But he possessed them to a degree other men do not.' By the end of his second term, public perception showed him to be one of the most unpopular U.S. presidents, and he was by then rejected even by most Democrats. Today, Cleveland is considered by most historians to have been a successful leader, generally ranked among the upper-mid tier of American presidents. Regarding Cleveland, commentator Jeff Jacoby notes that, 'Not since George Washington had a candidate for President been so renowned for his rectitude.' But the Republicans found a refutation buried in Cleveland's past. Aided by the sermons of Reverend George H. Ball, a minister from Buffalo, they made public the allegation that Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child while he was a lawyer there, and their rallies soon included the chant 'Ma, Ma, where's my Pa?'. When confronted with the scandal, Cleveland immediately instructed his supporters to 'Above all, tell the truth.'