West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-09-12
Conclusions OF an indcpcn lent Commit
tco or Investigation.

When the recent scandal concerning
Mr. Cleveland was first published. the
New Ork Independents appintcd a com
mttcc at Buffalo to investigate the af-
fair, and this is the result of the inves-
tigation:
As Republicans ana Independents residing
I'm huhalo, and having peculiar mouns or
know edge, We have boen Cullcd upon los pri.
VHtc lctt"r and othcrwis, for Information in
regard To the scandals which have been put
IN circulation respecting & Governor Cleveland X
private lttC. We have icit it to hc "a duty Inn
posed ON us by circumstances To examine
lhcse stoil - In doinil aud To make formal
statement OF the results. No such CXnmina-
ton would have been necessary To- satisfy
ourselves; but 10 was due TO those who have
read the charges avHinst Governor Clpyrland
without knowing personally his general char
HcS'r Hnd reputation I'm this community, und
without knowing either the position or the
means Oi information OF those who have
mudC tho charges that we should not nut forth
a mere general statement without Il previous
inNe-tRHtiOn
We have, therefore, through "A committee
appointed from our number Tor that purpose
carefully aud deliberately made nm invcstigH-
ton, and we have taken every available
means TO ascertain the precise facts I'm each
case. tn general chnrycs of drunkenness
and gross immortality which arc made uVuInat
GONcrnor Cleveland rs absolutely false. His
reputation for morality has always boon good
lhcre " no foundation for any statement TO
the contrary.
TIC was sought out and nominated for tho
Mnyornlty against his will. aud was supported
loI iH W position bA tho larger portion OF tho
educated intelligent and moral oitizous of
BunulO, without regard to politics and ON
purely personal grounds AIT hc had gone
ihfough luc contest hc was ug ain put tOrwHld
a ono Of the most distinguished citizens OF
BuuHlJ as a candidate for the GovcrnOrshIp,
Hud again received the support OF tho Same
class o his tcllOw-CitiLpns. In this communi-
ty, wh'ro h" had lived for twenty-ninc ycnrs
whore his life WAS known and his character
Wcll understood, this support would not
have boon RiNou To him had he been either
drunkurd or lihcriiuo. We arc able
Ia UafIU .sH l.
his ncquaintnuccs OF long standing, and To-
say that mis- general pr. Rtc life has hocn
and always highly respected citizen.
Since hc assumed his present onicc his vis-
iiS 10 Bunaio have been few and OF short du-
ration. u is susceptible Of absolute proof
aud has boon proved 10 us. that upon no one of
these visits has anything occurred 10 Justify
the statements which have brcn mndc by his
dCtraCtOrs. The charge THAI he hns rcccnttv
tukcn part In a drunken and licruiiOus de-
bnuch in BuHhlo on the occasion of such
ularly careful uud thorough in our inVcstiVpp
tiOns OF the al eyed betrayal, abduction an I
inhumuu treatment OF woman of this City
as dcthuci lh local newspaper.
Tho Ctrcum stances out Of which this story
was fabricated occurred eight years ago. The
woman ~ guc-bOn was az thtt time a widow
between thirty and forty years Of age. W IN
two Chlldron. the youngest Of whom was ten
yours old. The facts Of this Cnsc show that
she was not betrayed, and that the allegations
respecting her abduction ana ill-trOatmrut
features OF tho charge iu connection Within
matter which constitute H public question Tc
quiriu0 any declarations on our part our OK.
animation OF the other charges which have
been made against Governor & Ccycland's pr..
vHto character shows that they arc wholly iiu.
true. In every instance in which the report g
ana tnstuuntiOns nave been tangible enough 10
furnish q clue TO guide us in our Iuvestign
tons they have bccn positively proven 20 be-
false.
Tho attack upon Governor Clcvclnnds
character is thoroughly discrc litod VIII n wo
consider The sources from which u comes lt
fu Ia. f.s.s
NJUcr Of no standing whntCvcr. We hHyc
tWNcc called upon the ClifIr Of this pnpcr
and asked him 10 produce hls proofs, the
namcs' dates ana other particulars, which he
bad publicly stated he was at liberty to show.
lic decline. 0,do so. or 10 facilitate inyosti-
Rlilon into tho truth Of either his own
charges or those CJufa me- ! in th Anonymous
lct'gr which hc published. H. admitted that
Do had mo- evidence 90 support any ACCUSE
lion against Grover & cycIand oNcrpt In tho
ono ins. anlc 20 which We have particularly
anu as ~ that story. hc is cputrudictod by
the wtncesrs having pc sOnal knowledge
Tho two ccrgympn whose profession has
have no pcfs IuHI kIowlcdRo of tho facts. and.
under tnr circumstance. could not possibly
havo such know.cigo They have vcnturcd
10 state a- facts known to tpcmsoltcs stories
which rc-t % Ou tho mcroet hrarsay and
which. when traced ihc alleged sources.
arc BOO crcry case dcuod hy The persons tu
whom They arc uscriucd We have designed
to m lkc candid and judicial statomont OF
tuo results of our invcstigauDn Df Tins matter
without part COlOuuR. Wc have not
thought ~ ncc"e .Hry or proper to repeat tho
charges agn INST Governor lrvciHud iu detail
nor to pro cnt iu full the evidence by which
tlcy have bccu disDrOycd
joins Vs. OGHsrEAu, JJUN W CUwfvg.
RALPH rTDNr josiah g. MrvRO,
y. TAIBWAN DAVIS ANeIEY WILCOX
joins T. Ransom. H. I'D RrWspY
UENnY ALrMAN. WV b. KIP
liINHf W. SrHAGrE. Il. BtHWETf RICH,
>. N. LhhHNtu, THOMAS CAREY,
GRO =. EAwYTr. CHA4 r.. NORTOv
buffalo. N. y. August q 1884