The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-26
The Net Results.


For several years Mr.. Tilton had been IN
a position to give anguish to the soul Of his
antagonist. To that anguish the trial was
q relief. For the same period of time Mr..
filton had been called many opprobrious
names, such as 'knave" and dog" and
migrate" The trial stops such badinage.
Between these two mutual oppressors was
a woman. whose status was underlined
The trial came on and she chose her place.
There was great Christian society in
doubt and mystery over the truth or falsity
of the scandal Nothing could relieve it
but trial. The expense of such trial
and the time spent on it are inevitable, be-
cause such trials carry their lesson to the
ages to come, and the community which
shoulders the burden of COSTS unconscious
~ giving some future Shakespeare theme,
some Comte a suggestion, and the race
knowledge. 1t is because there has been
evil, either in act or accusation, that trial
| is necessary to indicate the offender. Ex-
cept this trial in court, before Judge en-
bodying the flaming spirit of the law, be-
| fore Jury listening with sealed lips, be-
fore public weighing the evidence day
by day, and among lawyers who will take
care to measure up the evidence on each
side without stint-except these, all the
rest has been pahulum for immortality. Ii
will be an everlasting commentary on the
morals and methods of this generation il
so great scandal can subside without a
trial, a verdict, end a penalty. The accu.
ser is infinitely worse than what he expect
ed the respondent to be proved, if he has
come to court without case. If he has a
case, let all it effervesce and leave no resi-
due to bother the future. ~. -.s..
/ If the defendant has character, let il
all be concentrated upon this issue. Wide
general preaching is no answer. The
greatest sermon in the world will be an in
nocent Beecher confounding guilty Til
ton IN court. Out of court all sermonizine
is ''caviare to the general" We have in
a great play now produced among US thu
lesson of Henry v" for Mr.. Beecher-
/ In peace there's nothing SO becomes man
AS modest stiffness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears
Then initiate the action OF the tiger, vT.u.,s
i The trial is Mr.. Beechers life, fame. ant
eternity. e4 - - -
It should be fought out with perfect re
gard to his station and calling. To b
acquitted by mutual mud-throwing woul
be death to real fame, as his should be
, For Tilton is nothing but the plaintiff
against Beecher. If Beecher in lik
cause was the plaintiff against Tilton til
latter would take dignity from the rels
: ton. Therefore the Woodruff gang as
| feature of this trial seems to be like tn
ballet dance which Mr. Macready Intro
duced into Hamlet" and made Mr. Fol-
rest hiss the production. A vast caus
at morals is on, and the question before th
court is Did Rev. Henry Ward Beeche
deprive Theodore Tilton of his wife's 10!
e atty and purity, and, if SO, what ougf
8 Henry Ward Beecher to pay for it? An
if this proposition is not met by demurrer
but by asking an obscure con1ndrum,
wit; Did Theodore Tilton not also bas
with Victoria Woodruff? we cry. 9TH
offset is legal strabismus!" Eye
J, right p is now military and judicial. On
/, of the curses of our period is loose reason
8 ing. derived from too general, smatterin
knowledge-an accident of newspapt
:. reading. We cannot look FIVE minutes
one thing. But unless our society In an
about the metropolis is to lose all standal
we must hold the Brooklyn trial down
its original purpose and object-has ma
=. lost his wife by seduction Pho matt,
- who is the seducer and who is the ma
- Mrs. Moulton, who testified last Friday,
! a victim rather than an agent in this sea
- dal She was threatened two months ag
with kind Of impugning which wou
bave challenged murder in the cour
room. not for anything she had done
could have done. but because the matt
had got to be sublime game of blu
t, Now she has testified, and these vapors
q the miasma and odors of the upas tr
y have not affected her. All witnesses, {
jurymen, all men should remember, Wit
e. they approach this case, that it is cha
r, ter of the times The length OF it and Il
gravity of it show how it has been &
dained by Providence to rebuke either Il
loose morals or the loose libels of the p
Rod. 1t is a part of the craftsmanship
@ the times, r@c~-Ef r-.-.Ast