New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-15
AGAIN "SECRET CHARTER
Frederic W. Hinrichs Repeats
Assertion in Letter to Mayor.
SEES HAND OF TAMMANY
Mr.. Gaynor in Reply Wants Spe-
cihc Objections and Asks What
ORGANIZATION Has Put Into It.

Frederic " Hinrichs. whose address a.
the city Club last week brought forth the
FIRST omen statement from Mayor Gaynor
concerning the proposed new charter mace
rublic yesterday a long letter Whlch he
cent a. the Mayor. in which he reiterateS
that the charter has been and - q secret
charter" Specific points Of complaint con
cernin- the provisions Of the cnarter MI
UinrichS does not emphasize IN his let'er'
doyotins it all rather toward proving inc
assertion that II is secret charter'
which assertion he admits he made IN DIS
City Club address
Before the end Of the DAY Mayor Gaynor
g.. gave out his answer 10 Mr.. Hinrichs' III
which he wrote somewhat chldlnsy ul0''
M. Hinrichs had not specified the oo)ec-
tlorable points OF the charter the Mayor
however. refrained from saying one "oro
about Mr. Einrichs's complaint OF
erecy' IL the making of the char1er' anu
rested when re had enlarged upon the laCA
o. specific complaint, which NJ INN l0"s
admitted in his own letter.
Mr. Einr1chs wrote from WoodStocN'
conn. his country home. and declared lhat
he was sorry II his City Club address ri'lo
-iven the Mayor any concern.
But I did call the charter now unuer
view the secret charter; / spoke OF H. 100,
as horn in secret and ! probably useo
other forms OF expression meanihs '"e
Same thing" said Mr.. Hinrichs.
after reviewing briefly his City Cluo az
dress he turned 10 give a careful revue" VI
tho charter reports OF the variosis coIiiiiils-
slons and committees which had been "orA-
ing al different times since lV' 10 prep@'e
a charter for the Legislature. o.,
Il have not with me all my memoranda
continued Nj Hinrichs. "but may II not DO
that YOU are confusing the facts as 70 int
different drafts Of charters
starting then with the WINS COMMISSION
Mir. Hinrichs followed the various steps ~,
charter preparation through the f1aifillioi
loint legislative committee, later the nam
r,opd commission. and finally the "Gaynor
,bsrter" which he said he understood 10 DC
the charter which was first presented ~ '-'0
p-eeent Legislature for action
After emphasizing the point that with
- Zine ,ornnission's work every one
leu, who the charter makers were ana
,no+ +boro WAS an entire absence OF any
,h,,e, ,nnro.ching secrecy in its work. MI
tr,r,cbs goes on 10 point out that II IS MS
tdes that there is a great deal OF difference
Icf
t,. ,,e Co-poration Counsels drafting com
,oi,,oe and the charter which the leslsla-
,f,., Committees on Cities are now prepaI-
ING ia mass al the September session ~
t,rrinr IN the latest draft. ne writes
.-..- .t,.-..r is NOT your charter Mt
49, No one and no body OF men .as
a ,ot stood out in the open 20 au,-it1 NJr
1esnousihiFtv Tor ~. Mr. MuIpHs On TIE
1Esrnes never stand out IN the 80. is
60 H. socre+ and what they produce y
fronerlv STYLED secret. '. ,r-i.+sr a
Nou write that you nave lul d, You
H. 80 +bis charter. 7 am sure o. ~ ~
tt;r,sta ~ YOUR letter 70 me uodt % .9
moi even read Il. and you are 4sto '-,, -
ana change from the real - ~ - ,'Nu
80 as ~ the special ponce. AZ ...-.-.a, .
-. stroeav Yourself pointed OUT SC--
"r-,bc~s Would that those VINO suS- ,arf
tbese notice changes come mo NN'
,- another part OF a.s letter Mr.. Hinrichs
,.,,srantl,- suggests those whom he nous
..rountap,e Tor the charter as II i nov
~. shane s1r action iu September. ana goes
OIL.
Now came the legislature OF 1911. the
stat. had gone Democratic. ana tnc .ION 80
n er1Or and Legislature. for the IusI 49, -
II a. ,ears were In control Ostensioly OF our
ny III soon became apparent IHal
. ue Democratic victory IN the stat va
,'~.fir o~.auiZatiCn of New YORK Dity' Gol.i-
mated by Mr.. Murphy ana MS li.4ecI.. 49,.
.TFa~rigN advisers. VINO TtiiF-NAtt A+~-
ing but an organized appeIlle -oI paw
az government faVors' "a Sc fs+r,oi,-
But the machine has pursued - --
and brutal course. me ptLl--..-il ~ ia,
eUun~ or way il clearly swinging ID - -
other direction. The next Assembly wi,
obabIv b. Republican. II certainly VIII
be hi the secret charter Is passed.
In srits Of hIs objection 10 the proposed
charter. as q secret charter MI hin
rjchs VIZ ties that ne, personally IS IN faV0f
Of giving the Mayor greatly enlarged pow
ers. and says
The reason is this. II We must have .
boss" let IL be q visible boss one NuOIA
Ne ourselves create, or WnOm We hnO"
,,.norn We can hold responsible. ana WhoiH
We can. II not recall. at least iall 70 re-
elect That which Is sapping the IVuilua ,
ZION Of oar liberties rs the secreI Doss
80 IS not visible. who creates himself
whom We cannot hold RESPONSIBLE az.
whom we canOt recall or talI 10 = 49,
or re-designate. For most OF US ne - ~,
nsubs-antial fabric OF dream anu q
he makes charters and the Ike
Mr. H,n-ichs closes his letter with an &C
count Of a conversation held with Assem-
blvman Shortt al the city club the oIls'
risht, following the latters address ue-
scribing how the doors Of the room NO
2n in the Capitol. in which the char'ef
was drafted. were always open.
Well Mr. Short. then you intend 20 say
that the suggestions were secret but the
writing them down was OPEN" Nj. HIN
richs asked him.
And as 10 t.is." ne declares in his let
ter 10 the Mayor we all understood that
Mr.. Short answered affrruatively.
In his reply Mayor Gaynor says II MI
Hinrichs viii write him telling just what
points in the charter he objects 10 he viii
have them noted he writes.
I have read YOUR letter carefully, but IN
vain. for. strangely enough. YOU do not
roint out the Things IN the charter which
YOU object 10. I am getting q list
made a every objection thus Tar specih-
cally made 10 any part OF the charter. You
TAX bout Tammany or Mr.. Murphy maxi
Eng the charter What have they pat into II ,