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| Captain Alfred Dreyfus. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, September 11, 1899.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Condemnation of Dreyfus.
Although intimation had come that the Rennes court-martial would find Dreyfus guilty, the news on Saturday that such was actually the verdict caused a shock to the civilized world. It was such a perversion of justice, so contrary to even the most biased evidence, and so utterly at variance with the purpose of even military law as to make it one of the most monstrous crimes of the century. No tribunal in the world outside of France—even in Russia, or Turkey or China—and no tribunal in France not the tool of military officers made desperate by their own peril, would have rendered such a verdict. The question at issue was whether the accused had in 1894 "entered into machinations or held relations with a foreign power, or one of its agents, to induce it to commit hostility or undertake war against France, or procure it the means therefore, by delivering the noted and documents mentioned in the documents called the bordereau." Although the prosecution was allowed a latitude contrary to all the rules of judicial procedure; although its witnesses were permitted to make speeches full of threats, denunciations, insinuations and partisan appeals, and were protected against cross-examination; and although the defense was continually barred from introducing rebutting testimony by the president of the court—not a scintilla of proof was adduced to show that Dreyfus was guilty.
The vote of the court-martial was 9 to 2 for conviction. The two who favored acquittal were Lieutenant Colonel de Breon and Captain Beauvois—all honor to them. It is said that another judge was at first opposed to conviction. This may have been Major Profilet, whose eyes filled with tears during Demange's appeal for Dreyfus, If there had been three votes in the negative conviction would have failed. Whoever the third judge was it is believed that he was won over to the majority by promises that a light sentence would be imposed on the prisoner. It is the lightness of the sentence, by the by, that is the most incongruous thing in the whole case. In 1894 Dreyfus was sentenced to life imprisonment for treason. This is as grave a crime now as it was then. And yet on the second conviction the punishment is fixed at only ten years' improvement. In its verdict the court sought to explain that the light sentence was due to "extenuating circumstances." But there can be no extenuating circumstances in view of the verdict. Dreyfus either communicated treasonable documents to a foreign power, or he didn't. If he did, he should receive a punishment no less severe than that fixed by the court of 1894; if he did not, he should have been acquitted.
The verdict of the court effectually explodes the supposition which had been advanced that the president of the court treated counsel for the defense with apparent unfairness because he knew there would be an acquittal, and for that reason he did not want to give the anti-Dreyfus people a chance to charge him with bias. It also explodes the theory that the defense was not allowed to secure depositions from Schwartskoppen and Panizzardi, because they were not necessary to prove the innocence of the accused. The fact is that the majority of the court from the start was determined to convict Dreyfus in order to save Mercier and his crowd. When it was evident that there was no way of disproving Esterhazy's authorship of the bordereau, Mercier was allowed to bring in the intimation that, while Dreyfus may not have been its author, he probably communicated to a foreign power the documents mentioned herein. Schwartzkoppen and Panizzardi would of course have testified that Esterhazy communicated the documents. This would have been evidence which even the biased court could not ignore, so it was shut out. In short the Mercier crowd had to be saved and so Dreyfus was condemned, although it is a question whether a single one of the judges believed him to be guilty.
It is said that the French law makes one year of deportation equal in punishment to two years of ordinary imprisonment. In that case Dreyfus has already served on Devil's Island nearly the ten years to which he has just been sentenced. He will therefore have to be in prison for only a short time. But he must suffer a new degradation from his rank, and bear the stigma of an unjust sentence unless he can get a new trial. This his counsel will try to get. An appeal will first be made to the high military court in Paris. This tribunal will doubtless sustain the verdict of the court-martial. Then, if the minister of justice so orders, another appeal can be made to the court of cassation. That tribunal would not be bound to send the case to another court-martial as it has the power itself to render final decision. Action of this kind will be the only thing that can do full justice to Dreyfus. Even a pardon by the president would not remove the stigma upon him.
There are indications that the condemnation of Dreyfus will lead to a boycott of some sort against the Paris exposition. The Jews and their sympathizers doubtless could make some difference in the show's receipts, but it is a question whether they would be seriously curtailed. Still, France has lost much in the estimation of civilized nations by the outrageous verdict at Rennes.
FRENCH FLAG BURNED.
A Demonstration in Indianapolis Over the News of the Dreyfus Conviction.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 11.—When the news of Dreyfus' fate reached Indianapolis, Captain Wallace Foster, who originated the plan of floating the American flag over Indiana school houses, announced that he would have the flag of France burned in the public streets.
That evening a large crowed was drawn to his home in North Capitol avenue, and encircled by women, children, bicycles and buggies, the tricolors were brought out and burned on the Macadam boulevard.
There was loud cheering as the flag which Captain Foster had obtained at the world's fair was reduced to ashes. A Frenchman participated in the ceremony.
RAN AWAY PROM HOME.
Edward Kinney Said Here That He Was an Orphan.
The Syracuse Sunday Post-Standard says:
Edward Kinney, 12 years old, ran away from the country home of his parents near Cortland last Monday. He came to Syracuse and was taken in at the Municipal Lodging house after he had told John Hazeltine a story about being an orphan and having lived with friends near Cortland since the death of his parents.
Yesterday morning Mr. Hazeltine reported the case to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and an investigation was made. It was learned that the lad had an aunt, Mrs. Mary E. Kinney, living at 910 Montgomery-st. Later a telegram was sent to the youths' parents, Bartholomew and Annie Kinney, informing them of his whereabouts, and he will be taken home to-morrow.
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| Cortland Opera House on Groton Avenue. |
THE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Begins To-night at the Opera House at 7:30 o'clock.
The twenty-fifth annual music festival begins at the Opera House to-night at 7:30 o'clock and continues through Friday. The prospects are that it will be one of the best if not the best in the series. The sale of tickets began this morning and was fair for a first day's sale.
First M. E. Church.
A Memorial service was held in Sunday-school after a brief study of the lesson for Mr. Reed Lucas who died at Havana, Cuba, of yellow fever, Aug. 26, 1899. The exercises opened with singing "God is Love" by a quartet composed of Messrs. C. R. Doolittle, D. W. Brown, T. N. Hollister and J. L. McKellar, followed by Scripture selections read by the pastor, Dr. O. A. Houghton. The superintendent , Dr. F. J. Cheney, spoke patriotic and appropriate words concerning the sad event saying that, while Reed was not the first to enlist in the Spanish-American war from our Sunday-school, be believed he was the first to lay down his life for his country in that war. It was fitting that this service should be held, not alone in memory of the young soldier, but out of respect for his parents who are faithful in their duties pertaining to the school and with whom we deeply sympathize.
A paper was then read by his teacher, Mrs. M. A. Barnes, which follows this report in full. Dr. Houghton in a short but feeling address spoke among other things of some of the good and generous qualities of the "boy" as he said Reed seemed to him and that he was one more to be added to the long list of those who had died in defense of their country's flag during the past forty years. His father is one of the several surviving veterans of the war for the preservation of the Union who belong with us. Another selection by the male quartet and the impressive service closed with prayer and benediction by the pastor.
Mrs. Barnes' paper was as follows:
Reed Lucas, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Lucas, was born in Elmira, N. Y., Dec. 28, 1881 and died at Havana, Cuba, Aug. 26, 1899, aged 17 years, 8 months and 3 days. When a child 3 years and 6 months of age, he came with his parents to Cortland which has since been his home. Naturally of a happy sunny disposition, he made many friends. During the pastorate of Dr. Houghton he united with the First M. E. church of Cortland and was a regular attendant of the prayer and class-meetings. Reed has always been a member of our Sunday-school. Nearly a year ago he joined my class, and was always faithful in attendance, never being absent except when out of town or sick. He often attended teachers' meeting, and would come to his class with some thought or question heard there.
At the breaking out of the Spanish-American war it was not strange that Reed, the son of a veteran of a war of '61, should have had a desire to see something of army life. On May 30, 1899, he enlisted and was sent at once to Cuba. In a letter I received from him in June, he said "I am just where I have so long wished to be at Moro Castle, at the entrance to Havana harbor." That he was a faithful soldier doing his duty at all times we know by the words of commendation written by his captain in a letter received by his father after his death, in which he says, "The conduct of Lucas has been most exemplary. Always diligent and conscientious in the performance of his duties, he soon attracted my special attention, and I felt he was one of the reliable kind I could depend upon."
What higher need of praise could a father and mother desire for their son? Although so far away he held our church in loving remembrance. In a letter I received June 25 he said, "I miss my church very much. The only service we have here is early mass at 8 o'clock. Of course I have nothing to do with that, yet I go to it every Sunday." In the same letter he speaks of his classmates in Sunday-school, he says, "Tell Austin White and all the rest of the boys I would enjoy getting a letter from them any time," and in closing said, "give my love to all the boys in our class." In our Sunday-school we shall no more see his pleasant face, or hear his cheery words of greeting. Thus,
Friend after friend departs,
Who hath not lost a friend?
There is to union here of hearts,
That finds not here an end!
Were this frail world our final rest,
Living or dying none were blest.
Although our friend sleeps far from home where no loving hands will strew the spring blossoms over his grave, let us hope that the flowers of that clime may rise unbidden to deck his last resting place, where he was laid with military honors by his comrades. To the stricken family we as a church and Sunday-school extend our heartfelt sympathy, asking God's special blessing on the heartbroken mother who is unable to be with us to-day. As the poet has said,
There is a world above
Where parting is unknown!
And faith beholds the dying here
Translated to that glorious sphere.
There is no flock, however watched and tended.
But one dead lamb is there!
There is no fireside howsoe'er defended
But has one vacant chair.
The air is full of farewells to the dying;
And mournings for the dead;
The heart of Rachel for her children crying,
Will not be comforted.
Let us be patient! These severe afflictions
Not from the ground arise.
But oftentimes celestial benedictions
Assumed this dark disguise.
He is not dead—the child of our affliction
But gone unto that school
Where he no longer needs our poor protection,
And Christ himself doth rule.
Change of Office Locations.
The Homer & Cortland Gas Co., which has had its offices in the second story of the Democrat building, is making preparations for the removal of its offices across the street with the Cortland Water Works Co. on the ground floor, and the two companies will occupy the same offices. The offices vacated by the gas company will be occupied by Robert Bushby, traveling passenger agent of the Grand Trunk railroad.
BREVITIES.
—A regular meeting of the Royal Arcanum will be held Tuesday evening. Sept. 12.
—The Ladies' Literary club will hold its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at the home of Mrs. N. H. Gillette, 20 West Court-st.
—Owing to the failure of Justice Mattice to arrive until 4:45 o'clock this afternoon, the term of supreme court was not opened until after that hour to-day.
—The STANDARD acknowledges the receipt of a little volume of poems entitled "Thusettes" by Eudorus C. Kenney whose reputation for verse making is well known throughout this county.
—New display advertisements to-day are—Burgess, Clothing, page 8; Model Clothing Co., Clothing, page 7; Buck & Lane, Andes stoves, page 6; Pearson Bros., Furniture, page 6; Stowell, Graniteware, page 7.
—The Ithaca Journal protests against the custom of many of the cottagers along Cayuga lake of going away at the season and leaving pet kittens starve to death. An Ithacan going down the shore of the lake a few days ago found a number of kittens so nearly starved that they could hardly walk.
McGRAW.
Breezy Items of Corset City Chat.
Following is taken from a letter received by Mrs. Preston Luce from her son, Frank D. Oliver, who is in the Philippines.
MANILA, June 28, 1899.
DEAR MOTHER—I received two letters from home and was glad to get them. I am in excellent health and think this country agrees with me. We have just come from a seven days' march through the mountains. On June 5 we were fighting all day long. Five of our men were killed and four wounded and it was a day I shall never forget. During the seven days we were out I did not have my shoes off and slept with my rifle and belt by my side. We took five towns. At one of them we had a little scrap and one of our men was killed. The chickens are as much afraid of the soldiers as the niggers are. Am writing this about three miles from Manila. Our regiment expected to be relieved from the lines, but has just received an order to go about forty miles by rail where there is an outbreak, so I can not finish this until we go and whip them.
Later—I now have time to finish my letter. We had quite a fierce battle, the results of which were that we killed, wounded and captured six hundred. They can't stand Uncle Sam's guns. We are back within four miles of Manila in a place called Sam Fernando. We have enough to eat and it is good enough for any one. Weather here is fine. Never felt better in my life then I do to-day.
Love to you and every one else,
FRANK D. OLIVER, Co. A., Ninth Infantry, U. S. Regulars.
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