The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-30
M'CONNELL'S FAST LIFE
Picturesque and Disreputable
Character, Says the Miner.
FOR HIS COUNTRYS GOOD
The Embezzling Clerk OF the District
Court Left Missoula After He Had
Run His Course-By Way
of "reminiscences.

MlSSoula, Aug. 29.-ln Sundays
Butte Miner appeared the following
correspondence from Missoula, which
will be of much interest to Missoula
people, the case mentioned being one
that has considerable Importance here:
Missoula, Aug. 26.-The motion made
in court the other day by County At
torney Denny to have the indictments
against Frank Mcconnell, eX-clerk of
the district court quashed. brought
back to view a picturesque and dis
reputable character who left his coun-
try for his country's good. When
court adjourned for the day ana Nc
Connell became the subject of CONVEX
sation, the philosopher of the Big
Blackfoot became reminiscent and en-
tertaining, but his words were as seed
sown on stony ground. Politics in
Montana is sadly in need of the puri-
fication process, but an effective disin-
fectant has not been discovered Oc-
casionally deodorant is used, but it
does not destroy germs. The old phil
opher was right when he said:
Frank Mcconnell was no better and
no worse than the many young men
have seen go into politics for what
there is in it. l have usually been able
to see their finish in their start. Some
| times one is lucky enough to escape de-
| lection in populations and If he has
any good in him he becomes so badly
| scared that he hastens to become good
| and stays good. | know several old,
gray-headed politicians in Montana
who have held office and who at first
were not what Caesar wished his wife
| to be. They are still tricky, but honest.
! They were not found out. Frank Nc
| council was; so We're other political
Napoleons in Butte, Helena, Bozeman.
| l can recall but three instances in
which the guilty parties We're pun
| ished. Bozeman postmaster, a Mis-
| soula postmaster and a deputy clerk
| of Helena were sent to the penitentiary
| for theft The many escaped-those
| known to be thieves, those suspected
of theft and those who got next with
| out discovery, if not without suspicion.
The first time / remember seeing
our Frank was in Helena about 10
| years ago. L passed a church U'm not
| in the habit of going I'M and looked in
| 1t was hot summer night. The WIN
! doWS We're open and a song floated
| out on the air. The vigor of a bass ar
rested my attention and 1 saw it pro-
| ceeded from tall slim. good looking
| young man. 1t was our Frank. While
|
base than for the tenor singer there
| was something in the tone of that
| young mans voice which made me
| doubt him. | watched his career He
| was a clerk of the court at Helena
| and a good one. 1t was then that he
| began to imagine himself political
| Napoleon, to associate with spend
| thrifts and to live beyond his means.
| By and by a boom came on and he
| transferred his operations to Missoula
| county, where he engaged in real es-
tate operations and made money He
| acquired desire for women and wine.
| He already had a fondness for song,
| as l have shown. He became a polit-
| ical factor, and succeeded in electing
| himself clerk of the district court with
| the aid of politicians, having been
beaten at the polls, and by doing SO
| acquired debts of honor which he paid
out of his salary, and that kept him
| low in pocket. He put his hand into
| the county treasury time and time
again, was found out, given another
| and another chance, and finally was
! allowed to drift from his mooring and
| become derelict. He will not stand
as an awful example to the youth of
Montana. We are civilized. but not
sufficiently highly civilized to realize
that public office is not a private snap.
There is still corruption in Montana
and there will be until we exact of our
officials strict attention to duty for
the salaries connected with their Of
fees. They should be brought up with
a sharp turn for taking one penny that
is not justly theirs. Now men secure
office for the pickings and not for the
salary; in other words, they steal and
run the risk of being found out.
There is something communicating
about politics and few there are strong
enough to Withstand the temptations
which beset the path of a political life.
l have seen men rise and / have seen
men fall, and / have noted that when
a young man secures an office and his
hat doesn't fit him thar he is sure to
fall. Merit always wears the same
size hat. When a muu wears his in
tegrity as a pin in his shirt front it is
an off-colored If not bogus dia-
mond. Virtue never gets dirty and
does not require washing. yet most
politicians intrusively engage in the
laundry business, furnishing their own
soiled goods for cleansing. Honesty
may keep a man poor, but he who
practices it never has to be treated for
curvature of the conscience"