Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-09-14
TRIAL PROCEEDINGS IN FRANCE.
New York world.

TRIAL PROCEEDINGS IN FRANCE.
New York World.
We're the Dreyfus court.martial con-
Quoted under the English or American
trial system each witness would be
confined rigidly by an elaborate system
of rules of evidence. The lawyers for
Dreyfus could exclude Thousand
matters unfavorable to HIM. The lawyers
against Dreyfus could exclude thous-
and matters most favorable to Dreyfus.
Meroier and Billot would have been |
interrupted and brought to order a
hundred times. So also would Pic
quart and Freystaetter and Gen. Sc
bert. The verdict would be purely
technical. If it were acquittal, Drey-
fus' enemies could charge that they
were unable under the rules OF evil
dence to introduce moral proofs OF his
guilt. Ii it were conviction, Dreyfus'
friends could charge that the rules
of evidence were interpreted ,by the
court unfairly to him.
AS it is, each witness, liar and
honest man, fool and intelligent man,
gabbler and relator of acts, is put
upon the stand and is permitted to
unburden his mind. He can say all
that he wishes to say. The other side
can cross examine him Just as rigidly
as with U.S.. even more rigidly, and
each side can bring witnesses to show
the value of every statement made by
the other sides witnesses.
What is the RESULT Why, the whole
case comes out. Facts stands forth
as fact, rumor as rumor, hearsay as
hearsay, fraud as fraud, perjury as
perjury. folly as folly. In reading the
proceedings even at this distance has
the ordinary mind any difficulty In
distinguishing truth from falsehood,
the important from the unimportant.
| the well-based from the baseless? And
when all is over, when everybody has
said all he had to say, the whole case
4 will have been completely threshed out.
Y There will be mo chance for either
side to charge that technicalities pre-
vented it from getting fair hearing.
There will be no chance for the court
to pretend that technioalities pre-
vented it from doing justice.
The proceedings OF the court-martial
at Rennes are typical of the proceed
ings daily in every court Of justice
in France. They are based upon a
wholly different theory from our theory.
1t may be worse. From the standpoint
of our lawyers, with their eternal
technicalities, their eternal II OBJ
iect,' 1t undoubtedly does seem worse.
Our theory is based upon the idea
that Justice is extremely difficult to
get at and injustice extremely plausi-
BILE and powerful. Their theory is
based upon the idea that liar will
hang himself If he has an unlimited
!. allowance Of rope; that truth is easily
recognizable IL all the data for arriv'
ing at it are at hand; that justice il
able to take care of herself If her hands
J are not tied.
Neither in France nor in Americt
are innocent men often condemned. II
America the guilty often escape. II
France when the guilty man is ar
; raigned he is usually condemned.
, | do not assail our rules Of evidence
/ our safeguards for the indicted
, merely wish to suggest that the Frencl
system of procedure is one to which
. Erenchmen are accustomed one unde
, which French courts habitually arriy
at Just yerdicts one under which Their
, is as yet not the slightest ground TO
assuming that the Ronnes court-mar
: tial will not reach the verdict which
the Judgment of sensible men every
where asserts is necessary from tn
evidence of all kinds produced befor
j the judges. ID. q. L.
New York, Sept. ], U
q " s---------s-----
p cEETIFicArEs oFiiScoRP0RATioA
Dover, Sept, Z. 1.-The certificate G
: incorporation of the Boston Industria
? Coz which has al Rcapital stock c
; s100.0 900, was filed here yesterday after
noon.
! Dover, Sept 7.-Certificates of In
4 corporation were filed here this morr
. ing by the foilowingan
i The New Castle & Delaware Git
n Railway Co., of New Castle, Del.
i capital stock, 100000.
= The Boston Il Joplin Lead and Tin
Co., of Boston, Mass. capital stock
$500, 900.
Is Dover, Sept. s.-Certificates Of il
corporation were filed here this morn
y ing as follows: a..
y THE Acme Bark Extract Co. ,
# Boston, Mass. capital stock, 5000
4 The Delaware Shirt Co. of Middl
" town, Del. capital stock, $4,000.
"a The Elguasimo Mining Co. of Phil
delphia, for acquiring mines in Hoi
duras and Central America capt.
tn stock, $4,000.
rs The Hungerford & Darrem Adve
Using Co. OF Washington, ID. @
capital stock, 100000.
as Dover, Sept. 9.-The certificate
incorporation of the Abangarez Go
IN Fields Co. of Costa RIGA, with ma
70 office in Boston and capital stock
So, 900, 900, was filed here this mornin
or Dover, Sept. II. Certificates Of j
corporation were filed hero this NOR
i ing as follows:
" y. Matanzas Water Works Co. of Nc
'n York: capital stock, 5000, 000.
The Finance Trading Co. OF Dove
ng capital stock, $1,000
GO
cd Dover, Sept. u. The certificate
incorporation of the Eureka Insta
o. taueous Opening Corset Steel Co.
e, Washington, which has capital sto
It, Of S100, 900, was filed here today.
n. mar. and Mrs. sasse's Bereavement.
al Charles II. Sassee, aged 2 mont
I'd and ID days, son of MIR. and Mrs. W
bur L. Sasse of No. zoos West Seven
street died on Saturday, DeceaS