The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-03
WHAT MATTERS IT ?

The Beecher-Tilton scandal still drags
its slow, Shiny length along, and, although
the Jury have been discharged, with apros-
pect of a never ending continuance.
Whether the jury agreed or disagreed,
whether they stood eleven to one, eight to
four, or in any other proportion, is not a
matter of the slightest possible consequence
or importance save only to Beecher, Tilton,
Moulton and their families. Those " no
can read Beechcrs letters, his vapid OK
plantations thereof, his almost blasphenl
sermons, remember that Tilton directly
charged him with soliciting his wife and
trace his course in reference thereto from
the day of the charge to the time when
the ''policy of silence was abandoned, and
still believe that he is a good and pure man,
would not be convinced to the contrary
even if an angel from heaven should testify
thereto No possible testimony can add to
the public knowledge of the case, no argu-
ment can now change the popular belief
whatever that may be. A verdict of the
jury, had one been secured, would
have been received as the result
either of timidity, corruption or cx-
haustion, and would have fallen still
born on the public ear. 1t may be
that, years hence, when the glamour which
surrounds the name and fame of a great
preacher shall have been dispersed, when
Beecher eloquence and Tilton's gush shall
be forgotten that the Jury of the vicin-
age" the great public may agree in their
Judgment of this matter-but it is doubt
full.
1t is not surprising that there should be q
disagreement of the jury; it is not strange
that the general public do not coincide in
these opinions it is not matter of won
der that no conclusion should be reached.
The counsel for either party, at the close
of the trial, congratulated the court on its
extraordinary impartiality and fairness
and each had reason to do SO. Never was
there greater fairness, never was more i'm
Partially displayed. The rules of evidence
governing the admission of testimony were
ruthlessy dsregarded, and every scrap of
evidence, conceivable or inconcelvable,
tiers, sermons, books aud talk Tilton's
newspapers, love letters, lectures and con-
versatons; Moulton's business relations,
lobbying exploits and correspondence the
lunches, picnics, sayings, doings and
writings of Woodruff, Blood, and the
communists; the religious experiences of
Plymouth church, and the current events
of the profane world, even to Tribune,
Eagle and Sun editorials; all were served
up with vigor and minuteness, if not
freshness, which was the perfect acme of
impartiality. Whether Judge Nelson
showed himself profound jurist or not, no
one will ever accuse him of denying men
tai aliment to the jury, or of not affording
an unsavory dish of scandal. gossip, sensa.
ton and gush to the world. He ought to
be congratulated, as well rs commended.
But it all amounts to nothing.
And yet Beecher's counsel were not salts
fed. Presuming on the facility with
which love-letters, newspaper editorials,
novels, lectures and sermons had been al
lowed to be whoesaled to the jury as evil
dence, they sought, after the case was
closed, to be graciously permitted to intro
duce to the notice of the Jury other news
paper statements, other facts, which had
transpired since they retired TO deliberate,
in the hopes that thereby clean certificate
of character might be secured. We venture
to say that the request of counsel to have
the jury called in and informed that Loe-
der and Price had been arrested for per-
jury for swearing that they peeked
through key-hole and seeing what they
said they saw, was the most preposterous
proposition ever made, In good faith, to a
CORTLAND yet we should not have been
much surprised if their request had been
granted. 1t would have been so in keeping