New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-15
THE UH1NE THAI.

The fate Of McKanc rests with the jury
which is taking more time than the evidence
warrants in celebrating upon IT, An acqult'al
Is inconcoiyablc We should despair OF the
future of American citizenship If such an issue
were possible But it is not Impossible mat
there may be disagreement. although every
good citizen will hope earnestly for an agree
mcnt against the lawbrcakcr. The conviction
Of Mc\anc will be Il vindication of the sill
premacy of law. His technical offences under
the indictments were violations of the registry
laws He was in reality rebel against all
public law cOnspiring with his gang or under
lings TO substitute his own will for the stat
utcs of the State. and defying wantony ana
aCcressivcy the authority of the courts. III the
iury give a righteous Judgment it will brand
him for life and render his rebellion and trea-
son odious. Thereby the sanctity of outraged
law will be restored and new safeguards Tor the
elective franchise established
The trial of McKane has been conducted with
singular impartaliy and ability by Justice
Bartlett He has been most cautious ana pans
taking in all his rulings and while he has eX-
cluded evidence which the prosecution earnestly
desired to present. he has left record upon
which it will be extremely difficult for the de
courtroom thronged by IN excited audience he
has succeeded in maintaining dccorum and in
inspiring respect for law. By his keen qucS-
tions to witnesses he has enlightened the pro-
ccedngs. and his charge to the jury was char
acterzcd by lucidity and analytical power. The
prosecution has been ably conducted. Mr..
Shepard's opening of the was admirable,
and the cross-examination Of the swarm of
(raynSppI has bppu destructive,
all the counsel for the prosecution having par
ticipated in it, General Tracy never made
better record than he has made in this case
His cross examination Of Mckanc was master
" performance, and his closing speech a power
full and impressive plea for justice and public
morality.
As for the defence It was an affront alike
70 the intelligence Of the jury and to the moral
forces Of public opinion. 1t consisted in large
mart of technical objections, obstructive tactics
and periured and incredible evidence introduced
with amazing eifroncry. Mr.. Rodcrick WAS the
only one on that side who seemed to have any
heart for the work in hand. His colleague, cX-
Judge Troy Is an able advocate but he was
overwhelmed with the consciousness that there
was no defence. and made feeble and incf-
fective plea for his client. Not in the memory
of man has there been public trial in which
so great Il mass of pcrjurcd testimony. false on
its face and utterly incredible in its details. was
produced in wanton disregard Of public dcccncy
and common-scnse The trial ought 10 be fol-
lowed by the prosecution Of the worst Of these
Gravcsend perjurCrs.
The rebellion agains- the State on Concy
| Island last November naturally excited intense
public Indignation. Iarty lines were aban-
| doned. mass meetings were held, and the rigor-
! Gus prosecution OF the lawbrcakcrs was de-
mandcd as the imperative requirement of pub
| lie safety and outraged Justice. Public opinion
| was too powerful To be lciicd. The lawbrcakcrs
were indicted and their leader has been brought
before the bar. Public opinion can do much
when it Is aroused, and its work is not yet
fully accomplished. Tbsc GravcScnd pcrjurcrs
ought not to be allowed to escape Their crime
ought TO be made as odOus as treason, re-
bcllion and lawbrcakins and it can be if public
opinion insists upon ii. Every one knows that
perjury has become one Of the commoncst
crimes. especially in political cases. McIiane
and his periurcd witnesses command popular
attention. There could not be a better time
TO enforce the sanctity of an oath as well as
the sanctity Of law.