The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-02
THEIR BACKS KISSED OFF
COURT BIBLES THAT HAVE BEEN
SMACKED FOR A DECADE.

SOOhA 6lbLES TIA ne u bhGAN
+ SMACKED FOR A DECADE.
How the ractice of Kissing thekBible
Origipated-The Georgia Statutes Do
Not Require lt-Dangers That Lurk
in the Covers of Books Kissed by All
Glasses Of People-What Medical
Men Say.
The medical journals are agitating the
dangers which Turk in the greasy and worn
backs Of the urt Bibles. The practice of
kissing the tookn in Georgia comes down
from the days of colonial custom, but 1t is
at no time compulsory, although the unin-
itiated know no better, and even some of
the most Intelligent people, who know that
it is optional with them, seem to lose their
self possession and at the command of tho
court bailiff, kiss the book, they do so.
Some of the Bibles in the superior and
city court have been in use for the past tan
years, Some OF them have leaves loose
from Genesis TO Revelations, and of three
Bibles in the superior court room, two Of
them have the backs worn off. One of them
has been in use since 1878, and another
since 1879.
THE COVER KISSED OFF.
A Bible in one Of the Justices courts has
been in use since February, 1879, and this
memorandum is written on one of the fly
leaves: kissed SO often the cover has
1 been worn off. Fact, l assure you" The
book ard backs are held together by elastic
bands
A New Jersey physician is reported to
have refused to kiss the book but was
compelled to comply with the requirements.
Jersey law must be very old fashioned and
rigid, or no such ruling would have fol-
lowed the refusal. In the courts of Georgia
any one may refuse TO do SO, and in many
of the states the Bible is not used in the
courts. The witness has only to hold up
his right hand and solemnly swear
that he will tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth, and even then
If he has auy conscientious scruples against
this form, he may affirm fe may do
this in any of the courts of Georgia.
DANGER IN THE BOOK
The practice of kissing the book is rapidly
falling into disrepute everywhere First
| because the same book that is kissed by dis
eased lips is off red to the clearly and self
respecting, and often the witness VIII Sc
stomach turns against the osculatory ordeal
merely goes through the motion of putting
the BOOK toward the lis without actual
contact. The man with the moustache ap-
parently submits, but the book only touches
the capillary substance, and Is passed Oh TO
the next witness or juror. In some in
stances, if the Bible is not bound by elastic
bands, 1t is not uncommon fer tue one TAX
ing the oath TO open the book and kiss some
printed page. This is the presidential Gus
tom, and lynx-eyed reporters watch closely
and report that passage of Scripture which
the presidential lips bave kissed.
The Bible used by President Cleveland
whe1 he ok the oath OF office was small
Aus,|. /, Ii
gilt edges. 1t was the Bible given TO him
by his mother when, as young man, he
| left home to become the architect of his
own destiny, and IL was at his special re
quest that the committee OF arrangements
had it in real ness when the chief Justice Of
the United States came forward to alminis-
ter the oath OF the high Office to whicn he
had been called
| ORIGIN OF THE CUSTOM.
The origia of the oath upon the Bible has
been traced to toe Roman law, AID tho kiss
ing of the book is said to be an imitl ion of
the priests kissing the ritual as sign of
| reverence before he reads it TO the people.
| Bouvier', law dictionary says: The com
meDcement of an oath is made by no party
taking hold of the book, aftsr b ing re-
quired by tae officer to do 50, and e IDS gen
orally with the words so help you Col
and kissing the book, when the form is that
of swearing on the evangelists."
In Protestant courts Jews usually decline
to be sworn on the Bible if it includes tie
New Testament, and they very rarely Xxi
the book" although the Jews from the
earliest period were sworn on the Penta-
touch. They had, however, like the Greeks
and Romans, TWO forms of olths, known a,
the greater and the lesser oath. The lesser
oath was by Jerusalem, the 70 nple, heaven
or the altar; but their most solemn oaths
were when they laid their hand upon the
book of the law and swore by the God of
Israel.
CUSTOMS OF THE NATIONS.
The Mohammedans are sworn on the
Koran, and the Greeks and Romans swore
by the souls of the dead, tine ashes If their
fathers, by their own lives or the lives of
their friends, by their heads and bv heir
right hands, whilo among Scaudinavians
and Germans it was customary to rost the
hand upon some object while repeating an
oath.
When it is considered that the lowest
classes, diseased and dirty, kiss the Bible in
our lower and higher courts with resound-
ing smack, and that by this contact disease
NAV be- disseminated TO the very sensitive
organs, the lips there is good reason for the
medical journals to open war on the custom
of kissing the book" No witness in Geor-
gia need do so. There is no statutory pro-
vision compelling it, and when this is gener-
| ally understood 1t Will soon be hOnored more
i'll the breach than in the observance.
DIRTY FROM USE.
The Bibles i'll the superb r ard city courts,
and in the justices courts In tEiS city, are
greasy, dirty and forbidding, after ton
years Of use, during which time motley
crowd Of negroes and criminals, guilty Of
all the crimes in the calendar, have pressed
them 70 their lips.
The Medical Register OF recent date
says; "The kissing Of the Bible in any cas- O
is form which might easily, without the
sacrifice of solemnity or OF tho structure of
an oath, be set aside III favor Of simple
touching Of the book with the hand or
recognition of 1t in the ave- ration. The
lips are most sensitive receotaclcs for the
germs OF disease, and, from the motle y
throng of dirty and diseased persons who
are summoned in a court OF justice, what
infectious germs may not be disseminated 2
The person who kisses Bible in court hns
not the least surety that his lips do not
come into direct contact with the pollution
left by predecessor who was suffering
from some full skin disease or faint, not to
speak Of the germs Of eruptive Towers and
the liken