Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-07-17
PERJURY
Becoming a Com
mon Practice.
A Bar Association
Orator
Deplores the Increasing Danger
What a Judge Says.

Council Bluffs, July 17.-(Spl.) Pres
ident j. j. Mccarthy made a startling
statement regarding the prevalence OF
perjury in American courts of justice
in his address to the Iowa State Bar
Association ut its annual meeting in
this city yesterday.
as it true" Mr.. Mccarthy asked,
"that perjury is committed in judicial
proceedings? l need take no time for
the discussion Of this inquiry before
representative bar association. 1t will
not do to credit all false statements to
lack of memory, visionary exaggera-
ton, or inability to see and understand
things correctly.
"Where is there lawyer who has
not seen the guilty criminal pa is out
acquitted and set free because Of per.
jured testimony? What one Of us but
has seen the rights of persons aud of
property sacrificed and trampled under
foot, presumably under due form of
law, but really and truly the use of
corrupt, false and sometimes pur-
chased testimony?
"These are the things that b9get
distrust and disrespect for the courts
and for verdicts and for our boaste,i
forms OF law. These are the things
that produce anarchy, lynch!ng and
invite just contempt as well as lack
of confidence in those tribunals called
courts of justice.
zone judge of long experience on the
bench writes me that in his opinion
about one-half of all the evidence re-
ceived on behalf of the defense in
criminal cases is false. Another judge
of equal repute writes that he believes
rs per cent of the evidence offered in
divorce cases approaches deliberate
perjury. Another writes that perjury
is committed in majority Of the law
suits and that it is rapidly increasing
In short with reference to the preva
lence of perjury the time has come
when Justice must wear VEIL moi
that she may be impartial but that
she may hide her face for shame.
"Some tell us that the crime is com
mitted mostly in the police and petty
courts, where as rule the witnesses
belong to the vicious classes. But the
fact remains that it is committed In
other courts and by men processing
high station in society, church ant
state.
who can blame u poor outcast Of
society for false swearing when pre-
sumably reputable citizens do tn,
same thing? Why do we eXpent
time and money In prosecuting som,
poor tramp for stealing an overcoa
to keep from freezing. when tn,
wrecker of u bank, the despoller of
home, the taker of human life OF tn,
embezzler goes unwhipped of justice?'
"Why should nation or a stat.
cry out against discrimination, trusts
combinations and 'watered' stocks
when the very crime that makes then
possible Is passed mnoticed? VIII,
does the press of a country write vol
umes on the constitution folowin,
the flag, when the sanctity of an oatl
that gives both the flag and the con
stiturion their real significance is al
most ignored?"
Mr.. Mccarthy then proposed rene
dies. He said oaths were too common
He favored the abolition of all ofiicia
oaths and the emphatic administration
of the judicial oath. He believed tina
the judge himself should administe
all oaths; that 1t should be done wit
gravity and solemnlty, and that wit
nesses should be told the extreme pun
ishment that would be meted out /
perjurers. Then the law should b
enforced. Perjury should be swift
and severely punished and If it wa
SO punished n strong public sentimen
would rapidly grow up against it an
men would hesitate before commit
ting this most heinous, wicked an
cruel crime.