The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-22
ORIGIN OF TEE CLEvELANp SCANDAL.


port; to tarnish or impair the reputation Of by
false tales maliciously told or propagated
With this definition we may judge whether
Mr.. Cleveland has been slandered by the min
listers of Buffalo, the Rochester Union (Dem.)
and Buffalo Telegraph Qnd.). In this con-
nection, the journal wishes to again call at
tention to the fact that the Cleveland scan
dan was of purely Democratic origin, the first
paper to publish it being none other than the
Rochester Union, paper without the shadow
of sympathy for the Republican party its
candidates OF principles. On the 23d Of June,
eighteen days before Cleveland was nominated,
and with the proclaimed intention Of helping
prevent his selection, the Union, then under
editorial management of William Purcell, re-
ferring to him, said:
do not know and have not heard that
either of them [Tilden or Butlerl ever had
concubine to put away or Legitimate progeny
to hide, in order to be able to masquerade be-
fore deceived public in the role of reformer.0
-Four days later, June 81, the Union, still
hoping to compass the rejection of Cleveland
said of him.
''The man who fills the chair Of President
of the United States should, in both private
and public character, be as pure as it is posi-
BILE for man to be- The highest elect OF the
people should be in truth, as well as in name
the first citizen of the land-should be in all
things an exemplar for old and young alike.
What lesson Of destruction would be taught
the youth Of the country if the fact were 9th
erwisei What outrage upon the manhood OF
the country would be the seating of one OF its
groveling types in the presidential chair
What insult to the womanhood of the country
would be the forcing of a polluted presence
upon American wives and daughters, whose
province and privilege it is, and whose neces-
sity it may be- to visit the White House, and
call upon and confer with the chief executive
of the government
This, be it remembered, is from purely
Democratic paper, pleading with its party not
to nominate Cleveland. Following this came
the post-convention expose by the Buffalo
Telegraph, an independent paper published
at Cleveland's home. This, in turn was sup
plemented by report of the Christian minis
of some eight of the leading preachers
Of that city, in which the disgusting and de-
plorable fact was plainly shown that Mr.
Cleveland was the father Of an illegitimate
child Of the age of about eight years. This
fact has been denied by no one, not even by
Mr.. Cleveland and his friends and apologists.
Adjutant-g general King, of Gov. Clevelands
staff, and self-constituted committee of indie
pendents made some inquiry into the merits
of the case, and with great display of indigna-
ton denied that Mr.. Cleveland was dissipated,
a charge that was never made, and only in
timated from the incidental statement of the
fact that he was occasionally in the habit of
going on spree with other hale fellows. They
all admitted the truth of the central charge as
to the existence of an llegitimate child, but
apologized for Cleveland by alleging that its
mother was widow-and, as monstrous as it
may seem, could not therefore be seduced--
and for the further reason that he had made it
all right by paying her money! In all this
there is not line nor word from Republican
sources.
After the nomination of Mr.. Cleveland,
Mr.. Purcell, unable to conscientiously sup
Union and resigned from the Democratic
electoral ticket. AS late as two weeks ago
in reply to letter asking if his objections
were not of personal nature, he said:
$50 far as am concerned have no per-
sonal grievance against Mr.. Cleveland; and if
] had one, or dozen, and had no other
reasons for refusing to stand before the people
in public attitude as his advocate in the
press and his standard bearer in the field, you
would find me to-day and throughout the
canvass foremost in the fight, as / have been
in every election, national, State and local.
supporting every regular nomination at my
post | have given In as condensed and
pointed language as | knew how to use, both
before and after Mr.. Cleveland's nomination,
the reasons which determined my course in
the event of that nomination, before it was
made. do not care to elaborate those reasons
or 90 over the ground upon which they are
based. They are not personal, but OF the
highest public character"
Less than two weeks ago the New York
Post, Cleveland organ, said:
11t is admitted by Governor Cleveland's
friends that twelve [eight] years ago he
formed an irregular connection with widow,
and that the paternity of child born
subsequently, was doubtful, but he accepted it"
The formal report Of the committee Of in
dependents who took it upon themselves to
investigate the charge CONTAINS this one par
agraph in answer to the Ilincipal charge:
1--WE have been particularly careful and
thorough in our investigations of the alleged
betrayal abduction and inhuman treatment of
woman of this city, as detailed in local
newspaper. The circumstance out Of which
this story was fabricated occurred eight years