West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-09-19
Governor Cleveland and Campaign lies.

I
The public press has right, and in
deed II Is its duty, to discuss the careers
and characters of candidates for Office.
but II has no right. and it is an abuse
OF its powers, To circulate scandals aud
to magnify ordinary incidents for po-
liucal purposes. IL is an unfortunate
feature in American politics that ma
llcious personal assaults on candidates
are too frequent and in connection with
such attacks il is humihating to note
that many respectable journals and in
dividuals, incapable perhaps of origi-
mating such falSehoodS, do not hesitate
To circulate them when somo mcaner
person has given theh birth. The most
serious result of this evil is that il grad.
ually cducates the people TO a certain
indifference as to all utterapces respect
ing the past acts of candidates, and
leads them TO vote according TO polit-
ical proclivtieS irrespective OF such
matters. IL has grown into familiar
Rdago that "a man never knows him
self until he is nominated for Office
aud personal abuse OF candidates is re-
gardcd aS an expected feature of every
campaign When Garfield was nomi-
mated for the Presidency, the diScrcdu-
nble facts in his Congressional career
were known and demonstrated. The
record had been made up and officially
published by leading members of his
own party-thcre was no diSputing nor
denying them, and yet these facts did
not prevent his receiving his party vote.
The explanation of this surprising re-
suit Is not that n portion of the Amer.
icau people were really Indifferent rs to
whether an honorable man or the re-
verse was elected President. but that.
needless of the evidence, they did not
believe the statements made. IL was
notable illustration of the fact that per
sonalism in politics has destroyed pub
lie confidence in campaign stories,
whether true or false. and initiates
against any nice discrimination rs to
the real worth of candidates.
The foolish and mendacious stories
put in circulation against Gov. Clevc-
lands character might safely, we think.
be left unnoticed. They carry on their
face the evidence Of campaign lie, for
they have nothing to do with his official
career in the State of New York but
fasten on his private life before he
became an eminent public man. II is
as II the slandercrs had counselcd
together saying, 1--WE can find nothing
I'm his public acts rs sheriff. mayor, and
governor on which to assail him. SO lot
us huut up the incidents OF his youthful
life, and use some of them for our pur-
poses. They searched, therefore. and
found something in the shape of ~
woman scr ape i'm his earlier life. and
on this their malice and imagination
begaG TO work simultaneously. We say
again that Governor Cleveland's friends
could have easily Afforded to let this
wretchcd political trickery pass i'm con-
temptuous silence. Because the very
nature of the story, and the fact that
during excited municipal and state cleo
tons 1t had not availcd TO injurc him in
the locality where his history was best
known, made it impossible for the Sian
der to bo OF any consequence i'm Ma
tional contest But as truth and
candor are the watchwords of
the Democracy i'm the present
tight, 1t is perhaps as well that immedi-
ate steps were taken to nail the lie and
expose the real spirit OF the attack. In
this reiutation and exposure we are
happy TO see that Republicans rs well
as Democrats have united and over their
own signatures have denounced the
scandalous story. We hope now the
campaign will be allowed To progress
on the general Issue and that we will
have no more of this kind of petty w.
ing IL is, however. too much TO ex-
pect this in contest i'm which Blaine is
conspicuous figure His whole ca
reer has been that of n wire-puller and
political trickster politics in a local
and National sense has been his bust
ness, his sole business. for quarter of
century. He is ambitious. audacious
and INSCRIPTIONS, and what ever can
he done by any kind OF intrigue or
Misrepresentation will be attempted un-
der his leadership. The Democrats
may expect q campaign Of dirt throw
ing, ami the business has been com
menced early. We may not retaliate
in kind-it may not trouble us to find
out what Blaine did in Maine thirty
years ago in his relations with the soft
or sex, but we will meet slander with
exposure and falschoOd with the truth.
Blaine's public career affords ample
material for proving him unfit TO hold
Office without borrowing anything from
the romance Of his youth. Ercdanqe.