Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-12
THE CHARGES REFUTED.
RESULTS or A CLEVELAND INQUIRY.
After investigation OF the Alleged scaudsi.
the New York Independents Avow 1t
without Foundation

the New York Independents Avow IL
without Foundation.
The following address has been adopted
by the national Independent committee ::
To the Independent Republicans of tho
Nation: AS Republicans and independents
residing in Buffalo, and having peculiar
means OF knowledge, We have been called
upon by private letters and otherwise for
Information in regard to the scandals
which have been put in circulation re-
speoting Governor Cleveland's private
life. We have felt it to be duty imposed
on us by circumstances to examine the
stories in detail and make formal state.
ment OF the results. No such examina.
ton would have been necessary to- satisfy
ourselves but it was due to those who
have read the charges against Governor
Cleveland, without knowing personally his
general character and reputation in this
community without knowing either the
position or the information of those who
have madc the charges, that we should
not put forth mere general statement
without a previous investigation. We
have, therefore, through committee ap--
pointed from our number for that purpose,
carefully and deliberately made such an
investigation, aud we have taken every
available means to ascertain the precise
facts in each case.
The general charges of drunkenness and
gross immortality which are made against
Governor Cleveland are absolutely false.
His reputation for morality has always
been good. There is no foundation for
any statement to the contrary. lie was
sought out and nominated for the
msyotalty against his will, aud was sup.
ported for that position by the larger
portion of the educated, intelligent and
moral citizens of Buffalo without regard
to politics and on purely personal grounds.
Alter he had gone through this contest he
was again put forward as one of the most
distinguished citizens of Buffalo as a can
didate for the governorship. aud again
received the support Of the same class OF
his fellow-cItizens in this community,
where he has lived for twenty. .niue years,
and where his life was known and his
character well understood. This support
would not have been given to him had he
been either drupkard or libertne. We
are able to speak from personal kuowl.
edge as his acquaintances of long standing
and to say that his general private life has
been that of quiet, orderly, self-respect-
ing and always highly respected citizen.
Since he resumed his present Office his
visits to Buffalo have been few and of
short duration. 1t is susceptible of abso.
Lutte proof, and has been proved to us, that
upon no Que Of these visits has ANYTHING
occurred to justify the statements which
have been made by his detractors. The
charge that he has recently taken part in
drunken aud licentious debauch in
Buffalo, on the occasion of such visit, is
entirely false.
We have been particularly careful and
thorough in our Investigations of the al
legged betrayal, abduction aud inhuman
treatment OF woman of this city as
detailed in local newspaper. The cir
cumstances out of which this story was
fabricated occurred eight years ago. The
woman In question was at that time q
widow, between 30 and 40 years Of age,
with two children, the younger of whom
was 10 years old. The facts of the case
show that she was not seduced and that
the allegations respecting her abduction
and ill-treatment are wholly false. We
deem these the only features of the charge
in connection with this matter which con-
| stitute public question requiring any
declaration on our part.
Our examination of the other charges
which have been made against Governor
Cleyeland's private character shows that
they are wholly untrue. In every instance
in which the reports and insinuations have
been tangible enough to furnish a clue to
guide us in our Investigations they have
been positively proved to be false.
The attack upon Governor Cleveland's
character is thoroughly discredited when
we consider the sources from which it
comes. 1t was first publicly made in
bnnalo by newspaper of no standing
whatever. We have twice called upon the
editor of this paper and asked him to pro.
duce his proof, the names, dates and other
particulars which he had publicly stated
be was at liberty to show. He declines to
do so or to facilitate investigation into the
truth OF either his own charges or those
contained in the anonymous letter which
he published. He admitted that he had
no evidence TO support any accusation
against Governor Cleveland except in the
one instance to which we have particularly
referred. He rested his case on that story,
and as to that story he is coutradicted by
tho witnesses having personal knowledge.
The two clergymen whose profession has
been invoked TO give weight TO these
charges have no personal knowledge of the
facts, and under the circumstances could
not possibly have such knowledge. They
have ventnred to state, as facts known to
themselves, stories which rest upon the
merest hearsay, and when traced to their
alleged sources, are in every case denied
by the persons to whom they are ascribed. |
We have designed to make a candid aud |
judicial statement Of the results of our in. |
yestigation of the matter without partisan |
We have not thought it necessary
or proper to repeat charges against Gov. |
Cleveland in detail, nor to present in full |
the evidence by which they have been dis- |
proved.
BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug. 0, 1884.
Signed by John Ii. Cowing, Ansley Viii. |
cox, William F. Kip, Thomas Cary, Geo. |
L. Sawyer, Ralph Stone, John f. Ran
som, Henry w. Sprague, Josiah G.. Nun. |
roe, Lawrence ID. Rumsey, G.. Barrett |
Rich, Charles p. Norton, John b. Ohm
stead, J.: Tallman Davis, Henry Altman
and j. n. Larned.
fOLiTIUAL DKIETWOUD,
tathersd up at Random from tho slugcIsh
Political Tide.
Murat HalStead belieyes that the rnp