The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-08-16
What We Think About ii Now

LUG DObtOu JNUhNAL, WulCu ubS uuu
great deal to say about what is called the
"Cleveland scandal, asks us 10 investi-
gate the matter for ourselves, and says it
knows it can lead to only one result"
relying on our promise not to support
n notorious libertine and profigate," as
n candidate for the Presidency of the
United States. There has been from
the beginning but little to investigate
and that little we have investigated to
onr own satisfaction. 1t is admitted by
years ago lie formed an irregular connec-
tion with a widow, with two children,
the eldest IA years DID, that she was
person of intemperate habits, and that
the paternity of IL child born subsequent
ly was doubtful, but he accepted it. aud
made provision for the child; that, after
suffering much annoyance from her
one OF the natural and com non penalties
of such errors--and after satisfying her
brother in-law, who appeared on the
scene rs her protector, that lie had be-
haved fairly toward her, he laid the
lawyer in high standing in Buffalo; that
Mr.. Burroughes advised him to leave it
to him, and thereafter took charge of it;
that he (AIr. Burroughes) conceiving the
mother, for the reason given above, un-
fit to have the custody of the child placed
it in an orphan asylum, the mother con-
senting thereto. and making, as we un-
derstand it, legal surrender OF the child
for that purpose, and occasionally visit
ing it at the asylum afterward; that she
subse quently stole aud carried it off from
the asylum; that Mr.. Burroughes was
notified of the facts by the authorities OF
the asylum; whereupon, acting on his
own responsibility and without Mr..
Clevelands knowledge, he employed q
detective to discover and look after the
child; that in one of the detectives Wis.,
its he found the mother suffering from
delirium tremeus and threatening to kill
the child, which lay on the floor; that
ne carried her off then to the Inebriate
Asylum for treatment and she stayed
there until she was cured. and no longer,
and the child was reetored TO its previous
guardians. The lawyer who acted for
the Soman in one stage of the affair has
formally and in writing repudinted any
| charge of seduction or brt ach of promise
of any kind. The family acknowledged
that Mr. Cleveland treated her generous.
! ly. So much for the charge of seduction
and kidnapping, which many newspapers
have been spreading. It was produce
originally by cheap and nasty journal in
Buffalo as salvation from impending
death. and has lIt;le other evidence to
rest on except the bare assertion Of Rev,
Mr.. Ball, Blptist minister in Buffalo,
who appears to dabble a good deal in
politics. Mr.. Ball has repeated his story
several times, but he does not supply
fresh reasons for believing il. II Cleve.
land is notorious profigate and liber.
tine," why did Mr. Ball not know il
when he was elected Mayor of his own
city in 1881, and when he was elected
Governor of the State in 1882! And if be
lid know it, why did he keep silent?
"Well, but" we shall be asked, "does
not the charge against Cleveland, as you
yourselves state aud admit it, disqnaliiy
him, in your estimation, for the Presi.
dency of the United States?" We ans.
wer frankly: Yes, if his opponent be
free from this stain, and as good man
in all other ways" We should like t.
see candidates for the Presidency models
OF all the virtues, pure as the snow and
steadiast as the eternal hills. But, wher
the alternative is man who, as the Buf.
'alo ExPREss-a political opponents mid
Immediately after his nomination, "that
the people OF Buffalo had known HIM ms
one of their worthiest citizens, one OF
their manifest men, faithful to his clients
faithful to his friends and faithful TO
every public trust" aud of whom the
Buffalo COMMERCIAL, another political
opponent, said that in opposing him 'ii
would not detract one jot or title from
the well. earned fame of the distinguished
] al. he
by bearing its standard" n good son and
good brother, aud unmarried in order
that he might be the better son aud
brother. against whom nothing can BE-
said except that he has not been proof
against one of the most powerf Il temp
ta;ions by which human nature is assail-
ed; or man convicted out of his own
mouth of having publicly lied In order
to hide his jobbery in Office, of having
offered his judicial decisions as a sign OF
his possible usefulness to railroad spec
ulators in case they paid him his price,
of trading in charters which had beeu
benefited by legislation in which he took
part, aud of having broken his word si
honor IN order to destroy documentary
evidence of his corruption man who
has accumulated fortune in few years
on the salary of a Congressman til, Z
we say emphatically no, ten thousand
times no. We should be ashamed oi
ourselves if we had any other answer tc
make, and are shocked aud amazed tc
hear that there are scores Of clergymer
ali over the country advising people who
care Tor morality to choose the trlckstel
and jobber because he is chaste before
tho honest man, faithful to every public
trust, because be has been weak before
a passion of which everybody knows thu
7 force.
We had supposed the reason of thi
: was so obvious that it did not need t.
be stated, Clevelanu's virtues are tbos,
which bind human society together ant
Ia which States are founded and main