The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-19
7nE cLryrL.sD DErxnBE.
The Pleas Of H,s a poioElSts are Seii
E'Fsc1l3HN ~ N DfstructtVe, = E.ttfNsnh.

d . .
The Pleas OF Isis a poioElsts arc Self
3'8sll5M Destructive. 5&iltSP,
U,eo, N. Y, Herald.
Certain independents In Buffalo have
joined in % certificate Of character to Mr..
Cleveland, and 1t Is pataded az ian official
reiu.a.ion" Of tho proes chugea Of moral
turpitude, cruelty md meannces made
against him. It "a no such thing; It does
not pretend to deal with the substantial
matter involved. I. admits his irregular
relations with tho woman inculpated. 1t
denies general drunkenness and notorious
immortality. The paper Is evcrywey lees
notable Than two newspaper utterances on
| the same subject, which may be accepted
AZ in large degree official and sulhoriIa.
Tive. /.
Governor Cleveland, The Nav York Pos.
ia bis metropolitan champion. Both have
nut forth defense for him against the
cbsrges which leading clergymen Of Buff
alo sisnd sponsors for. Neither Of these
ion,nsls has done him any eervice. On the
contrary they have placed him In nosi.
ton which ssgrayates the guilt originally
imputed. They rush forward as bis attor.
news TO urge pless in mitigation, not do.
malls OF the subtt.ntial otiense, and not
justification on the ground OF purity OF
character.
Worst Of all, they present no denial from
Mr.. Cleveland himself The charges which
certain Democratic journals and the most
prominent OF the clergymen Of Buffalo
have formulated agains. him strike at the
marrow OF psreouai character. hir. Glove.
Hand stands silent before the great tribunal
Of tho country. He is parslyzed by his
guilt. Hs does not utter a liable Of refu-
tatiop, lie does not question in any form
the mes. damning Of the accusations. He
let's Two OF hia newspaper organs attempt
excuses and beg for mitigation OF condem.
nation. He sends bis Judge Advocate
General to Buffalo to construct story to
break The force Of the popular indignation.
For himaelt be rnpe away from tho disgust
and wrath Of the people. But he does not
dare 10 make denial in whole or in part.
Even the farce OF 4 pretended denial from
poor Maris Halpin ia not enacted.
| The pleas Of his apolcgisls are sell de-
|etructive, and they render big position ad-
dihonally d:sgrscelu!. The New York Post
urges that his victim was q widow, and
therefore his crimeis yenisl. His staff
officer pleads that she was low and debssed,
az II association with such S person Is
justiGable in q candidate for President.
The Buffalo Courier aatounds the nation
by IN ar1ay o. other charges, and by weak
arswe,s demonstrates that the conduct
which was at frat assumed to DO excep.
.ionsl In his lie is only part oil his no.
to.ious career. For Il Ia the Courier which
htss informs The county that MIR. Cleve.
| land ia accused in ouch G way as to demand
formal defense Of spending Sunday in a
BofIalo saloon, since he has been Gov.
ernor, with three ma!s companions and
four women "'in q drunken o,gie." It Is
! the Courier again which deemsi it necessary
to meet tho charge that Mr.. Cleveland was
"lound fighting with another lawyer in o
ssloon tor the possession Of Ia woman"
The Courier reisrsto the Telegraph as pub
lisbing thess accusations. Yet it Is the
! Courier which by ills weak. defense
gives dignity and extended publicity to
them. The radical difficulty in the case
as the Courier makes 1t now Is that Gov
ernor Clsvs!sud is put on the defensive
not Tor single escapade but for con.
tinuous line OF co,lduct. That journal will
find II L. will investigate that leading
clergyman Of Boifalo have also reached
the conclusion On investigation thas the
csss Of Maria Hslpin is only one act in q
striea which conpsls them 10 declare that
Dir. Clovelsnd's character Is such as the In.
cident demonstrates.
The Co1ritr's defense pretends 10 be- ex.
hauesive. 1t refera to charges which that
dolenEo for the frat time paIades before the
people generally. But it ia yet detective in
that it deals with accusations st Buffalo on.
ly. It does not approach the scandals which
are fhoat concerning Mr.. Clevelsnd's CON
duct st Albsny and in the capital Of the
State. The journal is responsible for ex-
tending the tis:d OF the accusation against
its candidate for President No Republi.
tan Journal SO lar as we have seen, has re-
ferrsd even by inusndo to the series OF acts
other than the case OF Maria Halpin which
it raises to publicity and importance. But
it cannot create the impression by this sp.
pesrance Of candor, that it has covered
lub HuU4p SlbhAus ~ uhb OulJ LUlu hs1ub
the veil and pointed to the array Of Incl
dents which grows as Mr. Cleveland is
talked about more and moro.
Two other points the dsieuse Of the Cour.
Ter thIusls into public view. Violence was
used towards the woman whom AIR. Cleve.
land had bound himself on the lowest
plane Of honor to protect and shelter. A
son acknowledged as his offspring was left
10 the tender mercies OF an orphan asylum,
aud, 80 far es appears, to tbs charity OF the
community. Take the character OF Gov.
ernor Cleveland as the Courier pain.s it, as
the New York Post depicts it, as his staff
officer adorns 1t. Judge him upon the de-.
tense Of his intimate friends and his cho.
zen champions. Try him IS "amau OF the
world" Is this the person whom Ameri.
cans with any senao Of manliness wish TO
exsls to power? Is this q representative
whom tho religious sentiment OF the nation
| can tolerate lor q moment? Is this defense
not after sill the saveress indictment which
has ever been presented against candi-
dste Tor high office? a
|. It Is with contiuua! regret that we are
compelled 10 refer to this subject. But the
Buffalo Courier haa forcsd decent journals
to -oier to Its plea. We gladly underwent
the expense Of telegraphiDg sll that 1t could
ssy in behalf of Mr. Cleveland 30 that our
readers might 10: scst for On instant longer
| than IVES necessary under any wrong i'm
preston concerning him. They hays pc.
fused the defense which is even woraa than
would have been an honest plea OF guilty
from bis own lirs. 80
Let it be kept in mind that Republicans
have not brought out these scandals. A
leading Democratic editor first charged the
guilt home: Clergymen in the prosecution
Of their religious work wers next forced to
give warning Of the character OF tho can.
didate whom the Democrats proposed to
nominate. Aiteeward an Independent,
journal Of Buffalo gave the substance Of the
clerical inquiries. Nov finally tho special
champions Of Grover Cleveland expose
tho breadth Of the charges against him and
the grossnees Of tho turnitude which these
inunlua IL tha rnnnhl;n. could anl,, i a