Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-18
THE CHARGES AGAINST GRO
YER CLEVELAND.

Grover Cleveland, democratic nominee for
president. The MONITOR has waited to
seefif the charges could be disproved.
hoping that necessity would not compel
the publishing of anything that is not
agreeable in any sense. The matter has
appeared in almost all of the papers and
is SO notorious that it can be Of no use to
withhold it longer. The first statement
appeared in the Eoeaing Telegram of
Buffalo, N. Y, the home of Gov. Clcve-
land, the substance of which we give be-
low. We give only that portion of the
case which relates to Maria Halpin, as
some of the other allegations have not
been so fully proven:
Grover Cleveland's reputation for NOR
atty has been bad in this city for some
time. After his elevation to the cover
norship his reputation became extended
somew hat beyond local limits During
his campaign for the democratic presiden-
tial nomination his private reputation
was against him. Indeed this was one
strong cause of the opposition to him. 1t
was freely used in private and broadly
limited at in public. The Rochester IN
ION and Adyertiser as good as said that he
had hidden away Legitimate progeny in
order to impose upon the public in the
role of reformer. After his nomination.
the editor of that staunch democratic
journal, who, as delegate in the nation
al convention, had done his best to defeat
Mr.. Cleveland, declined to conduct that
paper during the campaign and resigned
his nomination us New York elector-at-
large. This made people think there
must be something in the hints of the
press and the stories told about the Re-
form Governor at Chicago. Inquiries
came to Buffalo thick and fast concerning
these reports. These were addressed to
ministers OF the gospel, editors and bust
ness men who might be supposed to know
and have the courage and candor to tell
the truth about the matter. Such inquir-
les came to the Telegraph. Vague stories
were afloat and people wanted something
definite one way or the other. The Tele-
graph took steps to enable it to discharge
plain duty of the press to the public.
We had not pursued our Investigations
long before we discovered that others
were on the same trail. Gentlemen not
identified either with politics or Journal
ism had received appeals from their ac-
| quaintances in other parts of the country
| to let them know whether these stories
| were true. Some of them took steps to
satisfy themselves on the subject that
they might be able to give conscientious
answers to their inquiring friends. When
the Telegraph, which had been studying
the matter carefully, found that one line
of investigation had been completed by
some of these wholly disinterested men il
dispatched a member of the staff to GET
the result. One of these investigators
became convinced that it was his duty tc
| give the conviction to which his research
es had led him as wide circulation a.
possible. The Telegraph is able therefor,
to place before the public the conclusion
at which one of the most discreet, honor
ed and trusted of our citizens has arrived
after thorough examination of the cues
ton. 1t is here given:
Editor Euening Telegraph:
You ask me for facts about Mr. Grows
Cleveland's moral character. Since hi
candidacy is being pushed on the assump
tion of irreproachable morals, and man
are being deceived thereby, l yield t.
your request. Some weeks since severa
gentlemen determined to assure them
selves of the truth or falseness of charge
against him. Each pursued inquiry b.
himself mostly, and all have been force
to the conclusion that his immoralitie
are even worse than current report mad
them, extending through the entire perio
of his majority to the present time.
give you a part of the well attested fact
and place at your disposal the names G
responsible citizens, both democrats an
republicans who will confirm every iter
of the count, if called upon
Some years since beautiful, virtuou
and intelligent young lady entered tn
, employ of Flint & Kent, as you know
most excellent men and leading merchant
in our city. She was put at the head {
their cloak department and served thel
for some two or three years to perfet
satisfaction. Mr.. Cleveland made her a,
quaintance, won her confidence and fina
, ly seduced her. She of course lost he
position, was cast out Of good socet,
and driven to despair. Her appeals t
him to fulfill his promise of marriage h
did not regard. The mother and chill
were taken to the residence of Mrs. Wn
} Baker on Genesee street to board an
t visited occasionally by Mr.. Clevelan,
y The boy was named Oscar Folsom Clev
land. The mother was wretched and of
en- worried Mr.. Cleveland by her threat
He resolved to abate the annoyance, ell
ployed two detectives and a doctor of Da
: repute to spirit the woman away and di
e pose of the child. She refused to su
O render the child or go with the detective
Then they seized her by force and in spi
/. of her screams and violent resistanc
took her to a carriage and drove her
q the Providence asylum on Main stree
n where she was committed as insane. fl
+ which service Mr.. Cleveland paid the tv
detectives $50. The child was taken
the Buffalo orphan asylum. Our wortl
, fellow citizen, DIR. William Ring was Il
. visiting physician at the Providence as
s lum and on examining the new patie
: pronounced her perfectly sane and Il
h authorities allowed Der to depart. 81
had been committed without legal proee
and departed on her own volition. III
> first move then was to employ an attorn
T and recover her child. Her lawyer a
s vised her to secure it by force if nece
l. sary. She succeeded in getting the b,
n into her arms and at once fed, no one o
! structing her fight. Then negotiatio
were opened with Mr.. Cleveland al
e finally he paid her $500 to give up t
n child and at length succeeded in gettil
n her to leave the city. The boy was tn
n given to family on Niagara street, whe
he still lives and believe bears tb,
name. But poor Maria Halpin, for TIL
was her name, went away broken hearte
u disgraced, an outcast, while her sedue