The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-04-20
Tlle 9e,,tatrat.
FRTDAY............APRrL 90, 1888
wAsulSsros LETTER.
LFrom oar Ilogular corro.p0ndsal. ]

WARRINGTON, Mar. 30, 1883.
The Star Route trial has becn more
largely attended this week than at
any time during It's progress, Judge
wylie's court room being filled every
morning long before the court opened.
To avoid jam after The seats are
: filed bailliFs are stationed at the doors
TO deny admlttance to all except those
whose business requires them 10 be
. In court. The women show quite as
much eagerness as tho men, whether
TO got at the true inwardness OF this
case or TO have a good look at the
defendants and distinguished counsel.
. The event OF the trial Tuesday, and
what Will probably stand out as tho
prominent feature In the entire hIsto.
ry Of the case, was tho calling of Ex
Senator Stephen w. Dorsey TO the
witness stand. He has been con.
!. spleuously absent during tho many
I weeks Of examination. Much curl
! osity has been shown about his
. making an appearance, and many
. conjectares expressed as 20 whether
he would be called as witness. So
, his debut could not but be m event In
the cesrt room, and an occasion for
: : everybodv's turning m open oar 10
: the Judge. When the court opened
Mr.. Dorsey was sitting beside Mr..
!. Ingersoll OF his counsel. On being
called he arose aud went TO ,he stand
! carrying a large packet OF papers
. with him. His eyes were concealed
by dark goggles he has been wearlpg
2 for the last year. His toilet gave
u evidence that he had not been forget
. fol Of his personal appearance, and he
wore button hole bouquet on the
|. lapel OF his coat. He was not In an
= amIabie mood, f,r he spoke deilantly
10 Mr. MerrIck, who was addressing
the court. His counsel addressed n
word TO him, after which he was
silent until the closo OF tho discussion
\ on the point raised. When Mr.. Dor.
soy was about to be sworn, Mr.. Mer-
rick said he wanted 10 examine
tho witness as TO whether an oath
was binding upon his conscience.
The witness shook his finger In the
face Of Mr. Merrick, and said excited.
ly: "Any oath will be as binding on
roy conscience as on Mr. MerrIck's
conscience" Mr.. Ingersoll objected
10 this proceeding, and protested
eloquenuy against introducing into a
case in this century the barbarism oI
the dark ages, when, he said, men
, and women were 50 addicted to lying
that they had TO be frightened inte
telling the truth. Here he delivered
q spirited address In much the same
strain as many of "infllel" lect-
= ures, expounding his antl.religlous
views. In replying, Mr.. MerriclI
said that what Mr.. Ingersoll called
the barbarlsm OF the past was the
light that had como down 10 US from
many centuries and needed no de-
| tense from him. He did not object
to the witness giving his narrative,
! but said lac wanted 20 let the jury
I know on what terms he testified,
whether In taking the oath he felt
4 that his conscience was Involved as
an immortal man before Heaven.
= Mr. Ingersoll said there was no
qualification In the law that permit
ted witness to testify In his own
behalf Judge Wylie, In deciding
/. the question, said he had nothing TO
do with its theological aspect. The
extremely opposite characteristics Of
Mr.. Merrick and Col. Iugersoll, not
u only on the religious question, but
In appearance, tone, gesture, and
manner as well, were strikingly
brought out Ia this discussion. Col.
! Ingersoll may be called a representa-
: tive modern innovator, a champion
Of free thought, and an iconoclast.
, He speaks with the easy grace of the
lecture room, In an almest converse
tional tone, warns up as he proceeds,
. and On this occasion shaded artistical-
ly from "the beauties Of truth for its
own sake" to "the fire OF He'll re-
kindled." Judge Merrick represents
the opposite extreme old beliefs as
cherished and revered by the Roman
Catholic Church, and insists upon the
letter OF the law. He is the incarna-
tion Of conservatism. With effective
tone, measured words. and fieger
pointed towards Heaven, he solemnly
referred to the awful responsibility OF
testifying with the fear of the peni-
tentiary before one In this world and
eternal damnation In the world to
come. This lively episode introduced
into the dull routine of the mon0to-
nous trial was highly enjoyed by the
audience. The two men could not
have been more antithetically presen-
ted, but neither loSt by the contrast,
and each proved worthy advocate