Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-09-25
CLEVELAND'S MORALS.
Rev. Mr.. Ball, Ct Buffalo, Writes aLGttJr
tOa Divine in Cleveland.
He Makes a Special Plea to the Clergy
Startling Revelations.
A Mysterious Yelled WOman-Dis
graced and Broken Hearted Victims.

Cleveland Leader, Sept. IS.
The following letter from Rev. Geo.
H. Ball, pastor of the Hudson Street
Baptist Curch, of Buffalo, to Rev. D. ii.
Muller, d. D. pastor of the Scoville
Avenue NJ. E. Church of this city, rela-
tive to the licentiousness and immorali-
ty of Grover Cleveland, explains itself
Dr. Muller is we'll known in church cir
cles. He was for several years mem
ber of Methodist Episcopal conferences
in Western New York, was for eleven
years pastor in Buffalo, is an honorary
member of the Ministers Association of
that city, and is personally acquainted
with DR.. Ball Subsequent TO leaving
two years ago came to this city as pastor
of the Scovile Avenue Church. DR..
Muller says that he was desirOus, not as
a partisan or politician. but as a Chris
tiau minister, to obtain a concise states
ment of the case that could be depended
upon, and in that spirit wrote Dr.. Ball,
and yesterday received his answer under
the date of September 16. 1t is an indi
rect appeal to the ministers and to the
moral sentiment of the country. 1t is
as follows:
FULL TEXT OF DR.. BALLS LETTER.
BUFFALO, Sept. 16. 1884.
Rev. D. H. Muller, d. D.
My Dear Brother: You request infor-
nation for yourself and others respect+
ing Mr.. Cleveland. This you ask, not as
political partisan, but as Christian
teacher, and as such reply. "The par
amount issue of the Presidential election
this year is moral rather than POLITICAL
Grover Cleveland was little known In
| Buffalo till nominated for mayor. He
averaged fairly as lawyer, many years
ago served as sheriff, lived secluded from
general society. He was brought before
the public by accident. Politics in the
city and State were in confusion. The
pet,ple were incensed against rings"
"packed caucuses,' and manipulated
conventions" and eager to vent their
displeasure. Mr.. c. became the scape
valve for pent Indignation. ANY other
man would have dore as well. His pri.
vate morals were presumed to be corr
rect.
Before the nomination for the Presi-
dency bis 'deeds of darkness began to
come to light. Democratic papers, the
Rochester Union, Boston Globe, and
others, advertised his uDchastity. Prom
inent Democrats in Buffalo confirmed
the bad reports. Physicians. police Of
| fcers, detectives,and other citizens whose
business relations made them cognizant
of the facts, related them privately to
some of our pastors.
THE SHOCKING DISCLOSURES
were discussed and mentioned at the
ministers meeting; letters were written
by several of the pastors to editors of
Christian journals, to put them on their
guard. Investigations disclosed still
more proof of debaucherieS too horrible
| to relate and too vile to be readily be-
lisved. For many years,days devoted to
business have been followed by nights
of sin. He has lived a bachelor, had no
home, avoided the restraints even of no.
tel or boarding house life; lodged in
rooms on the third floor in a business
block, made those rooms a harem. for
aged outside also in the city and sur
rounding villages. a champion libertine,
an artful seducer, O foe to virtue, an en-.
my of the family, snare to youth, and
hostile to trne wOmanhOod.
The Halpin case was not solitary.
Women, now married and anxious to
cover the sins of their youth, have been
his victims, and are now alarmed lest
their relations to him shall be exposed.
Some disgraced and broken hearted vic
tins of his lust now slumber in the
grave
Since he has become Governor of this
great State he has not abated his lecher-
les. Abundant rumors implicate him at
Albany; we'll authenticated facts con-
vct him in Buffalo His repeated Wis
its to this city have been preceded, with
one or two exceptions, by the appear
ance of a veiled female at the foot of
the stairs leading to his rooms. She has
entered the rooms, set things in order,
remained with him while he remained,
and departed when he returned to the
capital. Both of them have been freely
EXPOSED IN THEIR NIGHT CLOTHES,
and seen by several reputable witness
ee, who are ready to appear and testify
in court when properly called. The last
amour of this nature. clearly verified, ,oc-
CURED so late as April, 1884. He was
here on the 4th and 5th of July last, but
the veiled woman, for some reason, did
not appear at his rooms, yet elsewhere
his conduct accorded with his current
tastes.
These allegations do not rest upon ru+
mOrs. hearsy, nor second hand state-
ments, but upon the testimony of men
and women who were personally
cogniZant of the facts related Seven of
Our pastors have acted as a provisional
committee to listen TO the testimony
given. A written summary of the evi
dence has been reviewed by able coun-
sci and pronounced surprisingly full and
conclusive. Fully thirty of the minis.
tsrs of Buffalo, after hearing this sum
nary read, do not hesitate to pronounce
him guilty of habitual unchastity and
intemperanee. The feeling has become
deep and widespread in Buffalo that he
is indeed moral leper," as the leading
Democrat, Purcell, months since declar
ed. The possibility of his remaining in
the field, after his true character has
been exposed, alarms us. The plea that
personal character is of small account in
high officials shocks. The claim widely
made that the disclosures will
help more than harm his prospects and
the tremendous efforts the baser ele-
ments of society are making to elect him
warn Us of impending danger All the
forces OF evil are moving to this end
with tremendous energy. The issue is
evidently not between the two great
parties. but between
THE BRoTBEL AND THE FAMILY,
between indecency. between lust and
law, between the essence of barbarism
ana the hrst principles of civilization,
between the depradation of wom.n o,5