The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-27
Politics OF the Religious Press.

hOAhihopiOhot WO OAu oep bbO lOlOWiuBs
The Independent early declared its pur-
pose not to support Mr.. Blaine and looked
hopefully to the nomination of Governor
Cleveland by the democracy. When the
charges against Mr.. Cleveland came out
that paper sent reverend member of
its staff to Buffalo to investigate them.
1t is led by this investigation to say in
| its last issue:
ION this subject, as 1t now stands, we will
| not be slow to give advice. The conditions
| have wholly changed since the independent
conference. Then we we're ready with a real
enthusiasm to support the tried and, as we
| then believed, honest reformer, Grover Cleve-
land. Now, without one word in derogation
of his record as governor of this state, our
| enthusiasm Is wiped out by the discovery of
the acknowledged and awful facts We hence
desire to have all our readers plainly under
| stand, once for all, that whatever has been
said in the editorial columns Of the Independent
| favorable to the election Of Governor Cleve-
| land was said prior to the recent sick ening
disclosures in regard to his private character,
| which have justly shocked the moral sense
| OF all pure and right-minded people, The
attempt now to force such a candidate upon
the people would, in our opinion, disgrace the
party which nominated him. and the whole
nation should he be elected. Wewil have no
hand or voice In helping on this matter, let
| the consequences be what they may, and we
| will not advise the readers Of the Independent
| to smother their conscience and disgrace
| themselves by engaging directly or indirectly
| in any such movement. Governor Cleveland
| should positively decline to be candidate,
and withdraw Immediately from the canvass
and be compelled to do 80 IL 1t Is necessary.
| The party which nominated him through its
| chosen representatives should then reconvene
and select a new ticket that will command the
hearty support Of the people of all parties
| There is time enough to do this and there is no
| hope or safety in any other course. To stand
still now, or attempt to go blindly forward
with the present ticket, would in our judg-
ment, be an insult to the Ruler of Nations,
| sure death to the democratic party, including
also its leaders, and an everlasting disgrace to
the republic"
The Christian Union, thoroughly indie
pendent and candid in its political utter.
ances, says:
Neither Mr.. Cleveland's reputation nor the
| cause which he represents is helped by the de-
| fences which have been attempted in certain
| quarters. III the charges against Governor
| Cleveland are true, his friends should counsel
| him to take himself off from the ticket; and il
| they do not the lovers of domestic purity and
the respecters of womanhood should sweep
| him off,
The Chicago Advance repudiates the
doctrine of the independents that, though
"the issues of the canvass are moral
rather than POLITICAL" still private charac-
ter has nothing to do with candidacy for
public office. The Advance says:
The intimation in some quarters that citi-
| zens have nothing to do with the private char
| acter Of nominee for the presidency is a dis
| graceful intimation We should sincerely re-
| joice If Mr.. Cleveland could clear his record
| 1t is high time to do it. Every citizen who re-
spects himself will join the demand that he
shall either do 1t promptly and thoroughly or
withdraw from this canvass"
The Congregationalist repudiated Blaine,
but it joins in the cry for the withdrawal
of Cleveland:
| Common decency, the morals OF the young,
regard for the sacredness Of home life, and the
| very maintenance of our national existence re-
quire that the president Of these United States
our foremost representative official before the
| world-should be man OF pure private morals
as we'll as of public integrity. II these charges
be untrue it ought to be easy to show the fact.
| They are definite and personally endorsed. If
| they be not disproved, then the indignant pub
|
voice, and the party which nominated Governor
| Cleveland should demand that he withdraw
from the ticket which his name now leads"
The 81. Mary's Institute Journal, Ro-
man Catholic paper published at Amster-
dam, N. Y, repudiates Cleveland by rea-
son of his immoralities, and says:
The only chance of success for the democ-
l H. . I.A =. A. A.
drawal of Cleveland and the substitution of a
statesman with a clean heart and hands. The
democratic party is rich in great men who
would honor the presidential Office, and who
would be well-nigh certain Of election"
The Catholic Universe, edited by Bishop
Spalding of Cleveland, among many other
plain things has the following:
That candidates personal character is not
| to be questioned, II not the argument of mer-
censry or of a blind partisan can only mean
that moral character Is not to be weighed in
trusting and honoring a public official. To
such as have degenerated into that contention
we have no reply to make; no party could dis
| cpline us into such tenet What
an insult to party that contains the pure and
statesmanly SeymOurs, Humans and Bayards
exalted in private as in public life.
Extracts of similar purport might be
made from long list of religious journals
published in all parts of the country and
without distinction of denomination. The
New York Sun, after reviewing the atti-
tude of these papers toward the demo-
cratic nominee, says; We are well
aware that considerable class of pol
iticians think that it does not weaken a
candidate for the presidency to be known
as gross and licentious man but Mr..
Cleveland occupies position very differ
ent from that of ordinary candidates. He
is running on the supposed purity and
elevation of his personal character, and
what might be of comparatively little eff
feet, when alleged by influential Chris
tian journals, against an irreligious man
OF the world, is probably fatal when al
legged against him. And in this case, it
must be remembered, the main facts are
admitted and fully established. The
final truth is, that the only chance of demo-
cratic success in the present campaign
lies in the course indicated by the Inde.
pendent. The withdrawal of Cleveland
| and the substitution of Allen G.. Thur