In U.S. history there are many presidents who are not know to the general public. the reasons for this are complex, but my opinion is that they were not presidents during a major war, made no significant accomplishments, or were simply bad politicians. Among these men are John Tyler, James Polk, Millard Fillmore, and Chester A. Arthur.
Today I will tell something shocking about one such forgotten man: Grover Cleveland. I write about him not because he was unsung hero, but because he was involved in a scandal that would surprise even today's jaded Americans.
In 1873, Grover Cleveland met a widow named Maria Halpin. He then allegedly fathered a child out of wedlock. This seems bad enough for the 1800's, but the story is far from over. After the birth of her child, she began to drink heavily, so Cleveland had her committed to a mental hospital. He then placed his alleged illegitimate child in an orphanage.
These facts are sensational enough, but the biggest surprise is still to come.
In 1884 Grover Cleveland ran for the Presidency and this scandal was brought out. Guess what? Cleveland won the election!!! He fathered a child out of wedlock, put the mother in an asylum, and then placed the kid up for adoption, and the public went to the polls and said, "He is the man who should be President." Makes you wonder about his opponent James Blaine.
Americans should think about this when they complain about today's lack of morals and ethics. Cleveland makes a certain President seem like an absolute symbol of virtue.
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