Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-08-21

in exactly the attitude toward the ques-
ton of fact which it denies to the
agency that gave the charges into circu-
lation. 1t says the attack on Governor
CIeveland's character was first publicly
made by q newspaper of no standing
whatever" the editor Of which declines
I" to produce his proofs, the names, the
dates, and other particulars which he
stated he was at liberty to show" Let
be what may their Importance locally, in
their imm edate sphere of action, the
signers of this vague report are before
the country at large exactly "of no
standing whatever" and they deem it
neither necessary or proper to present
the evidence upon which the accused
bases his claim for acquittal at the COM
mon tribunal of moral justice.
Is not something more required than
the mere assertion of these partisan
gentlemen that the charges are all and
severally false? Of how much greater
weight is their denial than that of Mr.
Cleveland himself? To pair with his
personal interests, and both contemplate
the same end, the election of Mr.. Cleve-
land to the presidency. Nothing is more
natural than that the independents
should deny the depravity of the candi-
date they seek to. exalt; but If denial
were vindication there were no need for
investigations. These accusations were
quite as theoretically repulsed by party
denial before there was any pretense of
an inquisitiOn upon their business as
they are now by a committee that
work to establish particular result, and
unless we can be assured that the result
was reached by thoroughly fair and
equitable means are we not JUSTIFIED IN
doubling the existence of the rehabilltat-
ing evidence?
If there is tangible proof of the falsity
of the charges against Mr.. Cleveland
will it not he more convincing than the
uncorroborated and unsworn statement
of q score Of entirely unknown men
These sixteen signers have vouched for
the prObty Of Mr.. Cleveland, but who
answers for the integrity of the vouch-
ers? The report says: "In every in
stance" the charges and insinuatlons
investigated, "have been positively
proved to be false" Positive proof
means material evidence. Where and
what is that evidence? The committee
has mot thought it proper OF necessary y
to present it either full or in part, SO
that we are Just where we were when
we began, face to face with grave, helm
ous dastardy charges against a presi-
Dental candidate with nothing to dis
prove the truth of the charges.
The committee says Mr.. Cleveland has
been resident of Buffalo for twenty
nine years, "where his life was known
and his character understood" 1t was
from Buffalo that the charges emanated,
and it was in Buffalo that they gathered
strength III hideous growth, and it is in
Buffalo that those most concerned IN
routing the charges are unable to find
the facts, the evidence, to make denial
bear the close scrutiny of outside suspi-
ciOns. The committee has made a bad
job of its embarrassing contract, and
would better try again.
For the sake Of good opinion abroad,
where we would not have it thought that
Americans, whatever their party adher-
ence, would offer to hoist into high
place man febrile with moral miscon-
duct, for the sake of virtue in our homes
and decency in our communities, we
should be glad to have these
charges of viciousness emphatically
and unanswerably disprOved- but de-
NAL cannot be received as vindi-
cation. Amd what is there more than
denial in this report the National indie
pendoItt oe->-A;+tNn hos too eagerly APP
proved