The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-10-07
James Freeman Clarke's Ethics.
Hi Recent Political Address Criticised
by Clergyman.


A Maine clergyman sends us the following:
To the Editor Of The Press:
In his recent address to the Boston Inde-
pendents, speaking of Blaine, the Rev. James
freeman Clarke said
He is unfit TO be President Of the United States)
because he has used public Office for private gain
and priv to emolument; and he has disguised and
concealed these transactions by constant duplicty
Speaking of Cleveland he said:
have been asked again and again how as a min
lister OF the gospel can you support immoral and
depraved man as President, man who Is stained
with debauchery and vice? l never could support
such man as that for President. No such man
other qualities might be he never could fulfill his
public duties Alright. don't believe Grover
Cleveland to be such man. The one sin
which be committed, and which neither he nor his
FRIENDS disguise or excuse, Is that he lived some
ten years ago with widow as his wife without be-
ing married TO her. This was offence which no
one will defend but he has previously suffered for
it and shown his repentance in the truest way by .
change OF life and by doing good and useful work
Speaking of both Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. CleVs-
land, he said:
The difference between BIr. Blaine and Cleve-
land as candidates Is chiefly this: That the
offence of Mr. Cleveland is not disguised nor ex-
cused nor defended, but that of Mr. Blaine is do
MED or excused or defended. The great harm to
morality does not come somuch from the wrong ac-
ton as from its being defended, palliated and
ais is now being done by Mr.. Blaines advocates.
Mr.. Clarke speaks above in the character OF
minister of the gospel. He may be pre-
sumed to be more concerned about the moral
issues of this campaign than about the success
OF either candidate as means Of the mere f.
nancial prosperity of the country. 1t is an af-
fair Of conscience, mainly, for him to vote, so
that more interest than usual attaches TO his
ballot. His vote carries into the ballot box
system of moral philosophy and to that extent
determines what sort of morality shall prevail
in this la I'D ss-.-sSs-
alton than whether protection or free trade''
shall lead in the civil legislation. The opinion
of Mr.. Clarke must have good deal Of weight
with thoughtful men for the author Of "Ten
Great Religions" Common Sense in Relig-
ion" &C., ought to be able to settle fairly q
simple question Of duty that must be settled
by thousands Of minds which have not a tenth
part of his time or faculty for the solution Of
the problem.
But the remarks cited above do not COM
mend themselves to our reason and conscisnce-
1t is not proved that Mr.. Blaine used his office
for base personal gain. The charge must be-
true else there is nothing concealed that is
wrong and there is no falsehood in denying
it. 1t has appeared that Mr.. Blaine sought q
ROOu DdFRhlu as u6 bupuO66Qs 0lQ No OIef TO
influence legislation IN Congress to secure the
bargain? Mr.. Clarke assumes that he did. II
the assumption is incorrect there Is no force in
the first paragraph cited. Now we believe
that assumption is wrong. We have read the
data OF the charge of political smony and in
our opinion it is a non sequitlr. We can give
as reasonable an Interpretation of the obscure
promise mot be a deadhead" as that one
which implies dishonorable motive; why
then should we not? Is it more consistent
With the auh0aOuant honaofy ~ 10,
when he made good out of his own private
property the losses Of those who had trusted
him, to thiDk that he started out in the BUSH
ness with entirely honorable intentions. Now
as it is not provable that Mr.. Blaine used his
political power dishonorably but it is assumed
that he intended TO, a very small ground of
fact is afforded for discussion. II such large
influences must be drawn from such narrow
premises why do not the political enemies Of
Mr.. Blaine lind in his long and conspicuous
public service other instances of prostitution OF
political influence to private gain? The fact
that they do not impresses us with the belief
that this is the oaly point Of attack they can
find. If they should prove this transgression
they would prove at the same time that il was
an exception to his usual coRduct. But as the
whole discussion turns on the obscure meaning
of word the advantage Of assailing Mr..
Blaine here is, that enc can easily assume
what is so obscure that 1T cannot be proved or
| disproved An assumption in such case is
| notiproof OF a sound judgment; 1t does show q
| prejudiced heart. Ought the Rev. Mr.. Clarke,
| minister of the gospel, to bs found making
| that unchartable assumption? Tdntaone
| Glinlis e9LeStibuS irae?
In regard to the second paragraph: 1t is not
| a strangely virtuous act for the Rev. Mr..
| Clarke to refuse to vote for a man that he be-
| lieves is ''stained with debauchery and vice."
| That is not what his questioners wonder at.
| But the marvel is that ne is so ready to be-
| lieve that man who only ten years ago lived
| an immoral life now lives q pure one, with
| cut at any time having given evidences Of q
change OF nature that might bear witness TO
| his repentance. II he has suffered but not
| repented what good has his suffering done
| him and why should we esteem him the more
| for it? The moral influence of suffering
| which does not led to repentance, is certainly
bad for it makes it appear that one may COM
init the sin with comparative impunity. II he
| has suffered unto repentance what are the
| works spoken Of? II Mr.. Clarke had been less
| OF partisan and more of pastoral adviser
he might have suggested to the supposed PEN
| itent that the most fitting act Grover Cleve-
land can do to show his repentance and miti-
gate his crime is to marry Maria Halpin. 1t ia
rather late but better late than never.