Year: 1871

Of Richard B. Connolly.


Republicans, as well as republics, are un-
grateful. Yesterday morning. while all our
gay and festive city officials were dreaming OF
an early release from their onerous municipal
duties and pleasant ride in the Lane, as is
their wont of Sunday afternoon, an unusual
excitement burst forth in the City Hall Park,
and sudden CONSERVATION. amounting almost
to a panic, fell upon the loungers in that
famous or Infamous locality. Ex-Comptroller
Connolly was in the hands of the Sheriff. The
man who had been the ally and main prop of
the Committee of Seventy, the man who had
been lauded by all the political sensation
organs for his patriotism, disnterestedness
and zeal in the cause of reform the man who
we were told only few weeks ago had
made ample atonement for his errors;
the man without whom the recent vic
tory in this city could scarcely have
been won, and but for whom the power OF
Tammany might never have been broken;
the man, in short, who has been for nearly
two months the patron Of Green, the pet OF
Havemeyer and the delight of Tilden, was
actually under arrest, and an arrest, too, that
had been made as unpleasant and incon-
venient as possible. When the facts became
known it appeared that Richard B. Connolly
had been Joined as co-defendant with
william NJ Tweed and others in the civil suit
brought by Charles O'Conor, in the name of
the Attorney General of the State of New
York, for the recovery of the moneys alleged
to have been charged under city contracts in
excess of the actual work performed and
divided among the parties in interest. AS in
the case of Tweed, the summons came from
Albany, and the new defendant was required
to furnish bail in the amount of one million
dollars, the sureties to justify in double that
sum.


When the city agitation first commenced,
and the developments of the frauds were
made, the HERALD insisted that all the parties
concerned in their perpetration should be
included in any proceedings taken to force
restitution or to secure punishment. But the
politicians at that time stood before the
ex-Comptroller and would not suffer him to be
attacked. They desired to use him until after
election. Now that the election is over, the
party triumph secured and the resignation of
Connolly obtained, the politicians, having no
further use for him, abandon him to his fate.
1t is very proper that Connolly should be
united with Tw eed in this suit, and that the
law enforced against the one should lay its
hands upon the other as well. Yet what
lesson does the ex-Comptroller receive Of
the ingratitude of politicians In the case Of
the Tweed arrest ample notice was furnished
to the ''Boss' of the coming storm, and he
was prepared to give his bail in few hours
and to walk forth smilingly from his throne
room in the Department of Public Works.
Not so with Connolly. No whisper reached
his ears of the intended proceedings. Tracked
by detectives from his house to the new Court
House, he was pounced upon suddenly in the
Comptroller's Office, the scene Of his past
greatness, and there at once placed under
polite arrest. The writ was served on
Saturday, when many business men are
absent from the city, and two million
dollars bail is large amount in which to
justify. Besides, the Committee of Seventy
and the republican politicians all appear to
have ''gone back" as the vulgar saying is, on
the ex-Comptroler. They had weaned him
from his old associates, who would otherwise
have been as true to him in the hour of need
as they were to the "Boss' himself, and when
misfortune came they left him in the lurch.
When Deputy Comptroller was to be ap-
pointed Havemeyer was the counsellor and
friend of Connolly. When developments were
to made Havemeyer was at Connolly g
shoulder ready to prompt and receive the
evidence. But when Connolly was in the
hands of the Sheriff Havemeyer failed to
appear.


Where was Roderick thenS


One blast upon mis- bugle norm


Were worth thousand men


And so Connolly was left to figure as well
as he could among bis humber friends for
release from his awkward position.


We have not great faith in these recovery
SUITS They are likely to lead to long litiga.
ton, and should any Of the plunder be recov-
cred it will scarcely benefit the citizens Of
New York. The cost of such proceedings will
be very likely to swallow up all the money
that can be obtained from the defendants.
We believe that Judge Bedford's energetic and
earnest movement to bring the guilty parties
to justice is more likely to end in a vindica-
ton Of the law and the punishment of those
who have defrauded the city than any other
proceedings that have yet been taken. The
people are, nevertheless, quite willing that the
Attorney Generals suits should go on, and it
is proper that Connolly should be made de
fendant with Tweed and the rest. Anything
that can be done to force restitution should be
undertaken. But the eleventh hour onslaught
on the ex-Comptroller teaches lesson Of the
unreliabity of political friends, and probably
indicates some alarm on the part Of certain
x,nliticiana at the recent moxemenfa Among