The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-24

the case. The case was represented
to the judge as being a trifing one of arson;
and in course of time the bail-go was put
through the usual course of questioning, and
swore that he was worth so much money,
owned property of such description in such
a location, and, over and above everything,
was worth sufficient to become bail in the
case in hand. He was accepted, the man was
liberated from prison, and Immediately left
for Canada Of course, the bail was forfeited,
and all that remained to be done was to sue
it out. This task was commenced, when 10
1t was discovered that, although the property
was there, just as had been stated. yet the
title was in dispute among half dozen par
ties, but in which the name of the bail-goer
did not occur at all. The given residence
of the man was visited, and discovered to
be an unfinished house, whereon the
mechanics were still employed Both bail
and culprit were gone what was to be done?
just nothing, and there the matter rests to
this day. We could cite a score of cases similar
to the above, but the one is sufficient to con-
vey to the reader some idea of how men get
out of prison, when there is ample proof of
their guilt, and are never heard of after. The
case of Jimmy Haggerty, so fresh in the
mind Of the public, is but another instance
wherein the scientific oath-taker has played a
prominent part but thus far, thank fortune!
unavailingy.
Those who have had business before any
of our city aldermen, and who have stopped
to witness some Of the cases which claim the
attention of those gentlemen every day, can
1 A., n
use no stronger term) which exists between
the statements of two people, each claiming
to be perfectly familiar with the case. Mr..
A. swears pointedly that such thing was so
and SO. B. comes upon the stand, and swears
it was exactly the reverse-in fact, contra
diets A. IS statement IN toto. Now it may be
that neither A. nor b. are intentional periu-
rers, yet one OF the other has done
SO in making oath to his statement.
a half dozen witnesses in the same case will
swear each other are the greatest liars that
ever lived or are likely to live, should the
world continue forever. Now some of these
witnesses must know that what they aver is
incorrect, and should be corrected by an ap-
plication of law, not so much to punish them
as to show them that if they have no fear
of the world to come they are at least open
to correction in this. We cannot call
them scientific oath-takers, as we apply the
term; for their sympathies, and not money,
frequently carry them beyond reflection, and
yet something should be done in the prem
ises. The present course is to listen to all
sides, select what you please from the many
statements, and decide the case to your
liking. Having said thus much of two kinds of
oath-takers, we now come to another and
still more dangerous class. They are last,
but far from being least.
When one reads in the newspapers of the
appointment or election of a man to Office,
we are inclined to think that that man has
something about him SO far beyond his fellow,
men in point of honesty and efficiency, that
when we come to look at the man as he really
is, the bright picture painted by our ima9i-
nation floats suddenly away, leaving, as it
were, nothing but a fostering, putrid mass
of matter, too disgusting to be near, and too
dangerous for the business man to openly
avoid. There are honest, upright, we'll
meaning and industrious men in Office.
Far be it from our intention to malign those
who seek to do right, and whose taste or edu-
cation leads them into public life. There are
good men even among the politicians, some Of
whom would as quickly turn from a mean,
dishonorable action as they would from the
embrace of the loathsome, Shiny snake.
1t is not of these men that we are speak
ing, but of those whom the records
of time and the public will point at as being
the men who have sworn to do the duties of
their Office, and perjured themselves for pc
cuniary and political gain. AS we notice the
frequency of these occurrences, as they turn
up in our courts (not more than one in ten
are ever touched upon by the law, and are
therefore only known of bya few, and then
observe the placid countenance, oily tongue,
and the fawning mannerisms of the men who
perjure themselves with as little compunc-
ton as they would sip their liquor, we Won
der what can be the education of the man or
the condition of the mind that would execute
SO black and damning a deed Yet these are
the men who, in many cases, have filed the
offices of our city, and who ask reelection,
putting forward as their chief claims upon
the party and the sutfrages of the people the
fact that they have learned the science of
oath-taking, and are therefore doubly compe-
tent. Nor is this an idle statement. No |!
would that it were, for then it is likely that
we should forget. No ! the proof is here
beneath our very eyes. If curiosity would
tempt you, take up the records of our past
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