The County Treasurer’s Double-Dipping Scandal
A local editor challenges a powerful official for illegally holding two offices, exposing a web of political favoritism in the Grand Jury room.
The special charge of Chief Justice Greene to the Grand Jury regarding the case of Capt. George D. Hill, who has held office for nearly six years while challenging his right to the emoluments, demands public consideration. Mr. Damon, believing Capt. Hill was holding civil office in violation of law, made a complaint to the proper authorities. However, Prosecuting Attorney Irving Ballard refused to prosecute, offering the excuse that he 'would not go back on a friend.' When the matter reached the Grand Jury, five jurymen, following Ballard’s example, prioritized personal loyalty over their official oaths, defeating the indictment by a single vote. While the Grand Jury failed to act, the court’s instructions clarify that Hill’s simultaneous holding of two offices is legally precarious. It is reported that Consul-General Badeau has already been dropped from the army roll for a similar conflict, suggesting Hill may face the same fate if the Department is notified.
“When the ends of justice are thwarted through the connivance of the officer charged with its prosecution, what is the practical difference whether the motive is for gain or sympathy for the accused?”
This 1880 case of 'double-dipping' and political cronyism mirrors modern civic debates over ethics, public office, and the tendency for local political 'rings' to insulate themselves from accountability. It captures a moment when the professionalization of the public sector was still being fiercely contested by older, patronage-based modes of governance.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.