The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-27

the of most brilliant order of intellect,
rich in wit and culture, and who possess
ed social qualities of the rarest spirit.
His open handed liberality and genial
presence were unsurpassed. His nature
was frank, honorable, and wholly sunny,
and he made friends at every turn. 1t
will be pleasant reflection to his nearest
Of kin, when the cruel shock of his death
is softened by time, to know that Oscar
had not an enemy in the world.
The Express had not then heard of the
Rev George II. Ball, who, although he
had often been the recipient of kindnesses
at the home of Oscars father, was the
first man in Buffalo 10 drag his name
from the honored place it occupied and
subject it to suspicion and shame.
In addition to the quoted tributes of
the press Oscar Folsom's death was made
the occasion of the most notable obituary
assemSlage in the history of the Buffalo
Bar association. The character of the
meeting may be judged from the names of
the prominent lawyers who addressed it.
These were Gen. 5. A. Scroggs, Grover
Cleveland, Judge George Clinton, George
S. Wardwell, Henry NJ. Box, the late
Senator A. P. Laning, Lieut. Gov. Dor
sheimer, Col. James M. Willett. and M.
A Whitney. The military organizations
and the Alpha Delta Phi society also took
part in the proceedings, the report of
which occupies three columns in Mr..
James D. Warren paper. Grover Cleve
land was the closest personal friend OF
the subject of this demonstration, and SO
it is not surprising that he Should be
deeply grieyed that his candidacy for the
presidency should be the occasion for the
publication of shameful slur uson his
friends memory.
Last night the Daily News correspond
ent asked the Rev. Mr.. Ball what wars
rant he had for using the name of Oscar
Folsom in connection with Marie Ialpins
child. He said that Mrs Baker, with
whom Mrs. Halpin lived after the chlld's
birth, told him that she called the boy
Oscar Folsom Cleveland This was before
the scandal story had got into print, for
since then Mrs. Baker has been more
guarded in her statements. There is no
ObilG4 tFHltuGC tIiNt llit 10Y was NNCl
called Oscar Folsom Cleveland. He was
taken TO orphan asylum the first time by
his mother, and his name entered as Os
car Halpin. She subsequently abducted
him, but by whom he was afterward re-
stored to The institution is left blank in
the entry.
About the only facts in connection
~ ~. = -.
not disputed by somebody in Buffalo are
these: Grover Cleveland aud Oscar Fol
som were the closest possible friends
the former a bachelor, the latter IA mar
ried man with a young daughter. Mrs.
Marie HalpIn, widow with two legiti-
mate children-one 10 and the other II
years old ut the time-had an illcgitimatr
son in 1874 whom she named Oscar Hal
pin. The Rev. Mr.. Ball says Mrs Baker
told him the boy in his bsbyhood was
know as Oscar Folsom Cleveland Clrvc>
land assumed the responsibility of, pto-
viding for the boy, which bore mis- friend S
Christian name and bears it yet. Mrs.
Halpin became Crazed through drink,
but seems to have overcome her bad hab>
its and wherever she is living today
avoids publicity and does not now appear
in the role of an outraged victim of Cleve-
lands immortality or cruel treatment.
Cleveland retained the friendship Of Ose
car Folsom until death parted them. Foi>
SONS widow and daughter and all his re-
lations are today the close friends and
ardent supporters of Grover Cleveland.
What does all this mean? Defamers of
Cleveland ask the American public to be-
lieve that Cleveland, bachelor, was the
father OF Mrs. Halpin's illegitimate son
and named it after his closest friend, Os
car Folsom, a married man, and yet that
friend remained. to death his friend, and
since then Oscar Folsom's relatives CON
tinue Cleveland's friends. Does not all
the knowledge of human feeling and
plain common sense reject such conc
| fusion? Is not the other deduction from
the known facts more consonant will
rcas0n-that Cleveland, to protect the
good name of his friend and the honor of
his family, took upon himself to provide
for the offspring Of that friends incontin-
ence?
This view affords an obvious explains
ton of why Gov. Cleveland refuses tC
vouchsafe anything further in denial or
admission OF the charges against him thar
his simple laconic Tell the truth" Thai
truth, as his living friends have been per
mitted to know it from him, has been
told But they admit that, if Grover
| Cleveland in Oscar FOlsom's lifetime haC
| deemed it duty to protect his friend
name and family, not for the presidency
nor the promise of any earthly reward
nor the fear of the vilest obloquy viciou!
| partisanship might invent would he nov
| by word, act, or inference suffer shame tt
come to the memory of his dead friend
Your correspondent is aware that thi!
| deduction from Clcveland's reticcnce ant
| that of his friends has been branded as {
malicious and vile SANDER upon a deaC
mans reputation by the cousin of Osca
Folsom, who declares that his cousin
bore q spotless reputation but by as gooC
testimony as sustains any of the charge!
against Cleveland the Daily NeaoS CORE
spondent has heard the fair name of Os-
car Folsom impcached. The same tongue
that first gave prominence to the HalpiF
scandal has little good to say for Osca
| Folsom. In fact, if he were alive anC
running for the presidency on the demo
cratic ticket your correspondent has per
sonal reason for believing that the Rev
George II. Ball would feel it his Christian
duty to paint him as black a devil as HI
has described Cleveland. But, as shown
in reference to FolsOm's death, the Rev
Mr.. Ball is a reckless witness. In hal
hour conversation with him last nigh
your correspondent listened to more fiji
thy. scandalous and incredible storie
about Grover Cleveland than he has heart
from lips reverend or law since he was il
Augusta a week ago. when his ears wer
defiled by the same Ieek of partisan
hatred against James G. Blaine, Anon!
the same class of peeping gossiping, scan
dial mongering democrats in Maine as tn
republicans of Buffalo from whom tn
Rev. Mr.. Ball has derived the vile grount
work of his charges against Mr.. Cleve