The Portland daily press., 1899-09-11


hence. The only candidates in sight
so far are the Hon. Luther +. McKin-
ney, who has already had the honor of
leading the Democrats of this district TO
defeat, and the Hon William A. Roberts,
who Graves It. Ihe chances seem to
favor the tormer, partly perhaps because
he has had more experience; but IL the
latter succeeds in accommodating barrel
before convention day he may prove a
formidable rival.
THE CONDENSATION OF DREYFUs.
''Either Dreyfus is guilty or am, ;"
exclaimed Gen. Mercier in the court room
CT Rennes several weeks ago That was
practically saying 10 the judges: "Gen-
tlsmen, this is trial In which the honor
of the army Is involved, and to acquit
Dreyfus is to impugn the honor of
the & perals and the organization which
we re resent" This was not only Mer-
cier's v, wv Of the oase, but IL was the
view also of large percentage OF
the people of france. The DTeyfus trial
has bsen essentially political one. The
professional Jew haters and the Worship
from the start for the condemnation
of the prisoner. The jury WAS made up
entirely of army officers, whose sYmpa-
thiss were naturally with the prosecution,
and VINO received abundant encourage.
m snt from the most powerful and infiu-
ential people of France to follow them.
1t WAS almost inevitable that under such
circumstances Dreyfus should be con-
demned. The verdict surprises only thuse
who had regarded the trial as proceed
ing for the ascertainment of the truth.
Viewed from that standpoint IL is
inexplicnble for the evidence against
the accused man has been of the fiimsiest
character. Lord Russell did not put 1t
too strongly when he said there was not
discriminating evidence enough to bind
over a person in police court. But
when Dreyfus is regarded as the
representative of one side of con-
test and the generals as the other,
the verdict becomes not only explicable,
but natural. 1t was natural that officers
Of the army from personal motives, should
take sides with the generals. Their own
futures depended In large measure no
doubt on standing by the organization,
which was almost as much ON trial as
Dreyfus himself. Furthermore there were
public considerations that might have
impelled them toward the course
whi9h they adopted. The acquittsl Of
Dreyfus meant a revolution. 1t was in
the air. It's mutterings we're heard close
to the court room at Rannes. Poisoned
by the anti-Dreyfas journals the great
majority of the people outside of the
army even were anh-Drsy fusards, ready
TO interpret verdict of acquittal as an
assault upOn their idolized army and
precipitate rios and bloodshed all over
France. Thisl condition of things per-
haps influenced. tine court to some ex-
rent and added what might be argued to
be decent motive, for doing some.
thing which their own personal interests
and prejudices had predisposed them to
do. With public sentiment as 1t was In
france 1t would have been exceedingly
difficult for jury made up of impartial
men to have done she prisoner justice.
We have had enough experience with
trials essentially political in this coun-
try to know how hard IL is to keep
partisan feeling out of the court room
and to oonflne juries TO consideration
of the facts presented in evidence. Among
people SO exnitable as the French the
difficulty must be greatly enhanced, and
when. as in the Dreyfus case, the jury
WIS made up of men having personal
as we'll as political motive to pay heed
TO outside considerations it became al
most insurmountable. The verdict looks
strange and unaccountable to US In Ame-
RIGA, because we have been trying to look
upon the trial as search after the
truth. But that is not what it was.
The character of the court made 1t in
evitably proceeding to vindicate the
army. and the way TO fulfill that mission
was to convict Dreyfus. Hence Dreyrus
was convicted.
But though the verdict is NOT strange
when one considers thescharactsr Of the
judges and the power of the influences
at work upon them, 1t is none the less
outrageous. No set Of circumstances can
excuse in any degree the condemnation