Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-08-14
THE oLBvBnAsD SCANDAL.



Iicmu Investigations.
Several members of the independent |
Repu blican party, resident In Buffalo,
recently determined to thoroughly inves- |
tigate the charges made against Governor
Cleveland aud so extensively circulated
by the Blaine managers. They made this
Investigation, not as members OF the
independent Republican party, but as
oitisens Of Buffalo who wished to forever
set at rest the ISLANDERS that had been
uttered against the man whom they had
raised to the highest office In their gift,
the may orally OF their city. The result
OF their lsbors is given In the following
addr, IS, which ssthey Monday made
public:
To The Independent Republicans Of the
Nation. As Republicans and Indepen-
dents residing in Buffalo, and having
peculiar means Of knowledge, we have
been called upon by private letter and
otherwise for information In regard to
the scar dals which have been put In
circulation respecting Governor Cleve.
laud's private life. We have felt 1t to be
duty imposed on us by circumstances
TO examine these stories in detail ard to
make formal statement OF the results.
No such examination would have been
necessary TO satisfy ourselves; but 1t was
due 10 those who have read the charges
against Governor Cleveland without
knowing personally his general character
and reputation In this Community, and
without knowing either the position or
the means OF information Of those who
have made the charges, that we should
not put forth mere general statement
without a previous investig ation.
We have therefore, through COM
mittee appointed from our number for
that purpose, carefully and deliberately
made such an investigation, and we have
taken every available means to ascertain
the precise fact In each case.
THE GOVERNORS UEsTAINBD REPUTATION.
The general charges Of drunkenness
| and gross immortality which are made
against Governor Cleveland are abso-
lutely false. His reputation for morality
has always been good. There is no
foundation for any statement TO the CON-
trary. He was sought out and nomi-
mated for the mayorslity against his will,
and was supported for that position by
the larger portion Of the educated, intel
ligent and moral citizens Of Buffalo
without regard to politics, and or
purely personal grounds. After he had
gone through this contest he was sgair
put forward as one of the most dis
tinguished citizens of Buffalo, as q oADdi-
date for the governorship, and again re
ceived the support Of the same class o.
his fellow-oitizens. In this community,
where he had lived for 20 years, and
, where his life was known and his char
aoter well understood, this support would
not have been given to him had he beer
either q drunkard or hbertine. W,
} are able to speak from personal know
ledge as his aoquaintsnoes Of long stand
ing, and to say that his generAl-Privat'
life has been that Of quiet, orderly
} seli-respecting and always highly re
speoted citizen.
J Since he assumed his present office hii
J visits to Buffalo have been few and o
; short duration. It is susceptible Of alb
solute proof, and has been proved TO US
} that upon no one of these visits has any
, thing occurred to justify the statements
which have been made by his detractors
! The charge that he has recently tAker
: part in drunken and licentious de
} bauch in Buffalo ON the occasion Of suol
visit Is entirely false.
A CAREFUL AND THOROUGH INQUIRY.
We have been particularly careful an,
thorough in our investigations OF tn
! alleged betrayal, abduction and inhumai
treatment OF woman of this city, as de
. tailed In q local newspaper. The circum
I stances out Of which this story was fabri
? Gated occurred eight years ago. Tn
l l IN. ~ hat
) widow, between 80 and 90 years OF age
with two children, the younger of whun
was 10 years old. The facts Of the cas-
7 show that she was not betrayed and tina
! the allegations respecting her abduction
? and i'll treatment are wholly false. W
Z deem these the only features Of tn
y charges in connection with this matte
. which constitute public question re
. quiring any declaration on cur part.
!. Our examination of the other charge
which have been made against Governo
Cleveland's private character shows tina
}. they are wholly untrue. In every in
9 stance In which the reports and insinus
10 lions have bnen tangible enough to fur
n nish elew to guide US in our investigs
IS tion they have beea positively proved t
e be false.
"a Tie attack upon Governor Cleveland
e character ia thoroughly discredited whel
d We consider the sources from which /
3, came. 1t was first publicly made 4
l, Buffalo By newspaper of NO standiI
10 whatever. We have twice called upo
% the editor OF the paper and asked him I
10 produce his proofs--the names, dates an
other partioulars-which he had publicl
stated he was at liberty TO show. II
d declines to do 30 or to facilitate investizs
Ia tion into the truth Of either his oW
.s charges or those contained in the snony
nous letter which he published. He al
mittsd that he had no evidence to sur
"a port any accusation against Govern0
Cleveland, except in the one instance /
~ which We have particularly referred. Il
10 rested his case on that story, and as ,
" that story he is contrsdicted by the wi
- nesases having personal knowledge.
"a ALL HEARsAY.
The two clsrgymen, whose profession
has been invoked 10 give weight to thes
Ia charges, have no personal knowledge
ia the facts, and under the circumstance
Of could not possibly hsvs such knowledge
m They have ventured to state as fact
known to themselves stories which res
upon the merest heaesay, and which
!, when traced to their alleged sources, ar
= in every case denied by the persons I
whom they are aseribed.
a We have designed to make oAndi
u ard judicial statement of the results Z
i. = our investigation of this matter, withou
i psrtizan colcriug. We have not though
it necessary or proper to repeat th
: charges against Governor Cleveland i,
= detail, nor to present in full the eyidsnc
= by which they have been disproved.
q q JOHN II. CowING,
AHsLEY Wilcox,