The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-12
ERON OTHER PENS
AN EPERT WITNESS

| An expert witness is presumably one
VINO knows great deal more in regard
10 sanity OF chemistry or handwriting
| or some other special field of inoIIi19,
than the ordinary citizen does He is
not called, as other witnesses are he
cause ne knows something about the
case before the court, but because he
knows a lot about documents or Nelson's
or mental conditions that are involved
in the case. The purpose of his tesff-
mony is to fix the value of other testi-
mony.
The employment of experts has been
brought into discredit because. instead
OF being selected by the court to AL
wise Judge or jury regarding the signif-
canoe OF certain evidence, they are hired
by both sides at fancy fees to give
opinions favorable to the side from
winch the money comes, and to contra
dict each other in the most modifying
manner. no
Where each side brings into court ex-
perts VINO VIII testify in its behalf the
case is bad enough, even though the
experts on both sides be intellectually
honest and the difference between them
be the difference which seems inevita-
Die between the operations of different
nlhOS upon the same set of facts But
where intellectual honesty is lacking
and we fear that is pretty freuuent-l
the expert is merely trying to impose
upon the court, and he should be sub
1ected to heavy penalty for seeking
to thWart NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Record
TALIAFERRO ON ACTRESSES.
In the August number of Success Ma
bel TaHaferro has a spirited License of
actresses. She evidently feels keenly
the popular estimate of the character
of the woman before the footIights and
she vehemently resents the discrimfna-
ton so often made against them
1t is easy to understand her feelings
when she declares that 1.-The Mary An
dersons, the Julia MarloWes the Maud
Adamses, the Mrs. Fishes and the Ethel
Barrymores of our stage" should not
be made to suffer because ga show girl
does wrong" She might also have ad-
ded the name of Mabel TaHaferro to
this list of stars" but for becoming
modesty. She blames the newspapers
for exploiting the malodorous happen
ings in the life Of the under-stage' and
deplores the popular appetite for stage
scandal
It must. indeed. be CALLING to a high
minded. Iure spirited. gifted actress
like this fair Mabel to be classed with
the women upon the stage who bring |
discredit and dishonor upon themselves |
and the profession by their vulgar and
sensual life. Yet even Miss Taliaferro |
must admit that the notorious character |
OF many plays and a few plays as of |
recent years have given occasion for the |
sentiment she der 1ores.-MilWaukee SEN |
tinel.
LIABILITY FOR LOST NAIL
A suit just brought against the Allan
tic Coast Line railroad by the govern
ment involves the liability for mail de-
stroyed in railroad wrecks. The gov
gives a limited indemnity for
registered packages lost or destroyed
and heretofore has paid the loss out /
of its postal revenues, but it now seeks
to apply the same rule of law as OBJ
tains in all other shipments over the
railroads and hold the latter response
BILE for damages. Viewed from a legal
standpoint, it does not appear that the
mails differ from other shipments, the |,
contract to transport presupposing safe
delivery or reimbursement in case of
failure. This is true of every other
article transported except on so-caIled
released" goods IN which a special rate b
s made by surrender of the right to II
On no class of business do the rail-
roads as a rule receive higher COM
than for mail transpo rtation,
and on top of that the postal depart
nent furnishes all the appliances and
performs all labor incident to handling
which makes mail contracts keenly
sought after. AS the postal service is
conducted at a net loss to the govern
nent, no good reason exists why the
'ailroads should not be asked to as
sumo the same liability for loss or dam
age to mails as they do in other BUSH
u n