The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-08-11
Gaynor, Brilliant Figure,
Long In The Public Eye
Became Known in National Way When, in 1893, He
Broke Up Infamous Po litical Rings Within the
Democratic Party in Brooklyn.

been legaized by the legislature.
The same year Gayiior declined an
Invitation to run for mayor of Brook
lyn, but accepted the nomination for
supreme court justice by the Republic
cans and Independent Democrats His
election and that of the other candi-
dates on the fusion ticket swept the
Mclaughlin ring out of power.
Blocks Election Frauds.
1t has been said that Gaynor spent
$4,000 on this election, all but 81, 900
out of his own pocket, and nearly all
for the purpose of stopping election
frauds In John Y. McKane's district,
and the prosecutions which followed.
In the campaign Gaynor had declared
that he would send McI(ane to prison
If he attempted to 1ebauch the ballot
box again. On election day he secured
an Injunction forbiddlng interference
and sent watchers to the polls. The
watchers ware thrown out of the
booth and McKane remarked:
"Injunctions don't go here"
After election Gaynor secured the
appointment of a special deputy at
torney general, to take the proseou-
ton out of the hands of local district
officers, and threw himself with en-
ergy into the prosecution, which re-
suited in McKanc' sentence of seven
years in prison and the Imprisonment
of 16 of his followers.
Won't Run for Governor.
The next year Gayn6r declined
David B. Hilrs invitation to run for
governor of New York, and also the
sRn f,,t .,,.l Of l,A 4
appeals, which was given him when
Hill himself was nominated for gov
ernor. Gaynor supported Hill, but
the Democratic ticket was showed un-
ned by Levi p. Morton and his Repub-
lican associates. During the conven-
ton Tammany delegates assailed Gay
nor with exaggerated stories about his
divorce.
In 1895 Gaynor again declined to
run for mayor of Brooklyn. and in
1906 declined to run for mayor of
New York as the fusiOnist candidate.
Two years previously he had been a
candidate In the city convention
against Mcclellan but was opposed by
Tammany.
In 1909 Gaynor again became con-
spicuous for the mayoralty nomination
by his controversy with Police Com
missioner Bingham over the arrest of
| George B. Duffy, a Brooklyn youth,
who, though discharged by a magls-
trate because of lack of complaint,
was photographed by the police and
entered in the "rogues gallery" Gay
nor repeated his charges of "police
| lawlessness." After months con-
| troversy Bingham was ousted by May
or Mcclellan.
AS Mayor Gaynor reduced the city's
pay roll u million dollars in month
after taking office: took automobiles
away from officials who had no official
need for them, discontinued the pay
ing of private telephone bills, remov-
ed dummies from the city pay rolls
and city bands,> cut down the number
of department employees, reformed the
purchase of supplies, cut Off big sal
aries paid to lawyers and experts IN
public work in which he did not thinl;
their services were needed. In num-
ber of ways he accomplished saving
said to be $1,71S,00O annually.
Mayor Gaynor's most recent official
act to arouse wide comment was his
closing of nearly all the saloons in
New York after midnight. He refused
all-night licenses to all but nine sa-
looms these latter exceptions being for
the, accommodation OF workingmel
employed at night.