The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-16
New York SUM-
New York Sum-
The Various Defences of Governor
Grover Cleveland.

dlONOI Sl6N6lduus
Since the first publication in a Buffalo news
paper of a scandalous story affecting Governor
Cleveland's private character, the SIM has
avoided printing any word that came from his
accusers No matter how definite the specif-
cations, nor how worthy Of respect the iudg-
ment Of those who have been led by their In
Vestigation TO a conclusion adverse to Mr..
Cleveland, that side of the case has been ex-
cluded from the columns of this ne wspaper.
We have thought it right to give our readers
the facts only as they have appeared in the
several statements, explanations, apologies,
and denials put forth in defence of the Cover
nor by his friends and political admirers. We
have also preferred to form our own opinion
from the evidence offered on one side only
that is to say. the side favorable to the ac-
cused. This is not strictly judicial way of
getting at the truth, but the advocates Of a
man charged with immortality can hardly find
fault with it.
There is reason to balieve that the answer IA
now substantially complete. 1t has reached
the form in which it will finally stand, and 1t
is to be noted that the defence offered in be-
half of Gov. Cleveland against the charge Of
immortality has passed through successive
phases, from an absolute, indignant denial in
toto to an apology that includes an admission
OF the main facts originally alleged.
The principal pleas IN defence Of Mr.. Cleve-
land, based, as we assume, on separate and in
dependent investigations of the facts, ara five
in number. The first was published In the
columns of the Evening Post, and was reprint
ed in The Sun. The second was undertaken
by Mr.. Horatio @. King, in order to satisfy the
conscientious scTuples OF the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher about voting for candidate accused
of lechery. The third is the statement Of Mr..
Charles W. MeCune, the editor Of the Buffalo
Courier. This has been reprinted in The Sun;
u was especially designed for the benefit OF
doubling Democrats Of the regular sort. The
fourth, like the first, ia addressed to the indie
pendent Republicans who have committed
themselves to Mr.. Cleveland as against Mr..
Blaine on an issue of personal Character Wa
printed it day before yesterday. The fifth is
the statement of the Rev. DIR. Kinsey TWining
in the Independent newspaper.
All hye of these stAtenonts agree in Que
important particular. They all admit, with
out attempt at denial, that Mr.. Cleveland az
knowledges the paternity OF a boy child,
borne to him out of wedlock by o widow
named Maria Halpin. This point, them ls
established by the evidence OF Mr. Cleveland's
apologists. IL was, moreover, the main speci-
fcation offered by his original sccusers in sup
port of their charge OF habitual immortality.
And it must be kept in view, as the main
question at issue, that it was solely on the
stE0uBJU Oh Llo u6UulJ6s uISLlQCG, aud uQQQal-
lned assertion OF the existence in Buffalo of an
Legitimate child Of the Democratic candidate
for President that the general charge of Uu-
chastity was even listened to by resp sctable
men. The accusation startled aud shocked the
community. Gan it be true that Grover
Cleveland is a man OF impure life?" was the
first question asked. This charge is made
with names and dates. Let us wait for his alb
solute denial Then let us see the authors Of
the scandalous charge prosecuted and pun
| lSnpl for criminal lihalO The anthnr1ad ra
ply came after Just twenty-one days that we're
crowded full Of promises of complete and tri-
umphant reputation: 1--WE absolutely deny the
| charge that Grover Cleveland is an uRohaste
man; his whole life is a refutation of the cal
umny. We, who are his neighbors know his
virtues. True, there is an illegitimate son OF
his BY the woman Halpin, but, waving that
point, we defy his cowardly and malignant ac-
cnsers to produce the slightest evidence Of his
alleged unchastity."
This answer conclusively meets the demand
for accurate information concerning Mr.
Clevelahd's personal habits; but it meets ii in
way that both his friends and his opponents
must deplore.
Another very serious charge was contained
| in the original publication of the Halpiu-
Cleveland scandal. 1t was alleged that seven
| years ago, when the child was about two years
and half old-that is to say, in the year 1877
the mothers import unities so annoyed Mr.
cleveland that without legal warrant he had
| her seized by detectives in his employ, who
| shut her up in the Providence Insane Asylum.
The several defenders of Mr.. Cleveland do not
| dispose OF this accusation in a satisfactory
| manner. The Evening Post adds to the other
damage which it has done to the candidates.
reputation by asserting that the chosen para
mour OF Mr.. Cleveland-the mother of his
| child was common drunkard; and that tAe
| detectives who were employed by Mr.. Burrows
lawyer engaged by Mr.. Cleveland, to do
work distasteful to himself, found Maria Hal
| pin in fit Of delirium tremens, and thereup-
m INIT arRa ak-s-A
| the other hand, the Rev. DR.. Kinsley Twin
| ing, who investigated the matter in behalf Of
| tho Independent newspaper, says that the offic-
| or sent after Mrs. Halpin, "acting on the right
| OF personal Judgment, did, in fact, place her
| in the Roman Catholic Providence Asylum,
| but that she was no4 incaTceFated'', and twas
| not entered for permanence." In Mr.. Nc
Cunes statement in the Buffalo Courier the
| episode is summarily dismissed as a "separa-
| ton OF the mother and child by the removal of
| the former to an inebriate asylum" The six
| teen Independent Republicans, said to be
prominent citizens of Buffalo," who sign the
latest certificate of Gov. Cleveland's good NOR
al character, merely say that the allegation
III treatment are wholly false" We do not
know what were the results Of Mr.. Horatio G.
Kings explorations OF this part of the scandal.
His general assurance that there is nothing in
| the Halpin matter which need prevent the
| Rev Henry Ward Beecher from voting for
Mr.. Cleveland is probably satisfactory to both
| OF those gentlemen.
The charge of abduction and inhumanity is
| denied; the specification that the woman was
seized without legal warrant, and that she was
| locked up in an asylum by men acting in Mr..
Cleveland's interest, is admitted.
The general charge that Mr.. Cleveland,
| apart from the Halpin case, is known in But
falo as man of lieentious habits, is emphati-
cally denied by all the gentlemen who have
undertaken his defence. On this point the
evidence preponderates in his favor. IL is not
encouraging, however, to observe that nearly
all of Mr.. Cleveland's defenders attempt to
shield him from the full responsibility for his
act and Maria Halpin's misfortunes by repre-
| senting the woman as a degraded and shame
| less wretch. So far as we can learn from q
careful examination Of all the defensive state
ments, there is an absolute lack Of the evil
dence on this point that alone could Justify
such course. Surely, Mr.. Cleveland did the
woman injury enough nine years ago, when he
was not yet candidate for President Of the
United States.
Judging solely from these statements in ex-
| tenuation Of facts which are not denied, We
| are forced to conclude that if the things now
| developed had been known to the country three
months ago, there would not have been in the
| United States OF America a man less likely to
be nominated for President than Grover Cleve-
| land of Buffalo