Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-08-12
THE CLEVELAND SCANDAL.

The following address was adopted by
the national independent committee at Buff.
falo, N. Y:
To the independent republicans OF the
nation AS republicans and independents
residing in Buffalo, and having peculiar
means of knowledge, we have been called
upon by private letters and otherwise for
information in regard TO the scandals which
have been put i'll circulation respecting
Gov. Cleveland's private life. We have
felt it TO be duty imposed on liz by CIR
cumstances to examine the stories III detail
and make u formal statement oil the results.
No such examination would have been ne
cessary to satisfy ourselves, but it was due
| 10 those who have read the charges against
Gov. Cleveland, without knowing personal
| ly his general character and reputation in
| this community: without knowing either
the position or the information of those
who have made the charges, that we should
not put forth mere general Statement
without previous investigation. We
have, therefore, through q committee ap-
| pointed from our number for that purpose,
carefully and deliberately made such an i'll
vestigalion, and we have taken every avail
able means 10 assertion tho precise facts in
| each ease.
The general charges Of drunkenness and
gross immortality which are ma'ie against
| Governor Cleveland are absolutely false
His reputation for morality has always been
good. There is no foundation for any state
| ment to the contrary. He was sought out
and nominated for the Mayoralty against
his will, and was supported for that position
by the larger portion of the educated, intel
| lgent, and moral citizens of Buffalo without
| regard to politics and on purely personal
grounds. After he had gone through this
contest he was again put forward as one OF
the most distinguished citizens of Buffalo rs
candidate for the Governorship, and again
received the support Of the same class of his
fellow citizens in this community, where he
had lived for twenty-nine years, and where
his life was known and his character well
understood. This support would not have
been given to him had he been either
drunkard or a libertine. We are able to
speak from personal knowledge as his ac-
quaintances of long standing, and to say
that his general private life has been that of
quiet, orderly, self-respecting and always
highly respected citizen. Since he assumed
his present office his visits to Buffalo have
been few and of short duration. 1t is sus-
ceptibe of absolute proof, and has been
roved to us, that upon no one of these visits
has anything occurred to justify the state
ments which have been made by his detrac-
tors. The charge that he has recently taken
part in a drunken and licentious debauch i'll
Buffalo, OH the occasion of such visit, is
entirely false.
We have been particularly careful and
thorough in our Investigations of the al
legged betrayal, abduction and inhuman
treatment of Il woman Of this city as de-
tailed in local newspaper. The crcnm-
stances out OF which this story was labri-
Gated occurred eight years ago. The To.
man in question was at that time widow,
between 30 and 40 years of age, with two
children, the younger of whom was 10 years
old. The facts of the case show that she
was not seduced and that the allegations
respecting her abduction and i'll treatment
are wholly false We deem these the only
features of the charge in connection with
this matter which constitute IL public ques-
ton requiring any declaration on our part.
Our examination of the other charges
which have been made against Governor
Cleveland's private character shows that
they are wholly untrue. In every Instance
in which the reports and insinuations have
been tangible enough TO furnish a clew to
guide us in our Investigations they have
been positively proved to he false.
The attack upon Governor CIevelanh's
character is thoroughly discredted when
we consider the sources from which it
comes. 1t was first publicly made in Buf
falo by newspaper Of no standing what
ever. We have twice called upon the
editor of this paper and asked him to pro
duce his proof, the names, dates and other
particulars which he had publicly stated he
was at liberty to show. He declines
to do so or to facilitate investigation
into the truth of either his own
charges or those contained in the anon
ymous letter which he published. He.
admitted that he had no evidence to support
any accusation against Governor Cleveland
except in the one Instance to which we have
particularly referred. He rested his case on
that story, and as to that story he is con-
tradicted by the witnesses having personal
knowledge.
The two clergymen whose profession has
been invoked to give weight to these charg
es have no personal knowledge of the facts,
and under the circumstances could not pos
sibly have such knowledge. They have
ventured to state, as facts known TO them
selves, stories which rest upon the mercst
hearsay, and which, when traced tother al
legged sources, are in every case denied by
the persons to whom they are ascribed.
We have designed to make candid and in
dicial statement of the results of our inves.
tigaion Of the matter without the partisan
cooring. We have not thought it necessary
or proper to repeat charges against Cover
nor Cleveland in detail, nor TO present in
full the evidence by which they have been
disproved.
Buffalo, N. Y, August 9, 1854.
Signed by John H. Cowing, Ansley Will
cox, William F. Kip, Thomas Cary, George
P. Sawyer, Ralph Stone. John f. Ransom,
Henry w. Sprague, Josiah G. Munroe, Law
renee D. Rumsey. G. Barrett Rich, Charles
P. Norton, John B. Olmstead, J. Tallman
Davis, Henry Altman and J. n. Larned.
The history Of the Wallstreet Rank, the
failure of which was announced yesterday,
was peculiar one. 1t was organized about
two years ago by Wall.street men during
the agitation regarding the establishment Of