New-York tribune., 1913-09-12
"NeW York Never Had Mayor
Who Was So PeTvaSive OF
Public Presence"
flowers AMONG PIGMIES"
with Gaynor Alive, Mitchell
Was Dead; with Gaynor Dead,
Mitchell Lives" s"-"Great
Figure Passes"

newspapers as follows:
THE Press: with Gaynor alive.
Mitchell was dead; with Gaynor dead,
Mitchell lives. With Gaynor in the run
ming. The Press was emphatically for
him and emphatcally against Mitchell
There was no uncertainty about the posi-
ton of this newspaper
Yesterday has passed. another condi-
tion presents itself to-day. II is Mitchell
or Tammany. and between these two
The Press is for Mitchell
1.-The Press is for the decently ac-
ceptable man who has the best chance OF
winning against Tammany. Fate seems
TO have marked Mitchell as that man, and
as such The Press will support him.
Frank A. Munsey: "A great figure
passed out in the death OF Mayor Gay
nor. Few men were equipped with
measure of intellect and the moral cour-
age that he had. Few men had the inde-
pendence Of character and the independ-
ence Of political affiliations that he had
Few men were freer of conventional view
point than he was.
"Gaynor will stand out i'm history as
one Of New Yorks greatest Mayors-a
fearless man. free from the terrors OF
tyranny from any source"
'The sun'-"To this generation the
name of John Y. McKane, once so mighty
and so abhorred in the politics Of this
state. is not even a memory. Mostly u"-
known TO or unheeded by the general
public are the brilliant energy and Weal'h
Of legal and intellectual resource winch
first lifted William J. Gaynor above Inc
obscurity of that ancient. untamhlar
Brooklyn and Long Island affair III Which
We Of Manhattan took but a languid or
patronizing interest.
"The Gaynor Of the last four years,
Mayor Gaynor, the hOmely, muitanSAIar
and always salient figure OF 50 muSh
attraction and repuision, must have oeen
the continuation and unfolding OF Inc
earlier but he took on a sharpness u
contour a warmth OF color and an un-
failing and varying charm felt and ac-
knowledged even by enemies of the Oil
cial. lie was great, an original chAr-
acter.
..When he was near death at an assds-
sins hand the people of New York found
him out. and IN a sort Of passionate but
lie servant. a compelling Individuality
a strong. attractive. complex of traits ana
talents, q friend. Now no unkindly death
silences a long storm of detraction and
restores the real Gaynor TO his city
"The World: What The World said
of William j. Gaynor on the morning OF
August 2i-after Tammany had refused
To renominate him for Mayor-it desires
10 repeat now:
There was a note Of pride and Of un-
usual sincerity in Mayor Gaynor's procIa-
nation TO the reporters that in spite Of all
Influences 81 have been Mayor.
" In this Mr.. Gaynor's strongest oppo-
nent would hasten TO agree. He has at
least been Mayor. Nobody has owned him.
Nobody has controlled him. His policies
have been his own policies. His mistakes
have been his own mistakes. His iniQul-
ties have been his own iniquities. When
ever he has set his heel upon his own
principles it was because he wanted TO-
not because he was coerced.
This. we believe. is a fair and just eS-
innate Of the political character Of a very
remarkable man, whose lonely and un-
timely death is deplored by the entire
population Of this city. II IS no superb
cial or perfunctory expression Of sorrow
that comes from friend and foe alike, and
this genuine mourning is an extraordinary
tribute 10 a personality that gripped the
interest and attention Of every element IN
the community.
The first year Of Mayor GaynOr's term
witnessed revolution In the adminstra-
ton Of New York's affairs. II he had
never done anything else he would de-
serve to be remembered gratefully for
this single achievement. But even in the
period Of storm and stress in which he
earned most Of the criticism that was
heapcd upon him, it was no small thing
that the Mayor OF New York should be
his own master, even though he were
sometimes bad master
His influence and reputation alike were
clrcumscribed by an Office that takes
more than 1t gives. but in long line oil
commonplace and slate-cOlorel Mayors Of
New York he towers a giant among pig
mics"
The Herald" "Yes. he ,cqs Mayor. one
Of the strongest characteristics of the
man who breathed his last on board the
Baltic in mldocean on Wednesday was
that he was no mans man but his own.
His opinions were his own opinions. HIS
policies ,ccTc his OiCn policies. His virtues
were his own virtues. His failings were
his own faiings. His successes were his
own successes. His life was just what
he made H.
"Postiyeness was one Of the ruling
traits OF this great figure in the cty's life.
At the time Of his death Mayor Gaynor
was perhaps the most conspicuous public
man in America lie was made so by no
,arty. set or race. but by William j.
Gaynor.
stripped Of the petty things which go
with every strong individuality, he stands
out now that death has taken him as
gigantic man. whose successes were men
faI whose failings were tempermenta.
Now York never had a Mayor who was 81
pervasve Of the public presence. Wher
ne took the stage there was no other
actor on it. A scholar, philosopher and
a dreamer, he was at the same time a
man of initiative and a terrible antag-
onist"
The Times: Complex and often con-
tradIctory as were the qualities that made
1,p the character OF Mayor Gaynor. II Is
not difficult to see that throughout his
life he was guided by an ideal and an
ambition. the wish 10 devote his very
unusual abilities TO the public service, the
service OF his fellow-mcn, OF his city ana
a.. ,anplc