Year: 1871

| counts passed Dy COnnOiiy ana Judge Dar-


nard, who has had experience as Commits


sioner of the Sinking Fund, testifes to the


prevalence Of the custom. Yet he says truly


it is no valid excuse for carelessness.


The community expect, or at least hope, that
when three or four officials are entrusted with


the duty of certifying bills each will see for
| himself that the accounts are correct and
not trust to the fidelity or the honesty OF
| others. 1t is on this account that he with
holds the confidence of the Court from the
Board Of Apportionment, and refuses to allow
it to raise any more bonds until there shall be
an alteration in its members, or, in other
words, until the Comptroller shall retire and
give place to financial officer, upon whose
honesty and competency the city and the
Court can rely.


We must now again appeal to Mr.. Connolly
to resign the Office he has abused. He may
still object to submit himself. ''vicarious sac
rifce," and may plead that the Infamous frauds
charged upon his department have been per-
petrated, not for his own emolument, not from
personal greed, but in obedience to the die
tates and to meet the necessities of party.
This does not render the act less criminal on
his part. He fills the most important Office in
the city, and one which should be above suspi-
cion. The city's reputation and credit abroad
depend in great measure upon the honesty
and competency of the head of the finances,
and Mr.. Connolly has now no longer any rea-
sonable excuse for holding on to an Office
which the people desire him to vacate. Should
he obstinately persist in remaining he will be
held responsible for the disorganization Of the
city government The money which was
raised to pay the wages of the Park and Boule-
ward laborers has been improperly applied by
him to other purposes, and so long as he is in
power no more can be procured. When he
retires the injunction will be dissolved and
the city government will proceed as before.
The partisan organs and the political adven-
turers who hope to make capital out of the
city's difficulties will continue to console him
with the assurance that he is not bigger
rogue than his associates in the municipal
government, and will persuade him to con-
tinue to resist the will of the people;
Uut ~ Will VIC WlSuOn AOA w AOeAS
to private life as promptly as possible. 1t has


been whispered that he has threatened not
to 60 overheard without dragging others with
him. Well, if he should drown some Of his
political associates in the waves Of popular in
dignation now fast closing over his own head,
the municipal ship would be the lighter for
it, and the crew would scarcely offer
any strong objections. But 60 he
must, and his department must be
submitted to a thorough cleansing and
fumigation. Judge Barnards decision has
secured thus much for the people, and for the
service be is entitled to their gratitude. If
the political demise of Connolly is to be only
the precursor of the death Of the Tammany
Ring, there will be more cake-eaters than
mourners at the funeral. But at all events let
us be rid of Connolly as commencement, and
then let the people demand thorough
amendment of the new Charter, with full
power for the Mayor to remove dishonest or
incompetent officers from the several depart
ments. This will give us good government
without having resort to vigilance committee,
and without adopting the suggestion of the
English cockney organ to abolish universal
suffrage and let only rich men have the privi-
,ege of vote.