The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-09-04
own party-there was no disputing nor

own party-there 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 portion of the Amer
ican people were really Indifferent as 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. 1t 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 as to
the real worth of candidates.
The foolish and mendacious stories
put in circulation against Gov. Cleve-
lands character might safely, we think
be left unnoticed. They carry on thei,
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. 1t is
as if the slanderers had counseied
together, saying, 1--WE can find nothing
in his public acts as sheriff. mayor, and
governor on which to assail him, SO let
us huut up the incidents Of his youthful
life, and use some of them for our pur-
poses" They searched, there ore, and
found something in the shape of ''a
w man scr ape'' in his earlier life, and
on this their malice and imagination
began to work simultaneously. We say
again that Governor Cleveland's friends
could have easily afforded to let this
wretched political trickery pass in con-
| temptuous silence. Because the very
nature of the story, and the fact that
| during excited municipal and state cleo
tions It had not availed to injure him in
the locality where his history WAS best
known, made it impossible for the SIAN
der to be OF any consequence in Ma
tional contest. But as truth and
candor are the watchwords ol
the Democracy in the present
| fight, it is perhaps as well that immedi.
ate steps were taken to nail the lie and
expose the real spirit OF the attack. In
this refutation and exposure we are
happy to see that Republicans as vel
as Democrats have united and over theil
own signatures have denounced the
scandalous story. We hope now the
campaign will be allowed to progress
on the general issne and that we will
have no more of this kind of petty ly
ing. 1t is, however, too much to ex
pect this in q contest in which Blaine i!
a conspicuous figure. His whole ca
reer has been that of a wire-puller AMI
political trickster-politics in a loca
and National sense has been his bust
ness, his sole business, for quarter o
century. He is ambitious. audaciou
and inscriptions, and what ever cal
be done by any kind of intrigue o
Misrepresentation will be attempted un
der his leadership. The Democrat
may expect campaign of dirt throw
ing, and the business has been com
menced early. We may not retaliat
in kind-it may not trouble us to fin
out what Blaine did in Maine thirt,
years ago in his relations with the soft
er sex, but we will meet slander wit
exposure and falsehood with the truth
Blaine's public career affords ampl
material for proving him unfit to >hol
Office without borrowing anything from
the romance of his youth. Exchange.