The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-30
Mr.. Cieyeland's Duty.

Tt is President CIeveland's duty to
withdraw the nomination of James j.
Van Allen as Am bassador to Italy.
Otherwise he makes himself willing
party in the scandal come cted with this
affair.
OF the reality of such scandal and of
its::revolitng naturesthere is no longer any
doubt Van Allen gave $4,000 dollars to
the Democratic campaign fund, and in
consequence of this heavy contribution
he has been nominated by the President
as Ambassador 1t has been asserted
that he delivered the money to Mr.,
Whitney, and that Mr.. Whitney promised
him sthe office in return. This is not
true. Mr.. whitney denies it, and his
denial is conclusive. In fact we under
stand that the money was not delivered
to him, but to some other gentleman;
besides we are sure Mr.. Whitney would
never be concerned in any political tran
saction SO shameful in its nature. But
that the money was paid by Van Allen,
and that the nomination to the office
followed as consequence, is proved by
the testlomny of Mr.. Horace White and
Mr.. Richard Watson Glider. They en-
sdeavored, like honest gentlemen and de-
Voted friends of Mr.. Cleveland, to buy
Van Allen off, by returning the $50, 900
% him, so that Mr.. Cleveland might not
even be called upon to send the nomina-
ton to the Senate, and SO that the scan
to the public knowledge. But Van Allen
would not trade with them. He had
bought the mbassdorship which he
wanted and would not sell it again.
We assume that when Mr.. Clevelandede-
termined on the nomination and sent it
to the Senate, he acted in perfect igno-
rance and innocence of these.hidden facts
and compacts. He was not aware that
he was performing the most important
and final part in an odious and shameful
bargain of corruption. He. was not
aware that he was delivering, for money
paid, one of the greatest offices under the
government, and that he was affixing a
brand of dishonor upon his own reputa-
tion and upon the name and standing of
the Democracy. But now it is no longer
permitted us to think him ignorant and
unaware. The facts have been revealed
and the shame is undeniable. When
Horace White and Richard Watson Gil
der engage in the almost desperate effort
to collect privately such sum as $50, 600
in order to buy off the purchaser of
such an office, it is no longer possible for
Mr. Cleveland to remain in doubtss..or in
difference respecting his own position in
the transaction. How, then, can he hest
tate? Every high moral and patriotic
principle, which he has SO often and SO
emphatically professed and advocated,
every appeal to the conservation disin-
terested and pure conduct, should re-
sound in his ears and command him to
- So, 0os mis- Dob
step, and extricating himself, his admin
istration, his party, and his country from
the slough of disgrace into which he has
unwittingly plunged them all.
IL he refuses to do this, he makes the
shame his own; he filings away the ex-.
cuse that he did not understand the bar
gain made behind mis- back and apart
Democracy with shame without preced-
emit and without apology. His duty is
clear and imperative, and it will not
brook delay.
We are sorry to see Democratic jour-
nal urging Mr.. Cleveland to reject the
duty and adopt the shame. The Daily
America. Mr. Cookers horse-racing and
Tammany publication, argues that Van
Allen ought to be sent to Rome as Am
bassador because Joseph Pulitzer, owner
of the World, is against him. 1t is true
that Pulitzer is a person OF dishonest and
unwholesome reputation, as the Daily
America AYERS; but that does not afford
a sufficient reason why President Cleve-
land should proceed to consummate the
delivery of a public office to person
who is not fit to hold it, solely because
he has paid $50, 900 for it,
On the other hand, the New Yorker
Stats Zeitung, the most Important and
highest toned of our German journals,
takes the view of this question which
common sense and common morality
dictates. IF the President will not I'M
derstand what is proper in this situation,
says the staats-Zeit5nng s. If he ne does not
reject the nomination of Van Allen.
Should the President prefer to expose
himself to this unpleasant result, it
would be an event deeply to be lamented
on his account and on account of bis adj
ADMINISTRATION. IN. Sun.
Women BARRIERS.