Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-12-27
Depews' Personal Sanction.

cdu caHuluat0 IOT the FTeSlO0ncyy lA
just distinguished himself by slandeI
ing one lady at public didner an,
calling another liar in public print
One of these ladies was Mrs. Cove
Cleveland, wife of the President Of th
United States, and the other was Mrs
VIM. G. Whitney. wife of the Secretar.
of the Navy.
The stories sent to the Democrats
convention in st. Louis by the New
York Tribune were not only industri
ously circulated during the campaign
but continually magnified, and since
the close of the campaign, when ther'
is no longer any danger that they vii
react to the defeat Of the Republican
candidate. one Republican paper after
another is finding pretext for print
ing them with additions and enlarge
ments. One of these scoundrelly lies
was that the President had slapped his
wife for going to the theatre with Mr.
Henry Watterson of Louisville. Wher
it was called to the attention of Mrs
Whitney by the Tribune she said:
My indignation has been SO great
that I could hardly refrain from rush.
ing into print. / have held my peace
however, up to this time, and would
continue to do so were it not for the
fact that at a dinner-party in New York
only two weeks ago no less gentle.
man than Mr.. Chauncey M. Depew
amused the guests by repeating many
of the vile stories II bout the Presidents
conduct towards his wife.
The only story told by Mr.. Depew on
this occasion. in which names were us.
ed, or any particular story which one
could take hold Of, was the old story
about Mr.. Watterson of Kentucky tax.
ing Mrs. Cleveland to the theatre one
night. According to the story, the
President was angry because his wife
went to the theatre, and on her return
he upbraided her, called her wicked
names, and finally slapped her face.
This incredible story was told Mr.. De-
pew as having been started by Mr..
Watterson himself. A gentleman who
was at that dinner-party and knew
Mr.. Watterson replied that he had es-
Opera House; that the President him
with lis work, and that on their return
to the White house the President had
chatted and laughed good-naturedly,
and courteously thanked Mr.. Waiter
son for his kindness.
Continuing. Mrs. Whitney declared
what all who care for the truth know
for the truth--that Mr.. Cleveland is a
gentleman; that he has at all times
treated his wife with the greatest re-
spect and consideration, and that their
life has been a M 1del of pro-
priety.
With this statement of the facts the
went Immediately to Depew,
who said when it was laid before him:
It's lie. The whole of the circum-
stances surrounding the statement al
legged to have been made by me have
been grossly misrepresented. The ac-
tual facts are these: In company with
a few others attended dinner party
given at the house of a mutual friend
about fortnight ago. Afterthe ladies
had left the room, conversation drifted
on the various stories in circulation re-
garding Mrs. Cleveland, in which Mr..
name occurs. / repeated
Mr.. Watterson's story as one generally
spoken of, and as matter of fact it has
been given to me from many different
I have heard it Id Chicago,
st. Louis and New York. / did not
give my personal sanction to the story.
I could not have done so, inasmuch as
I had received it only at fiftieth-hand,
and / should not have done SO for the
reason that I do not believe word Of
it. and gave expression to that disbelief
at the time.
1t does not occur to Mr.. Depew that
the personal sanction" of u man who
publicly repeats ISLANDERS on ladies is
that compared to such a
person the ordinary liar who lies SO
that no one believes him, is
entitled to respect and credit. Itdoes
not seem to occur to him either that be
may not repeat as often as he pleases
and when and where he pleases what
ever is calculated to humiliate lady,
to damage her reputation and to make
her the butt of public scandal. 1t does
not occur to him that if these stories
are of such origin that he will not vouch
for them when repeating them, he is
the more lout, the fouler blackguard
for repeating them at all. 1t is not
strange that the person who lacks the
perception of such things should tell a
hof OF nft %
lady made in defence of the good name
of another was lie. The only method
by which a suggestion of the proprie-
ties and decencies of life can be convey
ed to the mind OF such a person is
through the smart of his back under
the welI-directed lasbes of a cow-hide.
If ever man deserved such lashes,
it is Chauncey M. Depew. He would
not have dared make these statements
against ladies whose husbands are in a
position to protect them. He is safe in
attacking Mrs. Cleveland and Mrs.
Whitney while Mr.. Cleveland remains
President and Mr.. Whitney Secretary
of the Navy. He knows that Presi-
dents and Cabinet officers have no safe
guard against such tongues as his.
This story of his has been taken up
and forced on public attention by the
Chicago Tribune and the New York
Iribune, but their infamy neither ex-
cuses nor lessons his. He has shown
himself unfit for admission to the home
Of any one who has wife or a daught-
n. roDpfaf;op ~ ha