CHARLES O'CONOR TO TILDEN
"Fort Washington, Sept. 30, 1875.
"Dear Sir,—The thing I apprehended, when suggesting doubts as to the expediency of removing Smith, begins to develop itself.
"All outside counsel, i. e., Barlow, Carter, and the like, are henceforth to be excluded from any city defence against jobbery. The new corp. counsel and his clerks and employés inside of the office are to conduct all the city's business.
"The earliest fruit of this will doubtless be the recovery of $100,000,000 against the city in the water-meter case. This was one of Tweed's last contracts. Plenty more of like sort will follow.
"Browne's[67] article cannot be got into any of the city papers. Many conjectures as to the cause might be indulged in. But one is that, it being very long and requiring an extra for its publication, the printers think the reformers ought to be paid for.
"I know no one who is able and willing to contribute to the cost, and I am not inclined to incur additional expenditures whilst standing alone in that department.
"Yours truly,
"Ch. O'Conor."
"Gov. Tilden."