Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-08-14
Cleyeland's Character.
Boston Journal.

Boston Journal
We have been repeatedly and warmly as
sured by Democratic and Independent jour
mails that the present campaigni is to be pre-
eminently one based upon character. The
Independent platform opens with the dec
laratiOn: "The paramount issue of the
Presidential election of this year is moral
rather than political" The New York In
dependents based their call upon "the in
terests OF public morality" The New York
Eoening Post few days since remarked:
I'VE presume there are very few observers
| of the political field to-day who doubt any
longer that the personal character of the
candidates is to be the great issue and the
chief topic of discussion in the canvass.
We have, therefore, the very highest Inde-
pendent authority when we urge the i'm
pOrtance of investigating, and not of in
>estigating merely, but of vindicating, If
that be possible, the personal character of
Grover Cleveland, the Democratic candi-
date for the Presidency. 1t cannot be said
that we have intruded the personal issue
into the canvass 1t has been pushed for
ward by the other side The unmeasured
laudatiOns of Governor Cleveland and the
unsparing and malignant aspersiOns of Mr..
Blaine, which have constituted up to the
present time pretty much all there is of
the Democratic Independent campaign, not
only Justify but compel an examination Of
the personal character of the Democratic
candidate.
To what disclosure is such an eXamina-
tion likely to lead? We will contribute a
few points toward the solution of the ques-
ton The Morning Star, Baptist paper,
published at Dover, New Hampshire, and
for nearly sixty years an influential and re-
spected representative of its denomination,
in its issue of July Is, in an editorial ar
ticle upon the Democratic candidate, used
the following extraordinary language
Historians agree that lust in high places
is one of the greatest perils to public morals
and national security. 1t would be most
alarming symptom of ruin to this republic
if personal crimes were to be ignored in
candidates for Office. The safety of the
republic, the morals of the people, the best
interests of young men, require that the
villains should be exposed and the penalty
of uniform defeat be visited upon every
papers in New York State that openly &C
cuse the Democratic candidate for the
Presidency of committing crimes against
chastity which, if he is guilty of them,
make the mention of his name in connec-
ton with the White House a gross sac
rilege. Solely in the interests of morality
do we refer to this sickening subject. If
Mr. Cleveland is innocent let it be made to
appear Such charges as these are not to
be ignored With such evidence as lies
before us at this writing it would be crimi-
nal for us to forbear saying this much. We
loathe Mormonism, but not half so much
as we loathe kindred crime that does not
even seek the semblance of law or of fa-
naticisLu for its Justification"
This is not the language OF malignant
partizanship, but of the outraged moral
sense, crying out against sickening in
iquity in a character paraded before the
public eye as a model of integrity. 1t is
scarcely to be supposed that "a conservative
religious journal would use such words of
candidate Of great party for the Presi-
dency of the United States, unless it had
in its possession evidence which made it
an imperative duty to speak, and to speak
plainly. What this evidence is we have
no authority to say. What it may be it is
not difficult to guess from other material at
command. Last Monday evening reputa-
BILE Buffalo journal, published at Cleve-
lands home, devoted three columns of its
space to a plain, straightforward and ex-
plicit narrative of the Governors immor-
alities. Gross hcentiOusness and drunken
ness are the offenses positively alleged
against Governor Cleveland, and the de-
tails are given of one particularly heart
less case with which the Governors name
is connected. Prominent citizens of Buffalo
are named specifically as possessing knowl-
edge of the facts, and ready, if necessary,
to substantiate them in court. Ii these
assertions are true, it is time that the
masquerade of Governor Cleveland as the
embodiment of personal integrity should
come to an end. We do not believe that
the American people, if these statements
are proved to be true, would elevate to the
Presidency of the United States betrayer
of women, a man of shameless and profit
gate life But if these assertions are not
true it must be an easy thing to disprove
them. They are not vague, but specific.
The persons concerned in them, or with
definite knowledge of them, are named.
The charges are not to be disposed of as
idle scandal or campaign calumnies. Re
sponsible parties are behind them, and can
be held accountable for them.
we SUBMIT tneSe Lnree prOpOSltlOnS, anu
shall be pleased to maintain them against
all comers:
/. That Governor Cleveland cannot
ignore these accusations.
2 That if they are true, he is not fit
for the position he now holds, and far less
to be placed at the head of 55,00O,000 of
people.
8. That the failure to meet and dis
prove these charges will be confession of
guilt