The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-04-30
No. IL
THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER
CHARGES.
Will it Dare Publish the Extracts Quoted
Herewith, in the Interest of. Fair
ness and Decency,

Will it Dare Publish the e xtracts Quoted
Herewith, in the Interest of Fair
ness and Decency,
Editor Charlotte Observer.-I have
read the editorial page of The PROGRESS
sTvE FARMER for years. also read the
leading State and National Republican
papers. I give it as my deliberate
opinion that there is not more unfair
and conscienceless s paper published any
where than THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER
1t is full of misstatements of facts and
base insinuations, weekly.
In nothing has it shown itself more
despicable than in its treatment of the
Lansing accusations. Mr.. Cleveland
said those accusations were whole
sale lies" THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER
says that he does not deny them. What
an opinion must a paper have of the
intelligence Of the mejority of its con-
stituency when it gives itself up to
slander and falsehood I send you
two clippings which I trust you can
find space for. One from a Boston
Methodist paper, presumably the organ
of Rev. Lansing's Church; the second
is from the Philadelphia Ledger, an In
dependent Republican paper. I ven
ture to say that money could not hire
The PROGRESSIVE FARMER to reproduce
these clippings in it's columns.
REV. 1. j. Lansing. D. D. pastor of
Park Street Congregational Church,
Boston, delivered the address at the
anniversary of the New England Con
ference Temperance Society, at Salem,
April 4Ch. In his address he distinctly
declared that President Cleveland was
intoxicated at the naval review In New
York. Tnis accusaI ion has aroused q
storm of indignation throughout the
country, and the regret is general and
profoundly sincere that this distin-
gulshed minister made so grave q
charge against the occupant of the
highest Office in the gift of the people.
Even we're the statement true, it would
nave been much more discreet not to
have uttered it. But it appears, be
yond question, from the Presidents
own statement and from those who
were nearest to him on the day in QUes,
ton, that not only was he not inGoxi-
Gated, but that he had not tasted liquor.
Webb, the longtime and most reliable
correspondent of the Be ston journal,
though not in sympathy politically
with the President, says IN a dispatch
to that paper: Mr.. Cleveland is not
drunkard. He has not been prohibi-,
tiOnlsf. as very few men in public life
are. But those who know him init
mRtely say that he is not only strictly
&n hEO% ~E &,o NJ 81
speak with eXactness, since the opera
tion on his jaw two summers ago, he
has used no intoxicating beverages
whatever While we have no doubt
that DR.. Lansing fully accredited the
information as reliable upon which he
based his assertion, there seems now to
be for him no other manly and Chris
tian course but to humbly confess his
lndiscretion and to ask President CIeve.
land and an indignant public to con-
done his wrong. OF ci urse the minis
ters OF the New England Conference,
and the members of the Methodist
Church as a whole, utterly disclaim all
re sponsibility for this rash charge. -
ZIO1's Herald (lfethOdGst) Boston.
"The truth with regard to President
Cleveland as it is known to those who
know him most intimately-in his pub
lie and private life, abroad and at
home-in his public and private life,
abroad and at homc-is that he is an
exceptionally temperate, or even alb
stemious man, both with regard to
what he eats and what he drinks. Mr..
Cleveland is not only vigorously self
respecting man, maintaining in all
places and at all times the dignity OF
his great Office, a fine sense of what is
due to his own manhood, and a most
chivalrous respect and honor for Wo-
manhood, but he his also religious, a
devOut man, who zealOusly conforms
his conduct to his principles and be-
liefs. Any statement made by anyone
which in any manner or degree con-
ficts with this is absolutely, malicious
Iy false and slanderous, the statement
of the Rev. DR.. Lansing being especially
80. ."-PhilGdelpEiG Ledger Q1ed