New-York tribune., 1910-03-24
OSBORNE R1KES HIM
FORE md 4FT.
Counsel for People" m In
uestigatiOH's Closing Speech.
Cells COnger Brdvc.

politics and fsfthfulness IN once. James ".
osborne. seif-Elyleo counsel for the people.
to-day closed the remarkable and historic
Ahds-CongeT brfbCry Investigation. Ths
hnal scene IN the drama Uln come next
4 Tuesday. when the senate. in committee
~ the whole, VII take vote on whether
or not senator Benn ConEers charges have
. hoen sustained. on that vote VII depend
/ the continuance % one man. and probably
! both. IN public life
/ Spectacular and thrilling as have been
some of tie other phases IN this eKtraordi-
nary case, thev were excelled IN ar. Os-
borne's summing-gp speech. II was re-
FuarkRble presentation % a remarkable
case, based on the remarkable assumption
that Senator Benn Conger repentinE his
I former connection with bribery ard law
breaking, had determined 20 sacrifice him
/ SELF 10 expose fhe system under which such
things we're possible.
With this az a keynote. the counsel for
the people conducted his case. And never
In the days of NolneuX or Patrick did ne
! handle one 10 better ADVANTAGE. lie was n
very deed. n seemed. the prosecutor ~
Jotham p. Aids. doing his duty with the
state as his client He feu into all his old
courtroom manners The Senate was .the
honorable 3ury." Senator Davis. presiding.
vas your honOr' or the honorable court" ="
IN Reply 20 Littletor.
This still was his frame % mind when he
came 20 close his case. Evidently the gilt
terinE. scintillating eloquence o. Martin ".
Littieton YESTERDAY when he played on the
emotions % friendship and camaraderts
within the senate and urged the members
20 SET aside s'the clamor oT the throng foF
a victim" stuck In Mr.. Osbo-ne's reooiieo-
tion. He replied IN this fashion
Public Indignation cannot ary more he
kept out of this courtroom than presump-
tion ~ innocence. Throughout the length
and breadth Of the United States 7 thank
God that 7 see p revival of public con-
science All the things that 7 have hoped
FOR and prayed foT in my nfe IN politics
are now coming -rue. see a tremendous
revival o. public conscience. SEE n IN
Washington. 7 see Il right here IN Albany.
thank God. in the state departments. 7
even see n IN that least expected place.
in P1rtsburF Ia four or Eve states things
are being done o. a similar character 20
that which Is being done right here before
YOU.
And they tell sou that you must not
listen or hear the sound that indicates this
revival of a great public conscience. 7 say
70 YOU m fsted is the man who does not
put his esr 20 the ground and listen 70
ne true and holy public sentiment that il
heing aroused ] say 20 vou that YOU had
better be like TIE forefathers IN f-7s. who
put themselves into true sympathy with
that righteous demand for Independence.
You had better be- Ike Araham Lincoln,
Who will live as long as mankind has a
history. because he put himself IN SYM
personal freedom.
''ThroughOut the length and breadth %
our great Empire State q demand for an
absolute fsithfulusss IN public service is
going Up. and 7 ask you when YOU decide
this case not 10 listen 70 the clanors or
sympathy. but 7 ask you 10 do az act %
deoency. an act of honesty. an act ~
patriotism. Give Jhis man The beneft %
every reasonable doubt but when you
argue this case. say 10 yourselves What
would innocence have done under a similar
set OF circumstances? What would Euit
have done What did 10 Auds do
Conger Is EKtolisd.
.I have heard many man around TINS
community idly say that Benn Conrer IS
as dead as Jo Aids ] know nobody be-
uevos IT, Conger was very wrong 20 hand
Jo Aids or % have Noe hand 10 Aids a
thousand dollars But courage Is the he-i-
tage % our race. There is not a man with
IN the sound ~ my voice that 7 could rot
sec take a hammer and charge at the head
of a forlorn hope. i there one Of you
who VouId dare do what ConEer has done2
Noi one Would ] leave for my children
and my chIl3ron's children the stain he b.
bound 20 leave upon has Tor al timec
Think 0f that act of courage,
why did CoEgcr 90 itc Is there any
none IN IL FOR Conger2 Livery act that DE
has done has tended 20 bankrupt him fnan-
ciaIIy. tended 20 destroy his own reputa-
tion and MS own good name in the country
n which he has lived. COueer has got
nothing our 90 IL hut sorrow and misery.
There sits ms famlly-his wife his only
son They have been IN sympathy with
aim. and they said co forth and DO sour
duty.
Vow people Eneer. and they say. on.
Conger told this conhdeuually.' Yes. that's
right. and somebody betrayed his cont
denoe. and finally 'Tce Evening Post forced
him 70 make the charge. ~ he had been
coward he would have said: ! have moth
Iug 70 say. ] told that Ia Cuuidelca.' But
by that time he developed 10 the point
where he felt that his c0untry~s cause and
nls countrys good were greater than any
thing that ne might sacrifice.
And ] want 70 tell you. gentlemen. the
people who are willing 70 immediate them
selves on the altar OF their couutry's good
are not brought 20 that period in tne Fash
irg OF an eye. IL takes hours n takes
DAYS. h takes weeks. for a man % make
I'd ms mind that he is going 20 sacriace
himself for ms country's good SO matter
what happens 40 10 Aids. Conger has
committed an act OF suicide. political and
social. Tor his country"s 5000. AID IN lis
death gentleHen. say. and demand you
20 believe. thers is truth"
Presumption of lnnooencs
To another point on which ar. Lltuetou.
for senator Aids. laid much stress yester-
day ar. Osborne addressed himself with
much emphasis This was that Senator
zilds should have che presumption of inuo-
-onoe until lie VAS proved guilty.
- would not take one step iu this case
ll-,ess 4 believed ever man here would give
ms defendant the presumption % iaBo-
oence." Numbered the attorney. --Nay.
could not prove him guilty unless you did
/ Then he began 10 argue his csss on the
presumption thlt Senator Aids Wa i-n.-
I cent
F Aids Is innoctnt-reuemae fhat ss,s