Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-10-07
MIR. CLEVELAND NoTA BIGoT.
(From the Catholic Examiner.

Since its inception the Catholic Examiner
has been an outspoken advocate of freedom
of conscience and a steadfast opponent of
any man who, to our knowledge, had in
any manner antagonized that principle.
We have always held that any man who
is so narrow in his views as to prevent any
member of any sect from engaging i'll the
free practice of his religion is unfit to be
Entrusted with responsibilities of public
office, for experience has proved that men
who are narrow aud prejudiced are also stu.
pid and incompetent.
When tho charges against Governor
Cleveland-in which he Was said To be re-
sponsble for The defeat during the past two
years of freedom of worsbip-were made we
took no notice of them. They were voiced
by men whom we knew 10 be INSCRIPTIONS
demagogues, and We did not consider them
worthy OF notice. We knew the real enc
mics of the measure, and were satisfied that
Mr.. Cleveland was not among them.
| Had the cry of bigotry which was raised
by the over Jealous friends of Mr. Blaine
been confined to those who first raised it
we should have remained silent. But it
was not. 1t Was seized upon by others Of
alleged responsibility and loudly protested
|
~ or stupidliy-we are charitable enough
to think the atter-sweied the chorus nn-
til they succeeded in bringing many 10 be-
iieye that the charges were really true.
| We found that this, in principle most just
of measures was being used by unscrupu-
| loIIs men for their Gwn ends thu, the facts
concerning it were being grossly ml-repre.
scented that SO called Catholics were Join
| ing hands with the dema.ugues, and that
| many honest, conscientious inen, who were
| not III position Ia he acquainted with the
| facts were being led to believe that which
| was untrue, and we concluded that it was
our duty to acquaint them with the truth.
This we do in our current issue. On our
| first page appears a plain, unvarnished
| statement Of facts concerning Gov. Cievc.
lands relations TO freedom of worship. II
is the result of a careful investigation, con
Quoted personally by the editor of the En-
aminer, aided by our previous knowledge Of
| the course of the question 1T Issue, and il
shows that Governor Cleveland has been
dealt blow in the house ofthose who should
have been his friends.
Governor Cleveland denies explicitly that
h- sought the defeat of the Freedom Of
Worship bill that he intrigued against it or
that he was in any manner opposed to the
pFluclUie lnFolFeu III the measure. ana we
believe him.
We have in our possession, and we shall
make public at an early day, facts that will
show hat Mr. Cleveland has not only been
nc bigot, but that be has really done more
for our people than any one who has ever
hcen Governor of this State. We deem it
but Just that we should make this defence,
because of continued attacks that have been
made upon him by papers that we hope are
inspired by no baser motive than ignorance.
Truth is mightier than either the
democratic or the republican party, and it
is in its interest that we have gone out of
our way to vindicete Mr.. Cleveland. The
charges made against him were unjust and
untruthful, and we are glad to be able TO
explode them. If our republican friends
can show us how we can do Mr.. Blaine
similar service we shall he equally happy to
perform it. We fear, however, that the
evidence against that gentleman is so
strong as to render impossible any good de
fence.
Many Of our Catholic contemporaries that
have not been in q position to know how
freedom of worship has been treated in this
State have given much prominence to the
charges of bigotry that have been made
against Mr.. Cleveland. We trust that they
will give an equal amount TO the truthful
statement which appears in our columns to-
day. Then, if they wish to oppose him, let
them do it on other grounds.
Whatever Governor Cleveland's other
shortcomings may be- he is no bigot.