The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-11-15
Conclusions OF an Independent Commit
fee Of Investigation.


When the recent scandal concerning
Mr.. Cleveland was first published, the
New York Independents appinted com.
mittee at Buffalo to investigate the az
fair, and this is the result of the inyes-
tigation:
AS Republicans aud Independents residing
in Buffalo. and having peculiar means OF
know, edge, we have been called upon by pri
waite letter and otherwise for information in
regard to the. scandals which have been put
I'm circulation respecting overnor Cleveland 8
private life. We have felt it to be duty i'm
posed on us by circumstances to examine
these stories in detail and to make formal
statement OF the results. No such examina-
ton would have been necessary to satisfy
ourselves; but it was due to those who have
read the charges against Governor Cleveland
without knowing personally his general char
acter and reputation in this community, and
without knowing either the position or the
means of information of those who have
made the charges. thitwe should not put forth
mere general statement without previous
Investigation.
We have, therefore, through a committee
appointed from our number Tor that purpose,
carefully and deliberately made an investiga-
ton, and we have. taken every available
means 10 ascertain the precise facts in each
case. The general charges of drunkenness
and gross immortality which are made against
Governor Cievelaadas absolutely false. His
reputation for morality has always been good.
There is no foundation for any statement to
the contrary. r.---- f q:
He was sought out and nominated for the
Mayoralty against his will. and was supported
for that position by the larger portion OF the
educated, Intelligent and moral citizens of
Buffalo. without regard TO politics and on
purely personal grounds After be tad gone
through the contest he was az ain put forwa,
as one OF the most distinguished citizens Of
Buffalo as Il candidate for the Governorship,
and again received the support of the same
class o. his feilow-citizens. In this commune
ty, where he had lived for twenty nine years.
where his life was known and his character
we'd understood. this support would. mot
have been given to him had he been either
drunkard or lbertine. We are able
to speak from personal knowledge, as
his acquaintance of long standing. and to
say that mis- general private life has been
that of quiet. orderly, self-respecting,
and always highly respected citizen.
its to Buffalo have been few and OF short du-
ration. 1t is susceptible of absolute proof,
and has been proved 10 us, that upon no one of
these visits has anything occurred to Justify
the statements which have been made by his
detractors. The charge that he has recently
taken part in drunken and licentious de-
bauch in Buffalo on the occasion of such q
visit is entirely false. We have been partic.
ulariy careful and thorough in our inyestiQa-
tons OF the al eyed betrayal, abduction and
inhuman treatment OF woman of this city
as detailed in local newspaper.
The circumstances out of which this story
was fabrs Gated occurred eight years ago The
woman in question was at that time widow
w
two children. the youngest of whom was ten
years old. The facts of this case show that
she was not betrayed, and that the allegations
respecting her abduction and Entertainment
are wholly false. We deem these the only
features of the chargein connection with TINS
matter which constitute public question re-
quiring any declaration on our part Our ex-
animation of the other charges which have
been made against Governor C.eveiands pri-
waite character shows that they are wholly I'M
true, In every instance in which the reports
a IA m Tn hlox
furnish clue 70 guide US in our investiga
tons they have been positively proven to be
false.
The attack upon Governor Cleveland's
character is thoroughly discreiited when we
consider the sources from which it comes. IL
was first publicly made in Buffalo by news
paper of no standing whatever We have
twice called upon the editor of this paper
and asked him to produce his proofs, the
names. dates and other particulars, which he
had publicly stated he was at liberty to show
He declines to do so. or to facilitate investi
CATION into the truth of either his own
charges or those contained in the anonymous
letter which he published. He admitted that
he had no evidences TO support any accuse
ton against Grover Cleveland except in the
one instance TO which we have particularly
referred. lie rested his case on that story,
and, as to that story, he is contradcted by
the witnesses having personal knowledge.
The two clergymen whose profession has
been invoked to give weight to these charges
have no pei ,nal knowledge of the facts, and,
under the circumstances, could not possibly
have such knowledge. They have ventured
10 state as facts known to themselves stories
which rest upon the merest hearsay, and
which. when traced to their alleged sources,
are in every case denied by the persons to
whom they are ascribed. We have designed
to make q candid and judicial statement OF
the results of our investigation of this matter
without partisan coioring. We have not
thought it necessary or proper to repeat the
charges against Governor Cleveland In detail,
nor to present in full the evidence by which
they have been disproyed.
JOHN b. OLMSrEAD, JOHN H. COwING,
RALPH STONE, JOSIAH C. MUNRO,
J. TALLMAN DAVIS. ANsLEx WILCOX,
JOHN e. RANSOM, l.. d. RuMsEY,
HENRY ALTMAN. VIM. +. KIP,
HENRY w. SPRAGUE, G.. BARRETT RICH.
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