New-York tribune., 1881-12-26
THE NEW DLSTRICTAITORNEY.
NO POLITICIANS NEED APPLY.

POLITICAL CONNECTIONS.
The District-Attorney-elcct john McKeon, was
busy for two three days recently in going over
the several thousand complaints and pIgeon-holed
indictments in the District tAttorney's Office with
view to clearing them oil. Mr.. Rollins. the retiring
Di,tnct-Attorncy has been lending him hs own
aid AMI thai of his assistants, and the re-
| suit is likely to be bonfire of absurd
complaints which ought never to have got beyond
ho police courts IN which they originated, and OF
indictments which Grand Jures ought never to have
found, becausr there could by no possibility be
ylctlOns under them.
Il want Mr. Rollins to give me a clean bill of
health when 60 in," said Mr.. McKeOn, in cOnver-
saOn few days ago. 81 am told there are four
| thousand of these pigeon-hoIcd indictments. l
don't want the rubbish on my hands,
Mr.. Mckeon has not yet announced the names
Of his four Assistant Distrct-A rtomeys and other
appointees of lower grade; but he has let fall
some expressions which renew confidence in the
belief that he means to the Office on strictly
business principles. He has been heard to say to
delegates from political organizations who have
called to ask him his intentions 10 recognition of
the various par.ies in his appointments:
You send me the names of the men you wish ap-
pointed. | will consider theu but / will not be
hound to consider them only, nor will hold myself
ganzation."
This remark, or the equivalent of it, was made by
Mr. MoK,ou to no less person than John Kelly
relative o the list OF names sent IN by Tammany
Hall. Convcrsng with tribune reporter relative
10 nm editorial which had appeared commencing his
course IN the matter above stated, Mr.. McKe0n, in
hi, quick impusiye and somewhat nervous way,
went even further.
Il won't have he said. any politics at
all in ,hc Office while am there. Not one Of my
assistants will belong to any political organization,
run any primaries, or attend any convention wiile
lc is there. | hold II to be a semIjuicial Office.
and don't intend that politics shall have any iniia-
cucr whatever on It's administration
Ii was inferred from other things said on the same
occasion. but which Mr. Nckcon did not wish
prui.u until nc lati ma e. l, appointments public,
that what Ice meant by this was not That h" should
NOT select mon belonging ~ any of the political
orgauI2l ora hut that when they accepted th" ap-
puiu'DDu.s they would have t. agree 90 abandon
such com ection aud ~ other oCtiyt participation
d. rolitir- duriuy th.ir terms OF Office.
"i John Alck'ou viii uo that,' sad prominent
lawyer % N hou the statement bad been repeated
h, viii take that oihcc forever out of politics. lic
could not wish for q better or more honorable
rounding of long career than to accomplish That.
Three years ui administration Of the once win
political and other cuIruufWH influences remover
Will .o improve h. general admluItlrauon OF JUS
tcr iu th, citv not only IN hlS oii", hut III Tie
courts also trat IN" pooo'c viii never consent To
gug other t.Iu % uou-V' .ICl Di5'rci- Ntiorcy.
Tie nest s.Ccc--u. clu1dat' for tn oihcc, II h9i
Nr Nck.on himself. viii have To pledge himself
10 have no politics IN hIs..
Tb.y Gentleman then spoke of IN incident in Mr.
N.E.on'. i,c which illustrated his official methods,
and winch. h' said. In tp'tc Of lapse 81 thirty
year. h- is still ukrly Ia employ He aid that MIR
Mek,ou. when ~, uot-tttomey Tor tb" hr,' time,
on morning, whit" on hiS way To- ms ounce, ~
AN old 'ri,Ud who .li 70 him that h" had heard II
stated act thI' there r. ~ .cast hitN OF me
convict, rrd,r sentence 10 RlackwelI- Island who
daily VISITED Size city ON ct2'us cothuG, ana thIl
one of the most notorious Of the women conNicl',
Madame Ee.t,il lived I'm he Wird,Us cottage ana
had never dunU,d tire prison Carb or done a dhN
labor since size bad been convicted MT. Mchroh
k.d Ms friend to accompany him. il!e t"oat
once went 80 the island. Vii Nckeon tie
maudcd Of the Warden the li.t Of prisoners,
aud then directed hIm 10 order every convict
Dp the list to go once 20 his cell. I.c Island Was
s.ouT,d from one ,Jl tu tuo other and cN'IJ hihn
was put iu hi- cell aud locked up, wondering why.
There were tu.jy-~cNtu CouFict~ Wl'-iu'. .ltdlh
Rc.t.l'4 cell Nlr cnpty, not only of hrr.rii, hui
y.,, l,rr of g, cot st..e.i- that ehc hal never
cupirI H. ~hr q. ''uIliy found ~ the PRISON hltth-
80 dressed iu -iIk aud wearing urr diamonds! ~
week. tH. officials nj thc i"n!tcunary had All be'h
"'.r NcKcoa's power as Dis;rict-Auor 'y, 70 in
yc,tIg" I1ii- and the lk" ~ ends iut her man -
u,uuiiy supposed. sail John u. iownrrnd tpn lb-
INT reporter tine other dag, when thc above moi
ucut We. mentioned. " Tie can rv" invest gated any
of jAc dep rtwcut, AMI The MINOR courts, too where
ike ml.d.m,auut ,NIt, II Ines Is 80 disposed But II
hr t,.. 10 h, viii lu,r Hts hands tult AM enough
for Mait % aolru additional assistants. By tir "a',
n.,lrc.-it -ittorrcyshp. winch I discovered ~hie
conducting the investigation mt" crime IN
ruts city. in 1870. re assistants are not not
.elf iakc an oath oi office bat the ass, ants 60 not
Ihcy od-ut To- ne required by law 10 81" H"' lh'Ie
ace .otcrtl Other o.J.tto"au.' features dL"uy t"V
District AttoTlrs Office, a- d. llch existed NHl'H
ought 10 Joe C. rrrctrd, and NiE MtNron gong ~ rs
ur zoe, abhOlu. ciy INDEPENDENT OF p"ilc' ""ud n'
ir ,o.,,.i. irr tu n. rrr .utcd with their report
which was intended % correct these "o'~'H. baI
when The report was prepared dHi, PIest'tvG inc
poli icil complexion Ot TIE AS 'iuhN bdu Oren
changed by itr election, and tis bilI was not acted
on. Here X copy % l., ana 1t "ouu a'i" o'' "4ao
thIng 10 pass it,
An act Cutit led, " An act IN Relation 10 Assistants anu
,irr.- VA toe Offices tie D.siEcrntI"ih'J7 ol lAls
The people of the STATE SeYorl represented In the
senate aud Assembly do enact aH follows: -.
sIcrIus IL thHl he %, duy Of each uLi every Dis
saeo of bis ac; demand and obtain rom each ana
every assistant and cir, enpl'! ca "a E' "'",, an az" @
dHNIt SriuE, Hliy -uhrcIlh'd 10 by c"ch ana
sworn to before auu racd by Judge ol tAN supreme
Court oi t;s siat', iLh' i'! "'n '"'l "i 'iI j,, ~
char in such uicr 90 the best o tu'ir hJAly thut
t,y viii not n rit or allow, FAR as ia tAcn lies, any
p..o 40 , iiuiust,y prosecute through uaIIo" or ia
VIII purpose, nor VIII l"e' permit or aoW
any pclson 10 cscapr luisHUcnt Through favor; and
80 - ,,u.,uf t,, tc DISCHARGE o. per
indicted Tor crime Niih"ut the arrehl ol
cE,pi yra such ai.Lay snail Dc hlcd inlm," "iatoy
thereafter thc of, Oi the IIcrh OI tie IVuly lu
SEC E|Nm, Assl,Jaut Disirct-Attoney or clerk in
the ONCE of any Attorney Ia inns ota,c VINO
snail hereafter co! sc with person or persons, ~
uocep ping any blDc Tor any CnnsI4tHoh Whatever,
To Tcycut such person p IsUh, any person OF per
tuoy nave interest lr'h h'ihb Alr'nt.u,
indicted puu.suCu, or VINO sII IHilcoh9ly COunlHo
wltu any person persons 60 cause mo dIft" huict
ment or conviction II any person, sldl bo suy 90.
misdemeanO anu, upon convection theeoI, AhHu NC i1
bio "a uuC nUt ,lan LOU, ana hOt less llhh
months than one years imprisonment III
the loucntiary ana be iOicN or a'eT pIee'uueu rum
holding any pubic Office IN the state 80 .
SIC. J.-lf any two or more persons Hhal houy t!e
Di.trct-A oIuey any county LA nrtinB, lhaI Ihey
dcsir, to present before any grand jury IA MS county
charges against any Asslsaut DliIcAttOrhty OF ctrh
u IA, employ IL shall du,v Ot every shcu District
Attorney To atOrd such persons 40 utsrin5 10 MAKE
chargcA every facility dDlEg, ana To asst