Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-19
The Beecher REORGANIZATION.

Prom The " y. Herald
IL Is too evident that ~ ymonth church s,s
The people whom 10 can influence nave been
engaged nom the beginning in a strenuos.
attempt 10 bias the public Judgment. AZ not
tne opinions OF the jury. by demon Sfra ton.
oil friendship and confidence: their floral Of
iefings an the first days of the trial. their out
bursts OF applause In the court room their
warm and oSten tatiOus greetings and hand
Shakings in the presence of the Jury and audi
ence at the close OF each DAYS nIocee,iinc<
are calculated ana intended 10 surround Mr.
Beecher with an atmosphere of IA yar Co serve
a. a contrast To the solitary and neglected
plaintiff Such things tell on public sant,-
ment, aud il is because they tel that they
are so freely and demonstratively indulge
I'm. Mr.. Beecher's hosts OF friends would sIleW
a truer confidence I'm his innocen-,. IN thev
trusted MS ylndlcatlon To the simple facts
gwen IN evidence. He must stand or fall by
The facts; and IL he is innocent the facts
ought TO acquit him in the Judgment of inn
PARTIAL men without a resort 20 such art.
lhat part OF the press which wishes 90 sea the
scales OF justice held even tries ID quart IT.
self against the influence of the electioneerine
tactlcs which are so freely practiscd on Que
SIDE IN this extraordinary trial and which the
fewness OF Mr.. TiltonS friends does not per
init 10 be used on the other. For the charge
oI uhirlendilneSs against part OF the press
there is no other foundation than their un-
Willingness 10 form judgment ON an, other
basis than the evidence.
The Beecher demonstrations in the Brook
lyn court room will recall 10 ella Ssical scholars
the arts practiSed in ancient courts of ia sticr
when The rules OF evidence were not reduced
10 strlct science a they are In modern tribu-
nails, and cases were decided by appeals TO the
sympathies OF the judges. Even in those
times the absurdity OF such practices was
keenly felt by shrewd observers, aad strik-
ingly displayed by the comic poets. There Is
a laughable scene in one OF the plays of A ris-
tophanes, in which he ridicules the adminis-
tration of justice by scene i'm which dog OF
the feminine gender II put on trial for steal
lEg piece of meat. and litter OF puppies is
brought into court 10 play on its sympa thies
ana influence its decision by their piteous
winnings for their afflicted parent-the poet
Intending TO ridicule the practice OF appeal
ing 10 mere favor and sympathy. In a mod
efn court the sole question would be whether
the mother OF the Interesting litter did actu-
ally lay felonious jaws on the piece OF meat
in question. and the piteous plea OF the ABOUT
to- be orphaned puppies would be allowed no
place This change Of practice has been as
signed by critics as one of the reasons why
mocern judicial eloquence T. less passionate
ard affecting than the ancient. The Ply
mouth church demonstrations in court are a
partial return TO the ancient methods. Bat
1.-THE truth is the TRUTH" no matter i'm waat
direction prepossessions may run; and the
truth is TO be ascertained 10y a cool xamina-
ton of the evidence. Friendship and un-
Eiendliness are alike irrelevant, and it is an
impertinence TO try To influence the pubiis
Judgment by anything but clear argument
based on ascertained facts.