would torture the
truth out of a rascal, and at one time they believed that if a man
swore falsely he might be struck by lightning or paralyzed. But
so many people have sworn to lies without having their health
impaired that the old superstition has very little weight with the
average witness. I think it would be far better to let every man
tell his story; let him be cross-examined, let the jury find out
as much as they can of his character, of his standing among his
neighbors--then weigh his testimony in the scale of reason. The
oath is born of superstition, and everything born of superstition
is bad. The oath gives the lie currency; it gives it for the moment
the ring of true metal, and the ordinary average juror is imposed
upon and justice in many instances defeated. Nothing can be more
absurd than the swearing of a man to support the Constitution.
Let him do what he likes. If he does not support the Constitution,
the probability is that his constituents will refuse to support
him. Every man who swears to support the Constitution swears to
support it as he understands it, and no two understand it exactly
alike. Now, if the oath brightened a man's intellect or added to
his information or increased his patriotism or gave him a little
more honesty, it would be a good thing--but it doesn't. And as a
consequence it is a very useless and absurd proceeding. Nothing
amuses me more in a court than to see one calf kissing the tanned
skin of another.

--_The Courier_, Buffalo, New York, May 19, 1884.

REPLY TO A BUFFALO CRITIC.

_Question_. What have you to say in reply to the letter in to-
day's _Times_ signed R. H. S.?

_Answer_. I find that I am accused of "four flagrant wrongs," and
while I am not as yet suffering from the qualms of conscience, nor
do I feel called upon to confess and be forgiven, yet I have
something to say in self-defence.

As to the first objection made by your correspondent, namely, that
my doctrine deprives people of the hope that after this life is
ended they will meet their fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers,
long since passed away, in the land beyond the grave, and there
enjoy their company forever, I have this to say: If Christianity
is true we are not quite certain of meeting our relatives and
friends where we can enjoy their company forever. If Christianity
is true most of our friends will be in hell. The ones I love best
and whose memory I cherish will certainly be a