New-York tribune., 1912-04-16
MAYOR HIS OWN BOSS
Tells Lutheran Ministers No
Political Leaders Sway Him.
TRUTH ABOUT EXCISE LAW
Will of Community Explains I'm
possibility of Better
Enforcement.

Mayor Gaynor told the Lutheran Minis
ters' Association at their monthly meeting
in the West 2$d street Young Mems Chris
tian Association Building yesterday that ne
had no political associations which gave
political leaders any more influence than
the ordinary citizen in his administrator
and explained why il was impossible TO
make better enforcement of the excise law.
After telling the clergymen that conditions
were better than ever. that they were doing
better work and getting greater results than
ever. the Mayor continued in part:
What Mr.. Barnes. OF Albany. says OF
wide open conditions here doesn't interest
me much. and if things here were as they
were in Albany there would be an uprising
here. Not a political leader has had any
influence with me In making appointments,
/ have had no quarrel with the pohucSl
leaders There was no need TO quarrel 1t
would do no good. We treat each other
courteously. When l tell them cannot 40
this or do that they say, You are Mayor
and maybe what you say Is Tor the pest.
] have been in reform work Tor many
years. For my part ! have tried TO work
with everybody since l became Mayor VINO
had a reform programme and wanted to do
good" ,
Some people think all things could be
done at once-reform work, the frailues OF
women. the drinking habit and what not
There is not so much whiskey drinking
There are few drunken men ever seen upon
the streets, as is the case in Great Britain
You never see a drunken man on the Con-
tinent. ! remember when there were IN
.briate asylums all over this state, sup
ported by their inmates and managed py
private persons. Not one exists TO-DAY.
They are no longer profitable. because tnere
are not enough inebriates TO support theIIl'
Conditions are improving, and have ao-
solute confidence in the future. Can you
stop everybody from drinking on SUNDAY
You know that II is impossible. Yet some
men get up in the pulpit and ask why II is
not done. We must tell the truth There
are ten thousand policemen and thirteen
thousand hotels and drinking places or ss
looms, and vet there are people who thlnH
we ought TO station policeman az the
door OF every one OF the drinking places
There would not be enough poncemeh pIa 1nsr 70 e.
from other crimes with all the pohcemer
taken away?
When dealing with things like that we
must do the best we can. % peGp,e 1T IRON tbes. s
shores. A great many Of them never
heard OF law forbldding drinking on sun
day. They have been drinking on snnahI ir "a
In their homes abroad. and nowhere In tht
world outside the Jewish race did this quie'
Sabbath exist in remote tunes. ..,..o
You may pass all the laws you please
hut they will become dead letter II not
backed by the will OF the community. IL
our people were all Of one mind and die
not want drinking on Sunday. why, OF
course. we would all stop It on sunday
except a few persons who always wanL u
do something else on the sly and be differ
ent from everybody else.
BE fair. generous and charitable to those
IN Office" advised the Mayor. He said the
most dangerous man was one who was
ALWAYS interfering with things and consid-
erine himself bigger than the law, and
there were some ministers who could no'
get partisan bitterness out OF their hearts
and heads. who stirred up more strife ano
inflicted more cruelty ON men In public
Office and politics than any other class.