New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-15


political organization in Queens, and
he has behind him a comparatively
contented constituency. More than any
other member of the present admins
tration and certainly more than any
OF its opponents he can repeat with the
late Louis Quatorze, "L'etat, c'est
moi"
The responsible heads of the Fusion
movement wanted to indorse Mr.. Con-
molly for reelection. For ore thing, Mr..
Connolly is a Democrat. His nomina-
ton would have helped decidedly IN
balancing the Fusion ticket as be-
tween Republicans and Democrats,
the latter having in any case the small
er representation. Mr.. Connolly. IN
addition, is the best Borough President
that Queens can remember, though his
friends will consider this the damna-
ton of faint praise. II had its weight,
nevertheless, with the heads of Fusion.
They are greedy for as much OF the
sanctity of good government as they
can load upon their ticket. They favored
Connolly for this reason.
But finally. and perhaps this was the
most important consideration Of all,
they know he will be reelected whether
with or without their help, and they
wanted his friendship. This friendship
would have meant a lot of votes for
Mitchell and Prendergast and Adamson
on Election Day, votes which now will
go to the Tammany trio. After election
it would have tended to the promotion
of harmony in the Board of Estimate.
Mayor Mitchell himself, il is under
stood, wanted to see the Borough
President of Queens on the ticket, al
though the latter has been a consistent
opponent Of mis- in Board of Estimate
meetings, and notably in the West
Side improvement matter. The Mayor
in revenge appointed Mr.. Connolly chair
man Of the conference committee Of
the board which. with special commit
tee of the Public Service Commission,
is now saddled with the solution of this
West Side problem. Everybody
thought il a joke at the time except
Connolly, who exclaimed:
well, now we'll have some action "
And. strangely enough. there is every
indication that his boast will be made
4. -. . 81, 20
over the man who thought he was hav-
ing some fun with him will be in in
verse proportion 10 the degree of the
entente cordiale which may be estab-
lished between them in the mean time.
Mr.. Mitchell is rot unaware Of this, and
neither is the Borough President.
But Mr.. Connolly is we'll used to tri-
umphs by now. Six years ago he tri-
umphed over the Democratic bosslets
OF Queens in obtaining from the alder
men of the borough his election as
Borough President, TO fill the uney-
pired term Of Lawrence Gresser. Con-
molly was city magistrate at the time
Of Gresser'e removal. His opponent for
the job of Borough President was L. c.
J.. Smith, whom Gresser had appointed
consulting engineer for the borough
and who had the backing of Curly
Joe" Cassidy and ex-SherifF Harvey
Three Of the five Queens aldermen had
declared for Connolly and two for
Smith. and Connolly, at the age Of
thirty, became the youngest member of
the Board of Estimate on record.
Within a day or so the victor ran
into Cassidy in the doorway Of his
courtroom. He smiled and | smiled"
said Connolly, land he said. Well and
| said Well Then he said, That was
a nice trick you played on me- And
said. Thank you
Gle said 20 me then, You never told
me you wanted 10 be Borough Presi-
dent To which I replied, 4 had
more sense You may need me- he
said, and said. When ! need you it
will be time enough to talk about it,
Cant We get along together he
asked me.
"'I don't think we can said"
Connolly retailed this cryptic con-
versation as witness at the trial Of
Curly Joe" when. some two years later.
the boss was convicted Of selling a Su-
preme Court nomination to William
Willott. Cassidy had 10 sit there in
the crowded courtroom ard hear il all
without the opportunity of a reply
Gresser's term, TO which Connolly
fell heir, expired January l. 1914. and
in the autumn preceding Connolly was
renominated by the Democrats. The
Fusionists fell back on L. c. L. Smith,
the Cassidy Democrat. who then pro-
ceeded TO get his second walloping
Connollv's plurality exceeded 10000.
And just now il was the Fusionist'
who asked him. Cant we get along to-
gether?" And to them he has replied.
as he did to Cassidy, 81 don't think we
can"
Here's balm for Curly joe!