New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-18
GAYN0R LIKES PRAISE
It's Rarity Explains Mayors
Dinner ModeSty.
FRIEND CLEARY HELPS HIM
Hearst and Pulitzer Again At
tackled at Bay Ridge Citi-
zens' Feast.

After all, ii is neither an overweenlng
modesty nor an outraged principle Of civic
ethics that moves Mayor Gaynor to cry
enough when dinner orators sputter their
praises I'm his behalf It's simply because
the Mayor isn't used to fiattery in public
places He said so himself last night to
the Citizens Association OF Bay Ridge,
where he was the principal speaker at
the annual dinner OF the association In
the Ridge Club, 72d street and Ridge
Boulevard.
William f.. Cleary. the president and
POSTMASTER. checked himself several
times when he was dangerously near say
ing something real warm in praise Of
Mayor Gaynor. and excused his near leze
majesty on the ground that it was often
sive to his honor.
Maybe that is so and maybe it is not, d"
observed the Mayor I'm opening. The
fact is [ seldom get the chance to listen
to anything good about myself. I am
so used to hearing something that is bad
said about me that / don't feel right
when some one like my friend Cleary here
speaks good of me.
IL feel something like the ancient Ger
mans Of Casars time. who were mem
toned by Macauay as being very hard
drinkers. He said they were drunk so
constantly that when they happened 10
get sober they thought they were sick.
So when my friend Cleary here says any
thing good about me / feel that some
things the matter with me-"
90, - M
turned to Controller Prendergast, who
sat beside him.
81 think the Controller feels a good
deal as / do. For the last year he's not
been dealt with any too gently in the
matter OF subways. But It's all over and
let's be glad that 1t is. He and sat at
those hearings and heard ourselves COM
pared to Tweed and other ancient male
factors who left something bad behind
them.
zone day we all sat and listened to Ave
persons who spoke that way about us. j
think they were sent there from the
Hearst newspaper offices. The Control
Ter. after listening TO them carefully, told
me he was unable to find one of them
that was quite sane Those are the kind
that Hearst generally sends up TO the
Board OF Estimate 10 talk 10 us. Now
and then the two little PulitZers add TO
the number and send two or three puny
little fellows like themselves"
The Mayor paid his respects to DR..
Parkhurst and other "scolders." He said
the shadows murmur when the deeps
are dumb" But better metaphor he
thought was:
"One miserable grasshopper in the angle
OF n fence makes more noise than a noble
herd OF cattle near by" He said he and
Controller Prendergast were willing 10
forgive their enemies every twenty-four
hours. but they wanted TO have nothing
20 do with them"
Mr. Prendergast said the choice OF com
mission form OF government In New Jer-
sey showed that the governments OF those
cities We're defective. and naturally the
people were dissatisfied. That condition.
he said. did not obtain in New York CITY.
other speakers were Mitchell May. Sec
rotary OF state; George V. S. Williams
Public Service Commissioner; Lewis II.
Pounds Commissioner OF Public Works.
the Rev Matthew J. Flynn. OF the
Church OF our Lady of Angels. and the
Rev Frederick p. Young, pastor OF the
Bay Ridge Reformed Church.