Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-04-18
Ministerial Scandalmonsers.

silly scandal he uttered at the
recent New England Methodist
Conference, arraigning the Pres
ident before the country and the
world as a common drunkard
True, the service rendered to the
! President has been at a fearful
cost to the clerical profession,
but the public will discriminate
between ministers who possess
common sense and cultivate com
mon manlinesS and decency in
their criticisms upon public
men,
Rev Dir. Lansing delivered an
address before the conference in
which he not only accased the
President of drunkenness but,
unfortunately for himself, lie re-
ferred to particular instances.
He specially referred to the con-
duct of the President at ban
quet given in New York after
his re election in 1892 at which,
to use DR.. Lansing's language,
| the President was brilliantly
drunk at 10 o'clock, considerably
more SO at 12 o'clock and at 3
o'clock ''he was very drunk"
It happens that President
Cleveland attended three ban
quets in New York after his re-
election to the Presidency in 1892.
One was given by the Chamber
of Commerce, one By Henry Viii
lard, and one by the Reform
Club, and a number of gentle
men who attended those ban
quets, including Chauncey M
Depew, have promptly come to
the front and denounced the
statement Of DR.. Lansing as alb
solutely and wholly false. With
these denials came a very pun
gent denial from the President
himself, who denounced DR..
Lansing as "a dissemination of
wholesale lies and calumny, not
less stupid than they are cruel
and wicked"
Thus confronted with testi-
mony Of the most positive char
acter contradicting the false
hoods proclaimed by DR.. Lans-
ing, he has been compelled to
take notice of the statements,
and he publicly confesses that he
made these grave accusations
against the President Of the
United States before a represent
ative religious body wholly on
| Il %o+ 49, n l.
whose names he dare not give,
and that he had no knowledge
on the subject beyond that Of
common rumor. After thus con
Tossing that he deliberately pro-
claimed a fearful scandal against
the President of the United
States without knowledge as to
its truth or falsity, he grudgingly
WithdraWs his statements aud
tenders apology to the President
because the case is lone of con
fict of testimony between wit
nesses of equal credibility."
The statement of DIR. Lansing
that the issue is one of conflict
Of testimony between witnesses
Of equal credibiIity is utterly un-
true. There can be no equal
credibility between witnesses
who on the one side come to the
front and state the truth on their
individual responsibility, while
the witnesses on the other side,
if there be any, skulk behind a
scandalmonger minister and re-
fuse to furnish any information
or evidence in support Of their
falsehood. In this action DR..
| Lansing simply disgraces him
self and his profession, and il
such a reckless scandalmonger
shall persist in preaching the
gospel Of the religion whose
noblest attribute is charity he
should be without hearers. He
is a disgrace to the pulpit, and
were he to offend any Of the poll
tical elements so often offended
by the integrity of President
Cleveland, he would soon dis
cover that they would furnish
equal testimony accusing him OF
: theft, adultery or any other of
fense that would degrade him be
fore the world.
The one good result from DR.
Lansing's public accusation
against the President is in the
fact that it has resulted in the
b compile vindication of the Presi
dent from all the many scandals
? relating to his personal habits
2 which have been industriousl J
; circulated by those who hate
t him. The leading Republicans
a who were in the best position te
t testify, have confronted the
: scandaImonger minister AMI
driven him to confess his inabil
ity to sustain his accusations
+ and the public will now under
Il stand that those who thus &C
J. cuse the President are simpl,
J. rejecting the scandals Of tn
n political slums as did DR.. Lans
IS ing before the Methodist Confer
= ence in New England. The re
suit is the compile vindication o
!. the President, and a wholesom
y lesson not only to good citizen
y but especially to ministers Q
= the gospel, to avoid the circuls
: ton of scandals against publ
men unless supported by evi
,s dence that can be presented t
i? the public. PHILADELPHIA Times.
.e
stl THERE is no question but ths
II Torao if cbo rnalIv means +