The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-03
GAYNOR AND THE FUTURE.

Barring the contingency Of a wholly unlocked
tor relapse IN the progress Of recovery from his
wound, Mayor Gaynor's nomination as the Demo
cratic candidate for the Governorship of New
York will be made as the spontaneous demand
OF not only the Democracy of his State, but of
the country as we'll. In his case natural senti-
ment at present adds to a conceded ability an
overwhelming popularity. The cowardlv at
tempt upon the life of an honest official has
created a sympathy that looks for tangible
method of expression. In any campaign which
Gaynor may wage in the future, this feeling
will be to him powerful asset Against any
other man than Roosevelt, Gaynor would sweep
his State as with a clean broom; and in case
Roosevelt should consent to make the race. it is
to Gaynor alone that the Democracy could look
with any reasonable hope of success.
Indeed, it becomes more apparent that the next
great political graphic in this country will be
between these two strong men. If Roosevelt
shall accept the nomination as Governor, Gaynor
will meet him with a record that is in no respect
open to attack, with the sympathy of the people
fresh upon him. In that event Roosevelt, for all
his popularity, will engage the battle in State
in which the opposition to himself and his poll
cies is most crystallized. As candidate in New
York he would invite the opposition Of all the
element that hates him the more heartily because
of his possession of those very qualities of en-
thusiasm and unrestraint which make him so
popular in the West. So that, in the light of
Gaynors undoubted strength and his own posi-
bic weakness. 1T may be assumed that Roosevelt
will not permit himself to be named as candidate
in his own State. In that event. Judge Gaynor
may be depended upon to sweep into the Cover
nor's chair at Albany with an immense majority.
and the struggle will come between the two in
1912, if Roosevelt shall be nominated for the
Presidency. If this shall come to pass, the
necessity of Gaynor to oppose Roosevelt will be
as logical as, in case of the nomination of Taft.
will be the nomination of Harmon as the Demo
cratic nominee.
The certainty with which Mayor Gaynor's fu-
ture is shaping itself may be deduced from the
evidently inspired story that Hearst is ready to
JOIN forces with the man whom he alone of
all interests in New York has seen fit to villifv.
This means that Hearst sees the wane of his
personal political influence and is seeking to
bargain something he does not possess. That
Mayor Gaynor will listen to his advances is not
for moment to be believed. He is too honest
in the first place; he is too wise in the second
In fight for the Governorship against any
other man than Roosevelt, Gaynor's success is
practically certain unless be should make the
alliance which Hearst proposes. In view of
the Hearst attacks on Gaynor-attacks which
are widely suspected of having winged the Gala
CHER bullet-such coalition would be as I'M
natural as it would be disastrous. The strength
of Gaynor, did that of Cleveland, con-
sists in the confidence which the people have in
his combination of courage and sanity By en-
tering combination with Hearst he would at
one blow destroy the belief of the people in the
very two virtues which make him formidable.
a North Carolina juror committed suicide
while sitting on a case and the papers are ez-