El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-11
GAYN0R, MAYOR Of
NEW YORK, DIES
CONTINUED From Page one)

INV IUhR, Ul[1
Continued From Page one)
imposed task of breaking up political
rings and of putting government on
an honest basis, a work, he said, that
he continued without missing a single
day up to the time he was elected may
or of New York Even so, there were
persons who declared that he was IN
alliance with Tammany Hall and other
political organizations, connection he
disclaimed with quiet but impressive
vigor.
Kind to His Family.
Parallel with law as a living and
with reformatory politics as master
ing ~ulSe and a vent for his energy
the young attorney went straight along
the line Of filial and family response
bility. No duty was overlooked A
house in Utica was bought for the
father, mother and three sisters, and
money was regularly sent for their
support. BE a good man. mayor Cay
nor wrote TO one of the judges whom
he had appointed to office, and you
added: 4 hope you viii feel more like
bowling your head for assistance and
strength than strutting about" Ma
ture counsel, bluff and sensible, con-
tanning principles brought along from
boyhoOd, no doubt
Campaign Against Saloons.
There were 40 saloons in Flatbush,
80 of them unlicensed, when Gaynor,
aged "a, went there to live Gaynor,
the newcomer, called a public meeting
The response was quick and willing. A
citizens ticket swept the town Gaynor
was made police commissioner There
were to be no arrests, ne said, without
warrants, unless offenders were caught
in the act of laWbreaking. Policemen,
under oath to uphold the law, were or
dcred TO keep the law themselves Evil
dence was taken against SIX saloon
keepers They were tried and convicted
before Gaynor had been in office two
months. All the others, except one,
left town. The man who remained
threatened Gaynor with death. He was
prosecuted and driven from the com
mUnity. Flatbush, fumigated morally,
breathed deeply and looked around
Ring Robbed City.
From Flatbush, sprawling in the sub
uIbs, Gaynor moved to Brooklyn he
was now a prosperous man, actually
and prospectively. Public conditions
were very bad. A ring was robbing the
city. The highest bidders were obtain
ing contracts for bridges and pave
ments Gaynor, the free attorney for
volunteer clients, started suits He put
the property of the elevated railroad
on the tax lists Bills for brass bands,
amounting TO S17,414, were submitted
and approved after the Columbian ceIe-
bratiOn in 1893 in honor of the dlScoV-
cry of America. Gaynor. stern, accu-
rate and unweary, showed that all the
bands in Brooklyn and New York city
could have been hired for less money.
He stopped the sale to the city Of the
pumps, pipes and machinery of a water
supply company for S1,25O,OOO that had
been purchased by the ring for SlS5,OOO-
At first he fought alone. In all ne
spent $4,000 of his own money. He dis
missed the subject by saying: Yet; II
was a long fight
Convicted Men of Frauds.
Gaynor battling in court paying his
own expenses, also carried his fight TO
the polls, and the ring went down IN
ruins. A mass meeting nominated MN
for mayor. He refused to run, SAYING
he was not working for public ottlce,
which may have been true.
However, he accepted the nomlna-
ton for justice of the supreme court
The annual salary of judge IS Slt,2OU-
GaynOr's fees as a lawyer averaged q
good deal more, but a judges term was
Il years. He had now been practlclng
his profession for nearly two decades
South of Brooklyn, at Coney Island,
ruffian named Kane had long
voted dead men, stuffed ballot boxes
and tempered with tally sheets when
the majorities were doubtful or crum-
bling away Gaynor, up for oftlce nm
self, sent word to COney Island that II
the frauds were repeated Kane
would go to Jail Kane, to show his
contempt repeated the frauds, and
multiplied them as well His sentence
70 Sing Sing was seven years sixteen
of his tribesmen went to prison for
completely in his crime.
Friend of the People.
So Gaynor, in his judicial robes, a lit
tie man of thunder, with lightning
bolts in both hands; dispassionate, re
served and cherries in mien, trying
the people and finding them faithful,
was acclaimed by the people as being
their friend. The Democratic leaders
strove to run him for governor the
next year and again in 1904. Richard
Croker offered him the nomination for
mayor in 1897 as did the fusionists in
1905. Becoming a candidate, finally. in
1909, he carried New York city by 49,
900 votes. Every other man on the
Democratic ticket was beaten. Tam
many picked him up and elected him,
against the wall, only a watcher at the
feast Some of its leaders went to
work as statesmen, clerks and pedes-
trianizing agents
II is estimated that mayor Gaynor
saved the taxpayers of New York the
sum of S2,000,000 annually, principally
by reforming methods, stopping leaks
and dismissing officeholders who were
not needed. Whole boards of comfort
able and consequential parasites were
abolished with a few rough strokes Of
an oTer-busy pen
Just one miracle is coming to pass"
Gaynor's ubiquitous inspector Of
weights and measures said. "a pound
must weigh Is ounces; a gallon must
contain four quarts, and a quart must
contain two pints. and pint must con-
tain four gills." Thereat from the tene-
ants aa TrnE aF Il