Show A VANISHING VIRTUE VIR TUE r as a n. personal asset has all but JL F FEARLESSNESS fallen into disuse it is a once common and admired admired admired ad ad- mired attribute to which but few fO fOmon mon men ma may nolay now nov lay just claim Its Ita value is is still attested by tho the Humbar number Hum num bar ber of those who declare themselves to pO possess it Its Ita attractiveness is proven by the thc frequency with which it loads leads the tho long list of that men heap upon those they admire It is a a. composite of so man many virtues that tho the average man mall would choose that it be said of him Mm above all other othel expressions expression that might bo employed And fe few there thore be that doser do- do ser servo o it Newspaper readers renders have o observed that in the tho published published pub pub- tributes to Mayor Gaynor from the lips of prominent men it is generally agreed that he was above all fearless N None one will go so far as to den deny he lie mado made many mistakes most admit that ho he often displayed displayed dis dis- dis- dis played questionable judgment With a tendency towards to unreasoning unreasoning- obduracy that increased as he ho hogrow grow older Mayor Gaynor could ld not be kicked a away ay from a policy once inaugurated until its efficacy had been proven or otherwise Once determined upon a course of action or an attitude on a qU question of administration he adhered t to it in the ilia faco of all nIl opposition and oft often on yielded to the temptation to attack the motives motives' of those that opposed him With the tho arrogance that his years on the tho bench had llad fostered he ho was impatient of opposition opposition opposition tion or of criticism and not infrequently made mado violent vio vie violent lent attacks upon his antagonists Mayor Gaynor's faults were indeed many but they thoy were largely redeemed by bJ his undoubted d moral cour cour- age It is said of him that ho no never er shirked a duty because of probable personal consequences to himself himself himself him him- self and never evaded a fight if avoidance mean meant surrender of what ho considered to bo be a l moral prin prin- ciple Whatever er the hue and cry against a subordinate nate to whom ho he had pinned his faith Mr r. r Gaynor would not abate abato his loyalty if convinced of the justice justice justice jus jus- jus- jus tice of his cause He lIe was fearlessness fearlessness- personified I and this characteristic erased a multitude of persona personal weaknesses that arc of often tOIl found in great men It is interesting to reflect upon the number o of eminent Americans of whom as much can be said It should prove pro di diverting to ruminate upon the personalities personalities per per- of the men prominent in our out public life and indicate tho those e among them that unswervingly adhere to a course they believe to be right whatever tho the quarter from which opposition comes conies or 01 the possible possible pos pos- OS- OS sible effect upon personal fortunes Many public pub pub- lie lic men combine good intentions with a n wish for the best interests of the people but they lack the tenacity to push steadily towards the goal in the face of criticism from those they hope to benefit It was this courage to benefit the people in spite pite of themselves themselves them them- selves that Mayor Gaynor had to so marked a R degree That was the quality of his fearlessness I I I |