Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-08-07
THAT CLEVELAND SCANDAL. !"
From the y. Y. Evening Posi-.

Inc Boston Journal, which has had
great deal to say about what is called 9Th
Cleveland scandal asks us to investigat
the matter for ourselves, and says it "know
it can lead to only one result" relying OF
our promise not to support notorious lib
ertine and profigate" as candidate fo
the Presidency Of the United States. There
has been from the beginning but little to in
vcstigate, and that little we have investica
ted TO our own satisfaction 1t is admitted
by Gov. Cleveland's friends that twelve
years ago ne formed an irregular connec-
llon with Il widow, with two children, the
eldest fourteen years old; that she was a
| person OF incorporate habits, and that the
paternity Of a child born subsequently, was
doubtful, but he accepted it, and made bro
vision for the child; that after suffering
| mucn annoyance from her. one Of the nat
,lrial and common penalties Of such errors
and alter satisfying her brother-in- law, who
appeared on the scene rs her protc tor, that
he had behaved i;tirly toward her, he laid
The whole matter before Mr.. BurrouShcs. u
lawyer of high standing in buffalo: that
Mr.. Burroughcs advised him to leave it to
him, and thereafter took charge Oft: that
he Mr.. Burroughes) )conceiving the mother.
1or the reason given above unfit 10 have
the custody of the child, placed it in an Or
| pnan asylum, the mother consenting there
| 70, and making, as we understand il, Il legal
surrender of the child for that purpose, and
occasionally visiting it ut the asylum after
Waro That she subsequently stole and car.
RED 1t OIL from the asylum that Mr.. Bur-
rouShe5 was notified Of the facts by the
authorities OF the asylum whereupon. act
detective to discover and look alter tne
child that in one of the detectives visits
he found the mother suffering from de-
lirium trcmens and threatening to kill the
child which lay on the Iloor that he car
rcd her Off then to the incbrlatc asylum
for treatment, and she stayed there untll
she wa,; cured, and no longer, and that the
child was restored 10 its previous guardians.
| The LAWYER who acted for the woman III
one stage of the affair has formally and in
writing repudiated any charge Of seduction
or breach ,ot promise OF any kind. The
| family acknowledge that Mr.. Cleveland
| treated her generously.
| So much for the charge Of seduction and
kidnapping which many newspapers have
| been spreading. 1t was produced originally
| by i cheap and nasty paper III Builalo as
salvation from impending death, and has
little other evidence to rest on except the
bare assertion of the Rev Mr.. Ball, Bap'
| list minister in Buffalo, who appears TO
dabblc good deal in politics. MIR. Ball
has repeated his story several times, but he
does not supply fresh reasons for belleV-
| ing il. ......s,s..
| He also is Tie chief if not the only auth
orisy for the story that Mr.. Cleveland is "A
| notorious libertine and prohigatc." Well,
| we may as well say frankly thai we think
there could hardly be poorer authority.
| We mean no disrespect 10 the profession
when we affirm that accusations OF this sort
brought by ministers are to he received with
exceeding caution. They can know nothing
personally Of the immoralties of men who
are not members of their congregation.
| What they learn about them is sure to be
hearsay. the tattle Of busy bodies who are
delighted to be able 10 tell the pastor of the
wiakeduess which is going on among people
who make no pretence oil being religious,
and they are apt to receive IL with q Credu-
ljty which is sometimes very unfortunate.
Then there are, as we all know, ministers
aud ministers; some who are large-minded,
cautious and charitable men of the world
in the best sense of the term, and others
whose denunciations pass us by as the idle
wind. So that while we do not mean to ac'
cuse Mr.. Ball of dishonesty, we do say en-:
phatically that he himself needs a good
many certificates to his sober.minded-
ness and fair-mindedness and the
purity of his motives before he can be
allowed to make away with any man:
private character in the midst of D polltlca
canvass IF Cleveland IS n notorious pro
nirate and slibertine," why did Mr.. Bal
not know it when he was elected Mayor o
his own city in $751; and when he wa
elected Governor of the State in 1857? Ano
if he did know it, why did he keep silent
But we are not dependent on Mr.. Ball
weaknesses, whatever they maybe, Tor MI
CIeveland's vindication on this point. W
take it for granted that in his case, as i
that of other men, the way to find what ar
his best known vices, especially the privat
and personal ones, is to ask his neighbors
the nlace in which he lives. This Is an
. must be the true seat of his notorlety, II ne
i torious he be. We must assume that, COL
u sidering the size of the vote which ne re
I ceived for the Mayoralty of Buffalo, ana III
fact that his majority was largest III It's De-
quarters, Cleveland cannot have oeen
notorious libeytine and protligate, or lioe
d tine and proaigate at all, IN smaii plac a
!. without being notorious. And yet the pa
% story has taken everybody, apparently, nl
es Ball by surprise. After his nomlnatlc
some of tho heartiest testimonials to CieV
= lands excellence as a man and citlze
! came from such political opponents as q
Buffalo Express and the Buffalo Commerce. 3
: Both of them are now somewhat shocked
lal find that he is the kind of man Mr. Ban q
ost scribes, but apparently never dreamed OF
clh ! until Mr.. Ball spoke. Is this not most
= traordinary Gould it happen except IN
@ sN Presidential campaign? -" :
t.. CIeyelands virtues are those which BIZ