The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1881-06-10
Official Oaths.

A comparison of the official oaths of
several countries, apropos of the Brad
laugh affair, says New York paper. is
dot uninteresting. France demands no
oath, nor even any equivalent foralality,
before her Legislators enter upon their
duties. Even under the empire the
deity was not called upon, the simple
formula being, II swear fidelity tos the
emperor and the constitution.
In Austria, also, there is no oath, but,
in reply to question from the presi-
dent of the reichsrath, whether the new
member promises loyalty and obedi-
ence to the emperor, inviolable obser-
vance of the constitution, as well as of
all other laws, and conscienti GUS fulfill
ment of his duty" the new member sim
ply replies, 81 promise"
The reason that members of the Ger
man parliament take no oath is that
many of them are under an oath of allie
glance to their respective states in the
German federation, and SO conflict of
duty might arise if two oaths We're in
sisted upon. The Prussian member of
parliament takes an oath beginning, ~
swear by God, the omnipotent and ON
niscient," and ending $50 may God help
me-" As if this were not enough, those
who choose, it is provided, may add
Through Jesus Christ to eternal bliss,
amen"
The Spanish deputies are put through
something of a catechism. The secre-
tary asks them: s'Do you swear to OBJ
serve, and make others observe, the
constitution of the Spanish monarchy?
Do you swear fidelity and obedience to
the legitimate king Of Spain, Alfonso
XII. ? Do you swear well and truly to
behave in the mission confded to you
by the nation, always and in every
thing seeking the welfare of the
nation ?" The answer expected is,
Eyes, I do swear" and the replica
ton is, "If you do so may God reward
you, and if you do not may He call You
to account" In1879, it may be said,
Senor CASTELAR, and fifteen others were
the Bradlaughs Of Spain, but their OBJ
jections were not based on religious OF
iTrehgious grounds.
In Italy. the president OF the chamber
of ofdepuiies says with elahorate polite
ness, 4 invite the honorable gentlemen
to take the oath in the form following
81 swear to be faithful to the king and
to observe loyalty the fundamental stat
ute and the other laws of the state, with
a single view to the inseparable welfare
of the king and the country. The new
deputy responds with the single word,
"Giurgo," 4 swear).
The oath to which Mr.. Bradlaugh OBJ
jects seems harmless enough. It reads
ssI do swear that I will be faithful and
bear true allegiance to her majesty,
Queen Victoria, her heirs and success
sors, according to law; so help me God. .
Obviously, any man who believes in any
God, whether Jew or Mohammedan or
Christian, might honorably assent to
every letter CT his oath. And SO, too, Of
course, might any man who believed in
no God at all. For him the oath lacks
its usual sanction, and scrupulous honor
might lead him to point this out at the
time Of complying with the custom of
oath-taking but there can be no doubt
that dozens, perhaps scores, of other
members of parliament do not agree with
Mr.. Bradlaugh in this yiew of the sub
ject.
The United States, it is generally
known, have two oaths, but their precise
forms are familiar.