New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-16
GAYNOR TO GRADUATES
Urges Civic Honesty Even to the
Extreme of FanatiCiSm.
RECEIVES DEGREE OF IL. D.,
Duties Which Go with Education
Tells Students to Hate
Self Seeking Men.

Annapolis. June 15-Mayor William j.
Gaynor of New York received the honorary
degree of Doctor of Laws from st. John g
College here at the commencement exer-
cises of the institution to-day. Mayor Gay
nor presented the diplomas to the members
of the graduating class, to which he de-
livere1 an address The MAYOR urged the
young men to strive for better conditions In
the body polite He said>in part:
"Of all things you young men should come
cut of here with such loyalty to the COM
munity and to government, and first of all
to the local government in which your lot
is cast, that you abhor-let me express my
self to the full by saying absolutely hate
the slightest self-seeking or dishonesty In
those who get into public office. If you are
fanatics on that subject. If that be possible.
all the better. Hoist that flag tomorrow
when you get home and never let it go down
unless you go down with it. And do not
suffer the notion that the ordinary rules OF
morality which apply in affairs between in
dividuals do not apply In dealings between
An individual and the community gov
eminent.
The Cloak of Responsibility.
The extent to which this pernicious no.
ton prevails among men who are looked
upon as respectable and even leading clti-
zens. and rated even as good church MEM
bers, is deplorable. 1t has been diffused by
degrees. Many men who would not cheat
an individual under any circumstances, or
who if they did would be troubled in con-
science until they made restitution or
amends, think it quite permissible to cheat
government by corupting public officials TO
undervalue their property for taxation, by
procuring unccnscionabie contracts, by sell
ing their lands to government On celiusive
valuations and the like. They just shrus
both shoulders and smile over 1t. 1t never
seems 20 cost them a pang of remorse
They go to church and continue TO be re-
spectacle figures, but only because the gen
eral moral tene of the community is the
same as theirs.
Embrace no idea. espouse no cause
simply to be respectable or deemed re-
spectable The educated man, the college
graduate, who is ready to cry out 'Cruclfy
himr' because the majority or crowd does,
and in order to look respectable. is untrue
to everything and degrades himself
High Prices.
Whatever question be up, and whatever
the hue and cry it should be studied and
examined to ascertain the truth. If the cry
be against high prices, for instance, we
need to inquire into the cause of existing
high prices If high prices be normal, IL
they be the result of natural causes, IN
stead of being evil they may be good In
stead of denoting hard times they may
denote prosperity and good times Ii,
however, they are the result of artnhcial
causes, of menopolies, then they are wrong
to the community and the causes Should
be removed.
The part which is yours, young men,
which is that of all men who can reason
and think, is to ascertain whether present
high prices are not the result in large
part of monopolies- which have grown up
and exist by neglect or favor of govern
ment, by favoritism in wholesale freight
rates on our railways, eur highways, for
instance, where every one is required by
law to be treated on equal terms. L need
not say to you that if you and / are ousl-
ness competitors in the production OF
sugar, oil, meat or any commodity and
can get my freight carried to market
at rate lower than that charged to you
| can underseI you that much in the
market, and in that way I can drive you
and all competitors out of that business
and finally have a monopoly of it in myself
Have not monopolies been created in
that way? To the extent that high prices
are produced in that way they are an In
justice and an evil to the community, and
the cause must be removed. But to the
extent that they result from long con-
tinued increasing gold production they are
normal, they are no injustice and probably
no evil comes from them.