited. McKane was sent to
prison for seven years, and sixteen OF
his followers were also imprisoned.
Those who expected that Justice
Gaynor's fighting spirit would be
smothered by the pemps and dignities
of judicial tradition found themselves
mistaken. AS a judge his voice; has
rung out drawer than ever in his de-
cisions and opinions on the rights OF
the Individual, the giving away of pub
lie franchises, unequal taxation, the
unlawful invasions of the police and
other similar public questions. He is
today easily the most notable cham
pion of the principle of individual lib
erty to be found on the bench. He is
absolutely independent of parties and
has long held that national politics
should have nothing to do with state
or local elections.
Refused to Be Governor.
In the year following the final rout