The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-26
More Extracts from the Religious
Press.


Boston Congregationalist, Aug. 21.l
The charges against Governor Clevela nd 3
private character have received several So
called refutations, including that of the 16 IT,
dependent Republicans of Buffalo, mentioned
by US last week. and another by the Rev. DR..
Twining of the Independent, in the last issue
OF that journal. The question wheth-
er he is man Of correct life at present, there
fore, has the utmost importance. Upon this
point testimony differs, but the weight of it
certainly is adverse to Governor Cleveland.
The authors of the various refutations declare
that he is not corrupt, and of course believe SO.
more weighty than that-leaving out of ac-
count the Buffalo Evening Telegraph and the
Rev. DR.. Ball, whose evidence has not been
discredited-of numerous other gentlemen,
ministers and laymen in Buffalo and else
where, who contradict them sQuarely. We
should be more than glad if we could see our
way to believe the refutations, but we are con-
stantly receiving new evidence on the matter,
and the better opportunities our informants
seem to have had of knowing the actual facts,
the more emphatic is their testimony against
Governor Cleveland The best that can be
said for him IS only that some good and true
men believe 10 the uprightness of his present
as to enable all men to accept their view, but
we greatly fear that they will not.
IN. Y Evangelist, Aug. 21,l
Putting these five reports together, and ex-
Guiding all charges of continued immortality as
improved; combining ourselves to the one soli-
tary fact, which not even the governors nearest
and dearsst friends presume to deDy-what
then? To repeat the question asked BY the
Evening Post at the head of long and la
bored article in his defence, "What do we think
of it now?" We answer that we think it is a
very bad business. In saying this, We dc not
judge it by the highest moral standards, bat by
the standards OF common decency and COM
mon humanity; of that respect which man.
hood owes to womanhood, which strength owes
to weakness-to be its protector and not its
destroyer.
Disguise it as you will gloss it over, or call il
by other names, it is a sickening story, which
we cannot read without feeling of horror and
disgust. 1t has wrought q woman's ruin.
Whether it was wrought by one alone or by
many, matters not; the crime is done, and its
bitter fruits remainl
Knowing what we do in regard to Governor
Cleveland's past life, we must reason upon
probabilities. There is nothing in life to re-
form itself. He who has not left his vicious
courses behind him at So can hardly be expect.
ed to leave them behind at 40 or 40; at least SC
long as he has no true domestic life-no home
no tireside-but lives the life of a man about
town. in hotels and clubs and saloons.
And now what does all this prove? That Gov
Cleveland is man of immoral life? By nc
| means; it proves nothing; but it creates a sus
| picion OF many things which we would rather
| not have to think about. We do not wish tc
accuse any man wrongfully, or even to suspect
him wrongfnlly, aud yet we are haunted by a
terrible fear. We are left in state of uncer.
| tainty, in which the heart sinks with a name
| less dread. 1t is for the Christian people q
| this country to look at these things withou,
passion and violence, but with open :eyes; anG
without being swayed by party feeling, but
acting "soberly. discreetly, Sand in the fear O
| God," to say whether a man of whom the,
have such fears and forebodings, is the sort O
man whom they wish to see President of th,
| United States.