Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-09-04
THE BALL SCANDAL.
The independently tRepublicanso ofBuf'
faIo vindicate Grover Cleveland.

in Buffalo, and having peculiar means of
knowledge, we have been called upon, by
private letters and otherwise, for informa-
tion in regard to the sc. ndals which have
been put in circulation res oecting Gov. Cleve-
lands private life. We have felt it to be
duty imposed on US by circumstances to ex-
anime these stories in detail and to make
formal statement of the results. No such
examination would have been necessary to
satisfy ourselves, but it was due to those who
have read the charges sgainst Gov Cleve-
land without knowing personally his general
character and reputation in this community,
and without knowing either the position or
the means of information of those who have
made the charges, that we should not put
forth a mere general statement without
previous investigation. We have, therefore,
through q committee appointed from our
number for that purpose, carefully and de-
liberately made such an investigation, and
we have taken ever available means to ascer-
tain the precise facts in each case.
The general charges of drunkenness and
gross immortality which are made against
Gov. Cleveland are absolutely false. His
reputation for morality has always been
good There is no foundation for any state
ment to the contrary. He was sought out
and nominated for the mayoralty against
his will, and was supported for that position
by the larger portion of the educated, intel
ligent and moral citizens of Buffalo, without
regard to politics, on purely personal
grounds After he had gone through this
contest he was again put forward as one of
the most distinguished citizens of Buffalo as
a candidate for the govern0rship, and again
ba 80 lao n, oF
fellow citizens. In this community, where
he had lived for twGnty-nine years, and
where his life was known and his character
understood, this support would not have
been given to him had he been either a
drunkard or lihertine. We are able to
speak from personal knowledge as his ac-
q,laintances of long standing, and to say
that his general private life has been that of
quiet, orderly, self-respecting and always
highly respected citizen. Since he as
sumed his present Office his visits to
Buffalo have been few and of short duration.
It is susceptible of absolute proof, and has
been proved to us, that upon no one of these
visits has anything occurred to justify the
statements which have beenmade by his de-
tractors. The charge that he has recently
taken part i'll a drunken and licentious de-
bauch in Buffalo on the occasion of such
visit is entirely false.
We have been particularly careful and
thorough in our investigations of the alleged
betrayal, abduction, and inhuman treatment
| of a woman of this city, as detailed in
| local newspaper. The circumstances out of
which this story was fabricated occurred
eight years ago. The woman in question
was at that time widow, between 30 and
DO years of age, with two children, the
younger of whom was 10 years old. The
| facts of the case show that she was not
seduced, and the allegations respecting her
abduction and i'll treatment are wholly false
| We deem these TIL. only features of the
charge in connection with this matter which
constitute public question requiring any
declaration on our part Our examination
| Of tho other charges which have been made
| against Gov. Clevelands private character
| shows that they are wholly untrue. In every
instance in which the reports and insinua-
tions have been tangible enough to furnish a
| clue to guide us in our investigation they
have been positively proved to be false
The attack upon Gov. Cleveland's char
acter is thoroughly discredited when we
consider the source from which it comes II
was first publicly made in Buffalo by a
newspaper of no standing whatever. We
have twice called upon the editor of this
paper and asked him to produce his proofs,
| tine names, dates, and other particulars
which he had publicly stated he was at
liberty to show. He declined to do so or to
facilitate investigation into the truth OF
either his own charges or those contained in
the anonymous letter which he published.
He admitted that he had no evidence tt
support any accusation against Gov Cleve
land, except in the one instance to which we
particularly referred. He rested his case
on that story, and as to that story he is con
tradicted by the witnesses having persona
knowledge. The two clergymen, whose
profession has been invoked to give weight
to these charges, have no personal knowl
edge of the facts, and, under the circum
stances, could not possibly have such knowl
edge. They have ventured to state rs fact
known to themselves stories which rest upor
the merest hearsay, and which, when traced
to their alleged sources are in every cast
denied by tie persons to whom they al,
ascribed.
We have designed to make candid ane
judicial statement of the results of our in
vestigatlcn of this matter, without partisan
coloring We have not thought it necessary
or proper to repeat the charges against Gov
Cleveland in detail, nor to present in full
the evidence by which they have been dis
proved.
Signed by John H. Cowing, Ansley Viii
cox, William F. Kip, Thomas Cary, Georg
2. Sawyer, Ralph Stone, John E. Ransom
Hen@y w. Sprag,le, Josiah G. Munro, Law
renee D. Rumsey Barrett Rich, Charles
Norton, John B. Olmstead, ]. Tallmal
Davis, Henry Altman, ]. N. Larned.
BUFFALO, Aug. 9.