William Jay Gaynor

I love history. It holds a certain fascination for me when it is strictly the recitation of dates and events, but it becomes almost a passion when it is presented as real people living real lives in the past. Just this morning I discovered William Jay Gaynor, mayor of New York in the early 20th century.

I think the story of my discovery of Mayor Gaynor is interesting in and of itself. It starts with our decision to stop curb side recycling because of the limitations on what they would accept. We now take our "treasures" to a recycling center. It is a kind of fascinating place where all kinds of materials are welcome. In one corner they have a bookshelf full of people's discards. You are free to browse and take whatever you want; donations to the center are welcome but not required.

A few weeks back Harry and I took our recycling in and I was looking through the books when I found 5 volumes of American Heritage books from 1967. I latched onto them immediately; I love the books and they make good bed-time reading. It was in the February volume that I found William Jay Gaynor.

Gaynor was probably one of the biggest mistakes Tammany Hall ever made. They put him up as their candidate for mayor and he proved to be a thorn in their side for his entire term. He was a man who spoke his mind without regard from whom he might antagonize and it is this which I found so interesting. When he took office he told a friend: "For thirty years I have been thinking what I would do with this office. Now I am going to do it."

He had a special disregard for the self-righteous. Of Doctor Charles Henry Parkhurst, who constantly critized municipal government from his pulpit, Gaynor said: "Some people are altogether too good for this world; the sooner they are translated the better. Doctor Parkhurst thinks he is pious when he is only bilious."

This is a quote from the book - they say it better than I can. "To those who favored extra-legal methods to combat vice and crime, Gaynor preached: 'The only way to enforce the law is the way prescribed by law. That which cannot be done lawfully must not be done at all, by the police or any other public official from the President of the United States down.' His constant precept was, 'Ours is a Government of laws, and not of men.'"

I know this is long, but I think this bears adding. A taxpayer wanted to arrest wrongdoers and the mayor told him: "My dear sir, let me tell you that every citizen has full legal right to arrest anyone whom he sees committing any criminal offense, big or little. The law of England and of this country has been very careful to confer no more right in that respect upon policemen and constables than it confers on every citizen....Sail right in as hard and as fast as you want to, being careful, however, only to arrest guilty persons, for otherwise your victims will turn around and sue you for damages for false arrest. Policemen have to take the same risk." He told his own police force that "not even a murderer can be arrested and imprisoned without evidence."

On converting the Jews he wrote: "It seems to me that this work of proselyting from other religions and sects is very often carried too far. Do you not think the Jews have a good religion?...I do not think I should give you a license to preach for the conversion of the Jews in the streets of the thickly settled Jewish neighborhoods which you designate. Would you not annoy them and do more harm than good? How many Jews have you converted so far?"

I guess what struck me so much about this article was that what was timely almost 100 years ago seemed so current.