The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-17
BRIBERY IN THE COURTS
STARTLING STATEMENTS OF !
 ]. MCCARTHY.
Evidence in Divorce Cases and for Defense in Criminal Cases Said to Be Perjured for the
 Greater Part.

Council Bluffs. la, July lS.7Presi- dent J. J. Mccarthy made starthns statements regarding the prevalence or bribery in American courts of justice III
 bis address to the Iowa State Bar As- sociation at it's annual meeting Tn this citv today. '.Is 1t true" MT. McCar- thy asked, that perjury is committed in judicial proceedings. l need take no time for the discussion of this inquiry
 before a representative bar associa. ton. It will not do to credit all false
 statements to lack of memory. vision.
 ary exaggeration. inability. to see and
 understand things correctly. V liite lies, imaginary conclusions and such like. .sWhere is there q lawyer who has not seen the guilty grimlual apAss out of the court room acquitted and set
 free because of perjured testimony! What one of us but has seen the rights
 of persons and of property sacrificed and trampled under foot, presumably
 under due form of law, but really and truly by the use of corrupt and false and sometimes purchased testimony?
 These are the things that beget dis trust and disrespect for the courts and for yerdicts, and for our boasted forms
 of law. These are things that produce anarchy, lynchings and invite a just | contempt as we'll as a lack or conn. dence in those tribunals called courts of justice.
 "One judge of long experience upon | the bench writes me that in his opinion about one-half of all the evidence re- | ceived on behalf of the defense in crim- | inal cases is false.
 Another judge of equally high re- pute writes that he believes 10 per cent. | of the evidence offered in divorce cases l dplihoro fp naFfiIrV Another writes that perjury is com
 mitted in a majority of important law suit. and that the crime is rapidly in-
 creasing.
 "In short, with reference to the prev
 alence of perjury, the time has come
 when. in the words of another, justice
 must wear a veil. not that she may be
 impartial. but that she may hide her | face from shame. Some tell us that
 the crime is committed mostly Tn the police and petty courts, where as a ] rule the witnesses belong to the vi- | cious classes. But the fact remains
 that 1t IS committed in other courts and
 by men protesting high station in so-
 ciety, church andState.
 Who can blame poor, outcast of so-
 ciety for false swearing, when presum
 ably reputable citizens do the same | thing? Why do we expend time and
 money in prosecuting some poo: tramp | for stealing an Overcoat to keep from l freezing, when the wrecker of bank
 the despoiler of a home, the taker of | human life or the embezzler of thou
 sands of dollars goes unwhipped of jus
 tice?
 "Why should nation or a State cry | out against discriminations, trusts.
 combinations and 'watered' stocks
 when the very crime that makes them possible is passed unnoticed? Why
 does the press of a country write vol | umes on the Constitution following the flag when the sanctlty of an oath that gives both the flag and the Constitu- | ton their realsignificant. Is utmost ig- l nored?"
 M. Mccarthy then proposed reme- dies. He said oaths were too common.
 He favored the abolition of all off, cial oaths and the emphatic admins tration of the judicial oath. He be- lieved that the judge himself should administer all o<ths; that it would be
 done with gravity and solemnity. and that witnesses should be told the ex- treme punishment would be meted out to perjurers. Then the law should be enforced Perjury should be swiftly
 and severely punished and if 1t w<rs so punished a strong public sentiment would rapidly grow up against it and men would hesitate before committing | this most heinous, wicked and cruel l crimS.