Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-11

7SorcAY nvENrNa, AUG. II. iss4.


Tha % called scandal " about Gov.
gJlevelapd first found expression, we be-
lleve, IN the newspaper..of Mr.. VIA. Pur.
osll. prominent and influential Demo
erat Of Rochester. 1t had been bruited
about before and both when Mr..
Cleveland was candidate for mayor
and when he was nominated for governor,
sIl the facts Of the case-whatever they
were and when they were several years
fresher than they are now-were known
10 the people Of Buffalo and to the man
agers Of the Republican party in New
York. That the latter made them the
basis OF no attack then and that the
former manifested no lack Of respect for
Cleveland, are the best evidence that
they were discredited for the purposes Of
campaign material.
Mr.. Purcell renewed them after he
had been defeated for secretary Of state
and denied the appointment Of railroad
commissioner, which he sought from
Gov. Cleveland. He circulated these
reports at chicago and those to whom
be told the tale were not impressed with
them even as he colored the story. lie
has since been quoted as having said that
Gov. Cleveland was a moral leper."
The best answer to Mr.. Purcell's accu-
sations Is this card, which he, himself,
now prints:
Two days after the appearance in the
Buffalo EceRing Telegraph Of the article
headed A Terrible Tale" in conversation
with representative of the New Yorh
Sun remarked that upon the then ex
isting state oi facts Gov. Cleveland mus
be considered moral leper. The conclu
sion without the premise was and has sinct
been extensively copied. l now desire to say
that information has come to me from a
source in which place implicit confidence
materially changing the state Of facts upor
which the remark was made. Hence, in
justice to Gov. Cleveland, to myself and tc
all others whom 1t may concern, withdraw
the characterization and request that here.
after 1t be not attributed to me.
WILLIAM PURCELL.
Rooh ester, Aug. 0, 1884.
In the meantime the so-called scanda
has been vigorously investigated. Th'
whole foundation for it is discovered t
be the allegation that thirteen years ag,
Mr.. Cleveland had irregular relations
with widow, who was not virtuou'
woman that he assumed the paternity
and responsibility of child of doubtful
parentage and in all things behaved a:
a man of sense and honor, who had
yielded to an infirmity OF human nature
from which, unhappily, few men Of
whatever station have been exempt
Out of this has been woven tht
story that MIR. Cleveland was 1
libertine and man Of immoral character
Such charge is as Indignantly false a
II made Of Washington, Jackson, Web
ster or hundred others who have stoo,
high in the affections and confidence o
their cOuntrymen /; and 1t has not nearl
80 much OF truth in it refer red to Cleve
land as If alleged of a long line of illus
triOus Republican statesmen from Alex
Hamilton, who founded their party, t,
James A. Garfield, its last elected presi
dent, whom the Examiner admits that
the New York Post had in view when il
said if a virtuous standard were set uI
"it would, had the Democrats chosen to
apply it, have defeated one Republican
candidate for the presidency by charges
worse by far than Cleveland's in that
they added the sin of broken VOWS to the
sin Of incontinence."
Everything now known Of Garfield was
known when he was candidate for presi-
dent that it was not exposed by the
Democrats was probably due to the
same consideration which ha:
withheld them from an investigation
into Mr.. Blaine's family history or some
of Mr.. Logan's personal associations
But If there is to be campaign of this
sort, we beg to serve notice on all con
cerned, whether with reference to the
national, state or local campaign, that
the Democracy can afford to say
Lay on Macdun
And d-d bo he who rrst cries: Hold
enough"