The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1895-04-12
he RETRAoTs.
Rev. DIR. I. }. Lansing Comes Out In .
Letter. and ApOgIEes For His Statement
About President Cleveland.


Rev. DIR. I. }. Lansing Comes Out In .
Letter. and ApoEIres For His Statement
About President Cleveland.
BosroS, April 9.-Rev. DR.. l. ]. Lans-
ing, who gained notoriety on last
Thursday by saying at a Methodist
conference in Salem that President
Cleveland was drunkard and that he
could prove It, is out with a letter re.
tracing his statement and asking par
don for what he said
This Is his letter:
My allusion, made In temperar o
address at Salem on Thurdsay, April {,
TO the drinking habits Of the president
of the United States was based partly
on common report and partly on the
testimony OF eye witnesses. From va
rious and independent sources, which
believed 10 be wholly reliable, had
been informed that the president had
been on different occasions and in the
presence Of persons in an intoxicated
condition From the circumstantial
and detailed character Of these state.
ments supposed there was no doubt
as TO the facts alleged.
therefore made this allusion as
matter of common report basing my
confidence on the testimony of per-
sonAl. and. as l supposed, creditable
witnesses The names of the witness
es, obviously, can not with propriety
reveal, since, sharing their knowledge
In common with many others, they
might justly shrink from being sim
gled out and called to verify that Of
which not only they, but others equal.
ly With themselves had ocular proof
must therefore, say that II my
statement reproducing such testimony
Is not in harmony with facts regret
having made IL could have neither
desire nor motive for saying anything
unkind or uncharitable OF the presi.
dent or Of any party whatsoever. This
case being one of conflict of testimony
between witnesses OF equal credibility,
can not decide, and, since have no
personal knowledge apart from the
testimony, withdraw the statement
and tender apologetic and sincere re-
grots TO the president of the United
States and 10 the public.
IL. LANSING.
NEw York, April o-Indignation Of
the intensest kind has been caused
among democrats in New York and
other cities, over the attack made on
President Cleveland at the New Eng
land Methodist conference by Rev.
J. Lansing, Of Boston.
Many Of the leading democrats and
republicans who attended the three
dinners at which Mr. Cleveland was
present between the time OF his cleo
ton In November, 1902, and his inaugu-
ration in March, 1898, denounced the
story as lie, and in set terms ex-
pressed their opinion Of the American
citizen who without the shadow of
proof. on simply hearsay statements
wsuld malien the character of the
president Of the 6nited States.
The three dinners referred to were
those of the chamber of commerce,
given at DelmOnico's on November Is,
1892, q dinner at the home OF Henry
Willard two days later, and that given
by the Reform club on December 10,
1892.
Chauncey NJ. Depew said Sunday
night, There Is on1y one reply that
can be made to such story-it is alb
solutely contemplate and absurd. AT
the chamber Of commerce dinner sat
near Mr.. Cleveland. saw him from
the time that he came in until he went
away. l can say that he was absolute
ly sober and in full command Of his
faculties. He conducted himself in a
way the world at large would expect
from the president Of the United
States"