UC-NRLF 
 
 SB 31D 
 

1*0 
 
 CLEVELND 
 
LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES 
 
 OF 
 
 GROVER CLEVELAND 
 
 BY 
 
 PENDLETON KING 
 
 \\ 
 
 NEW YORK AND LONDON 
 
 G. P. PUTNAM S SONS 
 
 Iflvcss 
 1884 
 

 COPYRIGHT, 1884, 
 BY G. P. PUTNAM S SONS. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IN the preparation of the following biography I 
 have attempted to portray Mr. Cleveland, as far as 
 possible, by means of judicious selections from his 
 own messages, vetoes, and speeches. 
 
 I venture to hope that in bringing before the peo 
 ple at large for the first time many of the vetoes of 
 Mayor Cleveland, I am rendering a public service of 
 no trifling value. 
 
 I have included such other documents as are most 
 necessary for reference in the present political con 
 test, hoping thereby to render it more useful to 
 those taking a more or less active part in the cam 
 paign. 
 
 Now that there is a clearly defined contest in 
 behalf of pure government, led by a man who, if 
 elected, will surely give it to us so far as he can ; at 
 a time when there is such an Independent or Moral 
 movement in favor of honesty and reform, I consider 
 it no time for attempting to write a book that shall 
 aim to be dramatic and amusing. On the other 
 
 M212647 
 
v 
 
 hand, I have tried to produce a simple, clear narra 
 tive, free from exaggeration and empty rhetoric. 
 
 I would return my thanks to several gentlemen 
 who have kindly assisted me by furnishing material, 
 information, or advice. In the first place, to Gover 
 nor Cleveland himself, in whose modesty, however, 
 I found some restraint to the encouragement afforded 
 me by his kindness and courtesy. It is hardly neces 
 sary to say that no responsibility rests with the Gov 
 ernor for either the selections of messages and other 
 documents included in this book, or for the discus 
 sion of them. 
 
 I would also mention Mr. Everett P. Wheeler and 
 Mr. Alexander Fullerton, of the New York Civil- 
 Service Reform Association, Mr. L. F. Allen, Mr. 
 W. S. Bissell, and Hon. D. N. Lockwood, of Buffalo. 
 Mr. Burns, the City Clerk of Buffalo, kindly fur 
 nished me with a copy of the Proceedings of the 
 Common Council for 1882 ; and Mr. F. F. Fargo with 
 his own copy of a biographical sketch of Mr. Cleve 
 land written by him in 1882, copies of which have 
 now become scarce. 
 
 The kindness of some of these gentlemen was the 
 greater from the fact that they are " red-hot Repub 
 licans," who had some scruples as to whether they 
 ought to furnish me " with powder to shoot them 
 with." 
 
 The critical reader will readily appreciate certain 
 exigencies peculiar to a work of this kind : the most 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 important of which is promptness of publication. 
 But, withal, I hope the picture here presented will 
 preserve, in spite of its imperfections, something 
 of the power and simplicity of its subject. 
 
 I certainly had before me some of the traits of 
 " one of Plutarch s men " for whom so many have 
 been looking ; and if they do not appear in this un 
 pretentious little book, it is only the fault of the 
 
 biographer. 
 
 P. K. 
 
 NEW YORK, July 31, 1884. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 EARLY LIFE LAWYER SHERIFF i 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 VETO MAYOR 16 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 REFORM GOVERNOR 91 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT 185 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 1. LIST OF STATES WITH THEIR PRESENT ELECTORAL VOTE ... 221 
 
 2. SUMMARY OF POPULAR AND ELECTORAL VOTES IN PRESIDEN 
 
 TIAL ELECTIONS, 1789-1880 222 
 
IT seems to me, that a successful and faithful administration of the 
 government of our city may be accomplished by constantly bearing 
 in mind that we are the trustees and agents of our fellow-citizens, 
 holding their funds in sacred trust, to be expended for their benefit; 
 that we should, at all times, be prepared to render an honest account 
 to them touching the manner of its expenditure; and that the affairs 
 of the city should be conducted, as far as possible, upon the same 
 principles as a good business man manages his private concerns- 
 
 I cannot rid myself of the idea that this city government, in its re 
 lation to the taxpayers, is a business establishment, and that it is put 
 in our hands to be conducted on business principles. 
 
 I believe in an open and sturdy partisanship, which secures the 
 legitimate advantages of party supremacy; but parties were made for 
 the people, and I am unwilling, knowingly, to give my assent to 
 measures purely partisan, which will sacrifice or endanger their in 
 terests. 
 
 We go forth not merely to gain a partisan advantage, but pledged 
 to give to those who trust us the utmost benefits of a pure and honest 
 administration of national affairs. 
 
 GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY LIFE LAWYER SHERIFF. 
 
 THE Clevelands are descended from an English 
 family, and have been for more than two centuries 
 in America. They seem to have first settled in 
 Connecticut, and have been hitherto best known by 
 their zeal and activity in religious matters. Dr. 
 Aaron Cleveland, the grandfather of Grover Cleve 
 land s grandfather, was an Episcopal minister in 
 Philadelphia and a friend of Benjamin Franklin, at 
 whose house he died in 1757. 
 
 Franklin was at that time editor of the Penn 
 sylvania Gazette, and noticed the death of his friend 
 in the following words : 
 
 " On Thursday last, after a lingering illness, died 
 here the Rev. Mr. Cleveland, lately appointed to the 
 ^mission at Newcastle by the Society for Propagating 
 the Gospel. As he was a gentleman of a humane 
 and pious disposition, indefatigable in his ministry, 
 
2 ..LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 easy and affable in his conversation, open and sin 
 cere in his friendship, and above every species of 
 meanness and dissimulation, his death is greatly 
 lamented by all who knew him as a loss to the 
 public, a loss to the Church of Christ in general, and 
 in particular to that congregation who had proposed 
 to themselves so much satisfaction from his late 
 appointment among them, agreeable to their own 
 request/ 
 
 He left a little son, who was born in East Had- 
 dam, Connecticut, in 1744, and who shortly after 
 the death of his father returned to Connecticut, and 
 lived the greater part of his life at Norwich. He led 
 an active life, and somewhat distinguished himself 
 by his opposition to slavery. He was a member 
 of the Connecticut Legislature for Norwich, and in 
 troduced a bill for the abolition of slavery in his 
 State. 
 
 He was also a minister, but a Congregationalist, 
 instead of Episcopal ; as such he lived for a time in 
 Vermont, but finally returned to Connecticut, and 
 died in New Haven in 1815. This was Grover 
 Cleveland s great-grandfather. His first son, Charles, 
 was born in 1772, in Norwich, and became a city 
 missionary in Boston, where he lived to be nearly one 
 hundred years old, and was widely known as " Father 
 Cleveland." His youngest child, a daughter, mar 
 ried Dr. Samuel H. Coxe, a distinguished clergyman, 
 of New York city, whose son, Arthur Cleveland Coxe, 
 
EARLY LIFE LAWYER SHERIFF. 3 
 
 is Episcopal Bishop of Western New York. He had 
 eleven other children, of whom we are most con 
 cerned with the second son, William Cleveland, who 
 was Grover Cleveland s grandfather. He was a sil 
 versmith, and lived the greater part of his life at 
 Beacon Hill, on the outskirts of Norwich. He was 
 a deacon of the Congregational Church for twenty- 
 five years. He married Margaret Falley. He died 
 at Black Rock, near Buffalo, New York, in 1837. 
 
 His second son was Richard Falley Cleveland, 
 born at Norwich, 1804, who was the father of Grover 
 Cleveland. In his younger days he was a factory 
 boy together with his cousin W r illiam E. Dodge, 
 who afterwards came to New York, and became the 
 head of a great and wealthy business house, and 
 was well and widely known as a philanthropist. 
 
 Richard Falley Cleveland managed to prepare 
 himself for college, and entered Yale in 1820, and 
 was graduated with honor in 1824, in a class of 
 sixty-eight. From college he went to Baltimore 
 and found employment as a tutor. Here he became 
 acquainted with Miss Anne Neale, the daughter of 
 a wealthy law-book publisher and merchant, of Irish 
 birth. After a year in Baltimore he went to Prince 
 ton Theological Seminary, where he studied theol 
 ogy and became a Presbyterian clergyman. 
 
 In 1829 he returned to Baltimore to marry Anne 
 Neale. I believe that a scientific investigation of 
 the facts would show that marriages between per- 
 
4 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 sons of different nationalities are productive of an 
 unusual number of remarkable children. Without 
 stopping to cite instances from history, I may say 
 that I attribute in some degree to this marriage be 
 tween a Connecticut clergyman and a Baltimore 
 girl of Irish descent, that exceptional union of de 
 liberation, self-possession, and firmness with the 
 genial, sociable, tender and sympathetic nature that 
 are characteristic of Grover Cleveland. 
 
 But to return to our young clergyman his first 
 charge was at Windham, Connecticut ; the second 
 at Portsmouth, Virginia ; and the third at the little 
 village of Caldwcll, near Newark, New Jersey. 
 
 It was here, in the little Presbyterian parsonage, 
 that Grover Cleveland was born, the i8th of March, 
 1837. He was the fifth of nine children: 
 
 Anna, now Mrs. Dr. Hastings, missionary to Cey 
 lon ; William N.,born 1832, an alumnus of Hamilton 
 College, Clinton, N. Y., and now a Presbyterian 
 minister at Forestport, N. Y. ; Maty, born 1833 
 (Mrs. W. E. Hoyt); Richard Cecil, born 1835; 
 Stephen Grover, born 1837; Margaret, born 1838 
 (Mrs. N. B. Bacon) ; Lewis Frederick, born 1841; 
 Susan, born 1843 (Mrs. Yeomans) ; Rose E., born 
 1846. 
 
 Stephen Grover was named in honor of the 
 worthy pastor who had preceded his father in the 
 church at Caldwell, N. J. ; from childhood he has 
 been called Grover, and has always written his name 
 
EARL Y LIFE LA WYER SHERIFF. 5 
 
 simply Grover Cleveland. When he was about 
 three years old his father received a call to the 
 church at Fayetteville, a little village in Onondaga 
 County, near Syracuse, New York, and near Pompey 
 Hill, the birth-place of Horatio Seymour. The 
 journey hither, in 1841, was a long and tedious one, 
 by boat up the Hudson River, and thence by the 
 canal packet to Fayetteville, which they reached 
 one Saturday about midnight. 
 
 The Cleveland family spent about nine useful and 
 happy years at Fayetteville ; the father was a popular 
 and successful preacher; the mother was busy with 
 bringing up a large family on a small income ; and 
 the children made diligent use of the village school. 
 During these years there were repeated indications 
 of the failing health of Pastor Cleveland ; he became 
 unequal to the burdens of his position and gladly 
 accepted the agency of the American Home Mis 
 sionary Society, at a salary of 81,000 per year, a sum 
 considerably larger than he had been receiving in 
 Fayetteville. He now, in 1851, removed his family 
 to Clinton, in Oneida County, which at that time as 
 it does yet offered unusual educational advantages. 
 Here the eldest son finished his college education at 
 Hamilton College, while Grover and the other chil 
 dren availed themselves of the Clinton schools to 
 make proper preparation for college. While they 
 were living in Clinton, it was thought best for Gro 
 ver to accept a position as clerk in the village store 
 
6 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 in Fayetteville. By this means he would not only 
 decrease the family expenses, but add something to 
 their resources by his small salary of fifty dollars for 
 the first year, and one hundred dollars for the sec 
 ond year. Persons are yet living who recollect the 
 village clerk, and there is abundant testimony to his 
 diligence, faithfulness, and honesty in his first posi 
 tion in the business world. 
 
 Mr. Wirt, the biographer of Patrick Henry, tells us 
 that young Henry used his position as clerk in a coun 
 try store in Virginia, to make a systematic study of 
 human nature, and there he doubtless learned many 
 of those subtle movements of the human mind which 
 enabled him to have such influence over the people 
 by his eloquence. It is no doubt equally true that 
 young Grover Cleveland made many an observation 
 on human nature while in this village store that 
 have proved as valuable to him as the Latin and 
 mathematics which he pursued in the Clinton 
 Academy. 
 
 I believe it was Wendell Phillips who advised the 
 Harvard students not to separate themselves from 
 the people. I have often observed the great advan 
 tages in this respect that boys brought up in villages 
 and country districts have over those brought up in 
 cities. They thereby acquire an understanding of 
 the people the plain, uneducated people that 
 finally seems almost instinctive. And the best of 
 this understanding is that it brings an appreciation 
 
EARL Y LIFE LA W YER SHERIFF. / 
 
 of their fine qualities, a sympathy and love for them, 
 that even amid the glitter and bustle of our great 
 cities never entirely passes away. 
 
 And many a time when I have turned with a sad 
 heart from the misrepresentations of the South 
 which I had read in the journals of the North, and 
 from the bitter words of the Blaines and the Butlers, 
 I have found consolation in thinking of the sterling 
 qualities of the plain people whom I have had the 
 good fortune of closely observing in almost every 
 part of our extended country. 
 
 Here lie the real strength, the vigor, the simplicity, 
 the unaffected manhood, the hope of our national 
 greatness. 
 
 And as we see provincial France sending up to 
 Paris a never-failing supply of such youths as 
 Guizot and Thiers, Sainte-Beuve and Renan ; so it 
 is our country districts which, from Washington to 
 Cleveland, have furnished the greater part of our 
 able men, whether we consider politics or commerce. 
 
 Mingling with the people from early childhood, 
 Grover Cleveland learned to know and to appreciate 
 them. He learned that their rough exterior often 
 conceals the finest qualities, both mental and moral, 
 and that even in their manners the capable judge 
 often finds a fine deportment, the absence of which 
 is so frequently striking among the business part of 
 our city population. 
 
 It is probably partly due to this mingling with 
 
8 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 the people, that Grovcr Cleveland, as Governor of 
 New York, sitting in a Capitol that has cost fifteen 
 millions of dollars, has been from the first day easily 
 accessible to every citizen who had real or imaginary 
 business with him, without regard to race, color, or 
 ^/previous condition. And there is no doubt that in 
 the White House he would set an example of digni 
 fied simplicity worthy of our best traditions. 
 
 There, too, in that village store began the first of 
 the numerous occupations clerk, teacher, lawyer s 
 clerk, lawyer, district attorney, sheriff, mayor, gov 
 ernor that have given him a fair share of that 
 extraordinary versatility characteristic of the Amer 
 ican people, which Pericles thought so admirable in 
 the Athenians, and which, in his opinion, helped to 
 render them superior to all other nations. 
 
 This apprenticeship doubtless contributed con 
 siderably to another quality characteristic of Mr. 
 Cleveland, that of being practical. He goes di 
 rectly to the gist of a subject, and, as the reader will 
 see in the extracts from his vetoes and messages, 
 expresses himself simply, directly, and forcibly. 
 
 The Rev. Mr. Cleveland did not derive from his 
 new position much improvement of his health, and 
 he was dissatisfied with the continual absence from 
 his family which it required. He therefore accepted 
 a call to the pastorate of the church at Holland 
 Patent, another village in Oncida County, on Black 
 River, about twelve miles from Utica. Hither he 
 
EARLY LIFE LAWYER SHERIFF. 9 
 
 removed with his family in 1853. But he had 
 preached only three Sundays in his new home when 
 death cut short his useful life. The loss of his father 
 caused a great change in Grover s life-plans ; he had 
 to abandon, for a time at least, all hopes of going to 
 college, and to help support the large family left 
 by the poor clergyman. His brother William had 
 recently obtained a position as instructor in the In 
 stitution for the Blind, in New York city. Here 
 Grover likewise secured a situation as book-keeper 
 and assistant teacher, though only sixteen years old. 
 But he retained this position only one year and then 
 concluded to set out for the Great West. He re 
 turned to his mother s, at Holland Patent, and bor 
 rowed twenty-five dollars from a neighboring farmer, 
 who had been one of his father s friends. 
 
 He also found a young friend, who was likewise 
 desirous of seeking his fortune in the West. . They 
 set out in the spring of 1855, with the intention of 
 going to Cleveland, Ohio, then a rising little city, as 
 far West as Illinois or Wisconsin would now be con 
 sidered. 
 
 The State of New York contained at that time 
 a population of 3,097,000, instead of 5,082,000 as 
 now ; Syracuse then had a population of 22,000, 
 and now has 51,000; Rochester then had 36,000, 
 and now has 89,000 ; Buffalo had a population of 
 42,000, instead of the present 155,000; Erie County, 
 the future home of Grover Cleveland, had a popula- 
 
IO LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 tion of 100,000, but now has 220,000 ; and other cit 
 ies have increased in a like proportion. 
 
 On their way these two lads stopped at Buffalo to 
 allow Grover to visit an uncle, Mr. Lewis F. Allen, 
 a well-known farmer and author of the "American 
 Herd-Book," which he was then preparing. Mr. 
 Allen questioned his young nephew as to his inten 
 tions, and found that he was on his way to the 
 West, and was desirous of becoming a lawyer. 
 
 His uncle pointed out to him the difficulties of 
 such an undertaking, the disadvantages he would 
 labor under in a new country without even a letter 
 of introduction, and made the proposition to him to 
 remain in his house for a few months at least, and 
 assist him in getting his book on short-horn cattle 
 ready. In the meantime, perhaps he could find 
 some opening in a law office in Buffalo. Young 
 Cleveland took a favorable view of the offer, but 
 said he could not accept it till he consulted the 
 young friend who was traveling with him. But the 
 next day he returned to Mr. Allen s, his young 
 friend making no objection. There he found a 
 pleasant home and a small remuneration sufficient 
 for his necessary expenses. In a few months 
 (August, 1855), through his uncle s influence, he en 
 tered, at the age of eighteen, the law office of 
 Messrs. Rogers, Bowen & Rogers. 
 
 It should be remarked that this kind uncle is yet 
 living and enjoying vigorous health, and retains his 
 
EARL Y LIFE LA WYER SHERIFF. 1 1 
 
 memory and mental powers unimpaired. And 
 though a founder of the Free Soil party in his vicin 
 ity and a stanch Republican, he hopes to live to as 
 sist, by his vote at the age of eighty-four, in making 
 President of the United States the man who thirty 
 years ago assisted him in completing his book on 
 short-horn cattle. 
 
 Grover Cleveland began the study of law in the en 
 joyment of vigorous health, and soon showed him 
 self to be a youth of intelligence and decision of 
 character. He was admitted to the bar in 1859, but 
 remained four more years with the above firm, thus 
 securing eight years of legal training. As office boy 
 he gradually became acquainted with many legal 
 forms, and used his leisure in the study of his pro 
 fession. He was just beginning to earn something 
 by which he could assist his mother and sisters, when 
 the war came on. It was a question in the family 
 whether he should enter the army or not ; but at a 
 kind of family council it was decided that his two 
 brothers, one a little older and one a little younger 
 than Grover, should go to the army, and that he 
 should remain in the practice of the law and assist 
 the family. 
 
 Grover Cleveland was from the outset a War Dem 
 ocrat and has always, both in private and in public 
 life, shown himself a friend of the soldiers. 
 
 As a young lawyer he became so favorably known 
 that in the year 1863 he was appointed assistant dis- 
 
12 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 trict attorney for the county of Erie. This position 
 he filled in a manner so competent that in 1865 he 
 received the nomination of the Democratic party 
 for the position of district attorney for his county, 
 but was defeated by the Republican candidate, Mr. 
 Lyman K. Bass. 
 
 In 1866 he formed a legal co-partnership .with the 
 late I. K. Vanderpoel, and was afterwards associated 
 with the late A. P. Lansing and the late Oscar Fol- 
 som. Through these years he was steadily rising in 
 his profession. 
 
 In 1870, at the age of thirty-three, he was elected 
 Sheriff of Erie County for three years. This office 
 he likewise discharged with ability and satisfaction 
 to the people. 
 
 At the close of this period (January I, 1874) he 
 resumed the practice of law and associated himself 
 with his former antagonist, Mr. Bass, and Mr. W. S. 
 Bissell. 
 
 Not long afterward Mr. Bass withdrew from the 
 firm on account of failing health, and the firm be 
 came Cleveland & Bissell, and so remained till 1881, 
 when Mr. George J. Sicard joined the partnership ; 
 and the firm remained Cleveland, Bissell & Sicard 
 till Mr. Cleveland was elected Governor of New 
 York in 1882. 
 
 He was a very successful lawyer and was for many 
 years very busily employed. His office was in the 
 Weed Block, at the corner of Main and Swan streets, 
 
EARLY LIFE LAWYER SHERIFF. 13 
 
 where the firm is yet carried on under the name of 
 Bissell, Sicard & Goodyear. 
 
 As a lawyer he was a fluent, terse, forcible speaker ; 
 and alike successful before judges and juries. His 
 clear apprehension of legal principles and his logical 
 statement of them rendered him second to no lawyer 
 in Western New York. While having a successful 
 general practice, he was regarded as especially strong 
 in equity cases. 
 
 Mr. Bissell, who has had a fine opportunity of ob 
 serving men who use their minds a great deal, in 
 formed me that " he has never known a man, whether 
 college professor or lawyer, that is capable of so 
 many hours of strenuous mental labor as Mr. Cleve 
 land ; and that he has never known another man so 
 industrious ; and he is never so industrious as when 
 laboring for the rights of some poor man : he has a 
 kind and sympathetic nature." 
 
 Mr. Cleveland has never married, and has lived in 
 great simplicity. His rooms were in the building 
 near his law office, and his meals he took at the 
 hotel or restaurant. 
 
 As a friend and companion he is genial, gentle and 
 unassuming ; frank, generous and open-hearted and 
 liked by everybody. He has never gone much into 
 general society, hut is as selCp iisessecl there as else^ 
 where. HeUever loses his hi id under excitement, 
 but remains dignified and calm. When the dis 
 patches were arriving the night of his election as 
 
14 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 governor of New York, and it was seen that the 
 majority was unprecedented and probably reached 
 150,000, a great many friends gathered around him 
 at his office and were in a jubilant state; but Mr. 
 Cleveland opened the dispatches and read them as 
 they arrived as calmly as if they concerned some 
 one else instead of himself. 
 
 Thrice he has received the great honor of nomi 
 nations to high positions those of Mayor, Governor 
 and President without seeking it. " The man does 
 not live," said to me one of his most intimate 
 friends, " who can say that Grover Cleveland asked 
 him to work for his nomination ; on the contrary, 
 when I left for the Chicago Convention, among the 
 last words he said to me were: May Heaven send 
 the nomination to some other man, so strongly did 
 he feel the responsibility of the position. And when 
 I heard in Chicago what falsehoods were in circula 
 tion about him, I became angry and began to work 
 in earnest for him ; I then sat down and wrote him 
 and in a manner apologized for trying to secure his 
 nomination to the highest office within the gift of 
 the American people. He has many apprehensions 
 and even dread of office, from a deep feeling of re 
 sponsibility. The man has an instinct for pursuing 
 what is right ; I have observed it often in his prac 
 tice of law, and the public has observed it in his 
 acts as Mayor and Governor." 
 
 Another very intimate friend of Mr. Cleveland 
 
EARL Y LIFE LA WYER SHERIFF. I 5 
 
 says: " He is very deliberate, even somewhat slow, 
 in forming decisions, but after he has settled a mat 
 ter, nobody in the world can change him. So he 
 was as a lawyer, so he was as Mayor, as well as Gov 
 ernor. He has taken many positions that his friends 
 thought wrong and sometimes ruinous, but we were 
 never able to change him, and it has often turned 
 out that he was right. He is firm, straightforward 
 and upright, and that is the kind of President he 
 will make." 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 VETO MAYOR. 
 
 THERE had grown up great dissatisfaction in Buf 
 falo with the way the city was governed, and in 
 1 88 1 there were many Republicans willing to unite 
 with the Democrats in the election of Mayor, pro 
 vided an able and upright man could be found to 
 run as a candidate for that office. Mr. Cleveland 
 was urged to accept the nomination, but he was 
 very busily engaged in his profession and was unwill 
 ing to allow his name to be used ; finally, after 
 much urging, he accepted the nomination, and though 
 the city is generally Republican, he was elected in 
 November, 1881, by a majority of 3,500. After he 
 had been in office nearly four months, The Buffalo 
 Sunday Morning Times, a Republican journal, said : 
 
 " Mr. Cleveland s administration, thus far, has been 
 such as to justify the expectations that were 
 created, not only by the utterances of his message, 
 but by his well-known character and previous public 
 record as well ; and the people feel, without distinc 
 tion of party, that they have in Mayor Cleveland an 
 able, fearless, upright chief magistrate, who will not 
 abuse the trust reposed in him, but will use his best 
 
CITY HALL AT BUFFALO, N. Y. 
 
VETO MAYOR. I/ 
 
 endeavors for their welfare and to promote the in 
 terests of the city. 
 
 #***## 
 
 " Mr. Cleveland is not the kind of a Democrat that 
 will offensively obtrude his politics into the admin 
 istration of a public office. While he is strongly 
 partisan, no man has a greater regard for the pro 
 prieties which require an abnegation of party and 
 politics in public affairs than has Mayor Cleveland." 
 
 The problems connected with municipal govern 
 ment have become very important and very compli 
 cated in our country ; and there is not a city in the 
 land but may derive great profit from the study of 
 the affairs of the government of Buffalo in the year 
 1882, when Mr. Cleveland was Mayor. 
 
 Every citizen, irrespective of party, and every 
 official, municipal, county, State or United States, 
 can learn many valuable things from Mayor Cleve 
 land s veto messages. These were so numerous and 
 became so famous that he was finally called the 
 Veto Mayor. 
 
 I have sifted out from two thousand three hun 
 dred and seventy-four columns of fine print such as 
 seemed to me of the greatest general interest and 
 application. I have been so interested in them, so 
 struck with their straightforward manner, their good 
 sense, clearness of style, and close attention to de 
 tails, that I regret the necessity of omitting several. 
 These vetoes touch problems that are of daily occur- 
 2 
 
1 8 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 rence in our city governments, and are therefore of 
 such general application that I feel that it will be 
 rendering good service to the cause of upright gov 
 ernment to render them accessible to the public. 
 The vetoes of Governor Cleveland have attracted 
 very wide attention. Those of Mayor Cleveland 
 deserve an equal reputation. His career as Mayor 
 of Buffalo, during which he saved the city in eleven 
 months about one million of dollars, clearly illus 
 trates what too many people are apt to overlook or 
 ignore namely, the necessity and economy of hav 
 ing efficient and incorruptible men in public office, 
 and of paying a sufficiently generous salary to com 
 mand the services of such men. The importance of 
 Mayor Cleveland s vetoes is by no means temporary 
 or factitious ; the advantage to be derived from read 
 ing. them has nothing to do with party or the pres 
 ent contest for President. After all the noise and 
 smoke of the campaign have passed away, irrespect 
 ive of the result of the November election, it is to 
 be hoped that all persons interested in municipal 
 government will give careful attention to the vetoes 
 and messages of Mayor Cleveland. 
 
 He was elected Mayor in iSSi, and entered 
 upon his official duties January I, 1882. It should 
 be borne constantly in mind that Mr. Cleveland was 
 Mayor of a city generally Republican^ and that 
 there was in the Common Council a majority of 
 members belonging to that party, who were always 
 
VETO MAYOR. 19 
 
 ready to oppose him where their own interests or 
 those of their party seemed to demand it. The 
 following extracts from his first message need no 
 comment : 
 
 MAYOR S OFFICE, > 
 BUFFALO, January 2, 1882. ) 
 
 To the Honorable the Common 
 
 Council of the City of Buffalo : 
 
 " In presenting to you my first official commu 
 nication, I am by no means unmindful of the fact 
 that I address a body, many of the members of 
 which have had quite large experience in municipal 
 affairs ; and which is directly charged, more than 
 any other instrumentality, with the management of 
 the government of the city and the protection of 
 the interests of all the people within its limits. 
 This condition of things creates grave responsibil 
 ities, which I have no doubt you fully appreciate. 
 It may not be amiss, however, to remind you that 
 our fellow-citizens, just at this time, are particularly 
 watchful of those in whose hands they have placed 
 the administration of the city government, and 
 demand of them the most watchful care and con 
 scientious economy. 
 
 " We hold the money of the people in our hands 
 to be used for their purposes and to further their 
 interests as~ J members of the municipality ; and it 
 is quite apparent that, when any part of the funds 
 
20 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 which the tax-payers have thus intrusted to us, 
 are diverted to other purposes, or when, by design 
 or neglect, we allow a greater sum to be applied 
 to any municipal purpose than is necessary, we 
 have, to that extent, violated our duty. There 
 surely is no difference in his duties and obligations, 
 whether a person is intrusted with the money of 
 one man or many. And yet it sometimes appears 
 as though the office-holder assumes that a different 
 rule of fidelity prevails between him and the tax 
 payers, from that which should regulate his conduct, 
 when as an individual he holds the money of his 
 neighbor. 
 
 " It seems to me, that a successful and faithful 
 administration of the government of our city may 
 be accomplished by constantly bearing in mind that 
 we are the trustees and agents of our fellow-citizens, 
 holding their funds in sacred trust, to be expended 
 for their benefit : that we should, at all times, be 
 prepared to render an honest account to them 
 touching the manner of its expenditure : and that 
 the affairs of the city should be conducted, as far as 
 possible, upon the same principles as a good busi 
 ness man manages his private concerns. 
 
 " I am fully persuaded that in the performance of 
 your duties these rules will be observed. And I, 
 perhaps, should not do less than to assure your 
 honorable body, that so far as it is in my power, I 
 shall be glad to co-operate with you, in securing the 
 
VETO MAYOR. 21 
 
 faithful performance of official duty, in every de 
 partment of the City Government. 
 
 STREET DEPARTMENT. 
 
 " The recent investigation into the affairs of this 
 department has developed the most shameful neg 
 lect of duty on the part of the persons in charge. 
 The entire absence of any record of work done ren 
 ders it impossible to give exact data. 
 
 # # x * # # 
 
 " The mismanagement of the affairs of this de 
 partment has led directly to the wasting (to use no 
 stronger term) of the people s money. 
 
 " The charter of the city provides, that the Street 
 Commissioner shall superintend the construction and 
 repairs of plank sidewalks and unpaved streets, the 
 cleaning and watering of streets, and the abatement 
 of nuisances. 
 
 " This superintendence means something more 
 than certifying accounts, when presented, without 
 any examination. And it is perfectly clear that, be 
 fore he certifies any bill for work, the Street Com 
 missioner should inspect and measure the same. In 
 no other way is his certificate any protection to the 
 taxpayers. 
 
 " I am told that for a number of years the city has 
 been cnarged twenty-six cents per foot for construct- 
 
22 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 ing plank sidewalks ; and for all that time bills have 
 been presented, audited and paid at this rate. Dur 
 ing the same period, private persons have had this 
 work done for from fifteen to eighteen cents per 
 foot. I cite this as an example, for I understand 
 the same difference is made between the city and 
 private parties in relation to other work. This 
 should not be so. There is no good reason why the 
 city should not have its work done as cheaply as any 
 other party. And surely no business man would ex 
 pect to survive long if he paid nearly fifty per cent, 
 more for work and materials than his neighbor ! 
 
 " I heartily indorse the recommendation, lately 
 made by my predecessor, that all work of the de 
 scription mentioned be let to the lowest bidder, he 
 to do all such work that is required, at a stated 
 price, for a certain time. This plan should, of 
 course, not dispense with the inspection, by the 
 proper officer, of the work performed. It may be 
 worth considering, in connection with this scheme, 
 whether it would not be well to establish a local im 
 provement fund, from which the expense of such 
 work could be at once paid the fund to be after 
 ward reimbursed by local taxation. This would 
 give the city the advantage of dealing with the con 
 tractor on the basis of cash prices, and would pre 
 vent the accumulation of interest upon warrants 
 given for work and remaining unpaid. 
 
 " In this connection I desire to call your atten- 
 
VETO MAYOR. 2$ 
 
 tion to the very discreditable condition of our 
 streets. 
 
 "There is, perhaps, no purpose to which the 
 money raised by taxation could be more legitimately 
 applied than to securing decently clean and safe 
 streets and sidewalks. The health, safety and com 
 fort of the citizen is directly involved in these things, 
 to say nothing of the pride which we ought to have 
 in the appearance of our city. 
 
 " I think it has been fully demonstrated that the 
 plan at present pursued in the matter entirely fails 
 to accomplish the desired purpose. We let the con 
 tract for carrying away the dirt and ashes from the 
 streets, at a price for which no one can afford to do 
 it properly ; and we rely upon the citizens to gather 
 up in front of their premises what the contractor has 
 only agreed to carry away. 
 
 " If our streets are to be cleaned by contract, I 
 think both the gathering up and the carting away 
 should be done by the contractor. We should pay 
 for the work what it is reasonably worth, and a con 
 tract, once entered into, should be rigidly enforced. 
 
 " The city might be divided into comparatively 
 small districts, with a contractor for each district. 
 In that case parties might compete for the work of 
 a district who would not be equipped for doing a 
 larger job. 
 
 u It has been suggested that a contract might be 
 made for doing all the work for a term of years, with 
 
24 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 a responsible party. This, it is claimed, would en 
 able the contractor to provide himself with the ap 
 pliances necessary to do the work properly, which he 
 is not apt to do if his contract is only for one year. 
 
 " I am not prepared to make any positive recom 
 mendation on the subject, and leave the solution of 
 the question to your larger experience and practical 
 knowledge. 
 
 " It seems to me, however, that much might be 
 said in favor of changing the whole system of doing 
 this, and other work of the same description, and 
 putting it in charge of one of the present depart 
 ments of the city, or a new one, to be organized for 
 that purpose. 
 
 " We have ten street inspectors, appointed by 
 the Street Commissioner, by and with the advice of 
 the Common Council. These persons are supposed 
 to have certain duties to perform, among others to 
 discover and report any defects dangerous to life and 
 limb, in the streets and sidewalks. I am led to be 
 lieve that frequently the persons appointed to these 
 positions either have no idea of a proper perform 
 ance of their duties, or are incapable of doing the 
 work required of them. Suits are constantly brought 
 against the city, for personal injuries caused by 
 defects in the streets and sidewalks ; and verdicts 
 are frequently recovered, upon the theory that the 
 defect has existed so long that notice of the same to 
 the city is presumed. There does not seem to be 
 
VETO MA YOK. 2$ 
 
 much excuse for this ; and these officers should be 
 strictly held to a faithful and efficient performance 
 of their duties, or the offices abolished. 
 
 PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 
 
 " Our public schools are matters of such vital pub 
 lic concern, and so intimately connected with good 
 citizenship, that I recommend all necessary measures 
 be taken to promote their usefulness and efficiency. 
 
 " I am led to the belief, that in the matter of the 
 repairs and refurnishing of the public school build 
 ings the utmost economy is not exercised. I am 
 not furnished with the expenses incurred in this mat 
 ter, but I am convinced that if a committee of citi 
 zens in the several districts would take it upon 
 themselves to look after these things, much useless 
 expenditure, by being brought to their notice, might 
 in future be avoided. 
 
 OFFICIAL PRINTING. 
 
 " The charter provides that the Common Council 
 shall designate one of the daily newspapers published 
 in the city, as the official paper; and the action of 
 the Council in this matter is expressly exempted 
 from the operation of the veto power of the Mayor. 
 Thus the whole responsibility is upon your honor- 
 
26 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 able body. Under such circumstances, I might well 
 refrain from alluding to this subject. And yet I 
 hope it may not be considered entirely out of place, 
 to remind you that work of this description* like all 
 other, should be done where it can be done the 
 cheapest. This is not accomplished, when it is be 
 stowed as a professed reward for party service, or an 
 item of political patronage. Why should other 
 work for the city, involving the expense of a few 
 hundred dollars, be advertised, to the end that the 
 lowest price for which it can be done may be ascer 
 tained, and this printing, which involves the expen 
 diture of thousands of dollars, be given to a party 
 organ, without question ? 
 
 " The Common Council is to designate, but before 
 you can designate intelligently, if your object is to 
 save the people s money, you must inform yourselves 
 where this work can be done the cheapest, and des 
 ignate accordingly. I hope you will see fit to adver 
 tise for proposals to do this printing, so that there 
 may be at least a chance of accomplishing a saving 
 in this direction. 
 
 AUDITOR. 
 
 " It seems to me that the duties which should be 
 performed by this officer have been entirely misap 
 prehended. I understand that it has been supposed 
 that he does all that is required of him, when he 
 tests the correctness of the extensions and footings 
 
VETO MAYOR. 2/ 
 
 of an account presented to him, copies the same in 
 a book, and audits the account as charged if the ex 
 tension and footings are found correct. This work 
 is certainly not difficult, and might well be done by 
 a lad but slightly acquainted with figures. 
 
 " The charter requires that this officer shall ex 
 amine and report upon all unliquidated claims 
 against the city before the same shall be audited 
 by the Common Council. Is it not very plain that 
 the examination of a claim means something more 
 than the footing of the account by which that claim 
 is represented? And is it not equally plain that 
 the report provided for includes more than the ap 
 proval of all accounts which on their face appear 
 correct ? 
 
 " There is no question but that he should inquire 
 into the merits of the claims presented to him ; and 
 he should be fitted to do so by a familiarity with 
 the value of the articles and the services embodied 
 in the accounts. 
 
 " In this way he may protect the interests of the 
 city ; otherwise his services are worse than useless, 
 so far as his action is relied upon. 
 
 CLOSING OF OFFICES. 
 
 " I am utterly unable to discover any valid reason 
 why the city offices should be closed and the em 
 ployees released from their duties at the early hour 
 
28 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 in the day which seems now to be regarded as 
 the limit of a day s work. I am sure no man 
 would think an active private business was well 
 attended to if he and all his employees ceased 
 work at four o clock in the afternoon. The salaries 
 paid by the city to its officers, and their employees, 
 entitle it to a fair day s work. Besides, these 
 offices are for the transaction of public business; 
 and the convenience of all our citizens should be 
 consulted, in respect to the time during which they 
 should remain open. 
 
 " I suggest the passage of an ordinance prescrib 
 ing such hours for the opening and closing of the 
 city offices as shall subserve the public convenience. 
 
 " It would be very desirable if some means could 
 be devised to stop the practice so prevalent among 
 our city employees, of selling or assigning in ad 
 vance their claims against the city for services to 
 be rendered. The ruinous discounts charged and 
 allowed greatly diminish the reward of their labor ; 
 in many cases habits of improvidence and careless 
 ness are engendered ; and in all cases this hawking 
 and trafficking in claims against the city presents a 
 humiliating spectacle. 
 
 " In conclusion, I desire to disclaim any dictation 
 as to the performance of your duties. I recognize 
 fully the fact, that with you rests the responsibil 
 ity of all legislation which touches the prosperity 
 of the city and the correction of abuses. I do not 
 
VETO MAYOR. 2Q 
 
 arrogate to myself any great familiarity with munic 
 ipal affairs, nor any superior knowledge of the 
 city s needs. I speak to you not only as the 
 Chief Executive Officer of the city, but as a citi 
 zen, proud of its progress and commanding posi 
 tion. In this spirit the suggestions herein con 
 tained are made. If you deem them not worthy 
 of consideration, I shall still be anxious to aid the 
 adoption and enforcement of any measures which 
 you may inaugurate looking to the advancement 
 of the interests of the city and the welfare of its 
 inhabitants. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 In laying some of Mayor Cleveland s vetoes be 
 fore the reader, I shall make only such remarks as 
 are necessary to introduce them, and such as may 
 assist the hasty reader in selecting those of most in 
 terest to him. There was a weekly meeting of the 
 Common Council, and Mayor Cleveland found it 
 necessary to send in a veto at the first meeting after 
 his Annual Message was received and read. At the 
 second meeting he sent in another, regarding the se 
 lection of journals and the manner of publication 
 of the proceedings of the Common Council. 
 
 I think the reader will admire the clear, common 
 sense the new Mayor shows in the discussion of 
 this question. 
 
30 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " BUFFALO, Jan. i6th, 1882. 
 
 " I deem it my duty to return, without my ap 
 proval, a resolution adopted by your honorable 
 body on the Qth day of January, 1882, as follows: 
 
 " That the City Clerk be, and hereby is directed 
 to notify the proper heads of the following named 
 German daily newspapers, the Dcmokrat, Frcie 
 Presse, and Volksfrcund, to publish a synopsis, as 
 the City Clerk may direct, of the proceedings of the 
 Common Council for and during the year 1882, at 
 an expense not exceeding $800 for each paper 
 named that may comply with this resolution. 
 
 " The Charter provides that the City Clerk shall 
 publish the journal of the proceedings of the Com 
 mon Council in the official paper. In this way, it 
 must be conceded, liberal provision is made for the 
 information of the people as to the action of their 
 representatives. A complete journal of all that 
 takes place in the Council, in the same form as it is 
 officially kept, is every week, through the official 
 paper, laid before the public. 
 
 " In this regard, I am led to believe but few cities 
 do as much for their inhabitants. 
 
 " But I suppose it is claimed that many of our 
 citizens and taxpayers are only able to read the 
 German language, and for that reason cannot avail 
 themselves of the information furnished by the offi 
 cial paper. 
 
 " It might well be said, that if the proceedings of 
 
VETO MAYOR. 31 
 
 the Common Council are of importance to those of 
 our fellow-citizens who are unable to read the Eng 
 lish language, they need not necessarily be kept in 
 ignorance regarding them, since they may easily be 
 fully informed through others, by whom they are 
 surrounded, and who can read the official paper, of 
 its contents. And it will be borne in mind that the 
 proposition is, not to publish the entire proceedings 
 of the Council in the German papers specified, nor in 
 any one of them, but to publish only such a synop 
 sis of the same as the City Clerk shall direct. What 
 part of the proceedings shall be published is to be 
 determined by the City Clerk ; and whether it shall be 
 much or little, or whether it shall be such matter as it 
 is important for the readers of these papers to know, 
 or as they desire to know, is left entirely to him. 
 
 " It does not seem to me that such an arrangement 
 is necessarily calculated to insure any useful infor 
 mation to our German fellow-citizens concerning the 
 proceedings of the Common Council. 
 
 <4 Let me further call your attention to some con 
 siderations of a business nature, which I think fur 
 nish reasons why the resolution under consideration 
 should not become operative. 
 
 " The German newspapers mentioned in the res 
 olution depend for their success upon the amount 
 and value of the news or information they furnish 
 to their patrons. We will assume that some account 
 of the proceedings of the Common Council in other 
 
32 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 words that a synopsis of such proceedings is of im 
 portance and interest to their readers. I am quite 
 sure that we may safely calculate that from motives 
 of self-interest the proprietors of these newspapers 
 will publish a synopsis much more satisfactory to 
 their subscribers than any which the City Clerk 
 would be apt to prepare ; and they would do so for 
 their own profit, and without any compensation 
 from the city. If this is true, the effect of the res 
 olution under consideration is to give these news 
 papers eight hundred dollars each for doing no more 
 than they will in a sense be obliged to do without 
 it. This comes very near being a most objection 
 able subsidy, which I think a little reflection will 
 satisfy us all we ought not to encourage, and which 
 I am sure the people are not prepared to tolerate. 
 
 " No reason in support of this resolution can be 
 derived from the consideration that we pay an En 
 glish paper for publishing the official proceedings, 
 and therefore we should pay the German papers for 
 publishing a synopsis. A sufficient answer to this 
 argument is that the Legislature has, wisely or un 
 wisely, provided in our charter that the journal of 
 the proceedings of the Common Council shall be 
 published in the official paper, and in this matter 
 we have no discretion. A proposition to pay any 
 other English paper to publish the proceedings, or 
 a synopsis of them, would meet with general disap 
 proval. 
 
VETO MAYOR, 33 
 
 " By advertising for bids before designating the 
 official paper your honorable body has very prop 
 erly, it seems to me, established the principle that 
 all the publishing done for the city should be open 
 to competition and awarded to the lowest bidder. 
 And yet, by the terms of the resolution under con 
 sideration, a certain sum of money is given to the 
 papers mentioned without even -any specification of 
 the amount of work to be done therefor. 
 
 " This is such a departure from correct business 
 methods, and from the rule so lately and so com- 
 mendably adopted by your honorable body, that if 
 there were no other reasons I should deem this 
 abundantly sufficient for my action in withholding 
 my assent to the resolution herewith returned. 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 The reader will observe that in this veto there 
 is no regard paid by the Mayor to politics or party 
 influence ; the first paper on the list, the Demokrat, 
 is of the Mayor s party, and the others may have 
 been also, so far as appears ; his only object was the 
 public good and the saving of public money. 
 
 Public officers continually make the mistake that 
 influence is gained and retained by close attention 
 to the interests of "workers" and influential jour 
 nals ; but there is no more striking instance in our 
 whole history of the rapid rise to a great influence 
 
 3 
 
34 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 and a national reputation through a simple, upright, 
 straightforward performance of official duty, than 
 that of Mr. Cleveland. 
 
 Those who have paid some attention to city gov 
 ernment will recognize in the next veto which I give, 
 a very common method of getting hold of public 
 money under the shadow of a legal form. 
 
 "BUFFALO, Feb. 27, 1882. 
 
 " By a resolution adopted by your honorable body 
 on the 2Oth inst., warrants on the treasury were di 
 rected to be drawn in favor of J. C. Almendinger and 
 A. P. Mason for $75 each for extra services performed 
 in the Street Commissioner s office in examining the 
 books, etc., of that department in the year 1881. 
 
 " On the 28th of November last Messrs. Al 
 mendinger and Mason were duly appointed as as 
 sistant Street Commissioner and clerk to the Com 
 missioner respectively, and, as I am informed, were act 
 ing as such assistant and clerk at the time of the ren 
 dering the services for the payment of which the orders 
 were directed to be drawn. During all these times 
 they were * persons appointed under the charter 
 within the meaning of section 4 of title 3 of that act, 
 and as their salaries could not be increased or dimin 
 ished during the period of their appointment, so, by 
 the express provision of the section, no extra compen 
 sation can be allowed for any service they may have 
 performed while acting as such assistant and clerk. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 35 
 
 " It is suggested that the case is not within the 
 prohibition of the statute, for the reason that the 
 work was done outside the office, and at times not 
 included in the regular office hours. I think there is 
 no force in this suggestion. 
 
 " By the terms of the resolution itself it appears 
 that the extra services performed were fairly em 
 braced in the official duties of the persons perform 
 ing them. To examine the books and to restore 
 order to the records of the office was, as it seems 
 to me, peculiarly the business of the claimants. 
 
 " If the work could not be done in the regular dis 
 charge of their duties, additional clerks might have 
 been employed ; but they having elected to do the 
 work themselves they must now be regarded as 
 standing in the attitude of claimants for extra com 
 pensation for the performance of duties which 
 really pertained to the business of their offices or 
 positions. 
 
 " However meritorious these claims may be, their 
 allowance by the city seems to be prohibited by law. 
 I cannot, therefore, assent to their payment. 
 
 " The resolution is hereby returned without my 
 approval. 
 
 " GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 The following three messages concern the ques 
 tion of allowing the Street Commissioner livery. 
 
36 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 The Commissioner followed up his claim, as will be 
 seen from the dates of the Mayor s vetoes, during 
 almost the entire period in which Mr. Cleveland was 
 Mayor. The Commissioner showed a persistency in 
 the matter worthy of a better cause ; and manifest 
 ed no little shrewdness in the variety he gave to his 
 demands, illustrating the fact that " for ways that 
 are dark, and for tricks that arc vain," the city offi 
 cial is peculiar. 
 
 " BUFFALO, April 10, 1882. 
 
 " At your meeting on the 2/th ultimo, a communi 
 cation was received from the Street Commissioner, 
 asking for an order for $75 for livery in his depart 
 ment during the quarter ending March 3ist, last. 
 
 " On the same day there was also a communication 
 from the Clerk of the Markets, stating that there 
 would be due to him on April 1st three months liv 
 ery, $50, and asking that an order for such amount 
 be drawn in his favor. In both cases the orders re 
 quested were directed to be drawn. 
 
 " To the propriety of this action I am not able to 
 give my assent. 
 
 " It will be seen that in neither case is an account 
 presented for specific expenses actually and neces 
 sarily paid in the business of the office. In both 
 cases the claims are for sums assumed to have been 
 periodically and arbitrarily fixed as part of the in 
 come and emoluments of these places, and in addition 
 
VETO MAYOR. 37 
 
 to the salaries before established by your honorable 
 body. 
 
 " The effect of your action would be to increase 
 these salaries in direct violation of the provisions of 
 the charter. 
 
 " On the 2/th of February last I sent to the Com 
 mon Council a message disapproving the drawing of 
 warrants in favor of two gentlemen who were clerks 
 in a city department for the payment of alleged ex 
 tra services performed during the period of their 
 clerkships. This disapproval was placed upon the 
 ground that the action of your honorable body was, 
 in effect, a violation of the provisions of the charter, 
 to which I have referred, against the increasing of 
 salaries during a term of office, and therefore in 
 valid. 
 
 " That case does not differ in principle from the 
 claims now presented. 
 
 " Both the Street Commissioner and the Clerk of 
 the Markets doubtless knew, before entering upon 
 their offices, the rate of compensation which had 
 been fixed for such offices, and were bound to know 
 the nature of the duties they were to perform. 
 Should the discharge of these duties, in the judg 
 ment of the officer, involve the necessity of using 
 and keeping a horse, it should be regarded, as it 
 seems to me, as incidental only to the proper dis 
 charge of such duty, and there can be no valid claim 
 for reimbursement against the city. 
 
38 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " I am therefore constrained to return without my 
 approval your - resolutions directing orders to be 
 drawn, as above, in favor of the Sfreet Commis 
 sioner and the Clerk of the Markets for livery. 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 "Mayor" 
 
 "BUFFALO, May 29, 1882. 
 
 " I return without my approval your resolution of 
 the 1 5th inst., directing an order to be drawn in 
 favor of the Street Commissioner for $100, for the 
 use of a horse and wagon for his department from 
 January 1st to May 1st, 1882. 
 
 " On the loth of April last I communicated to 
 your honorable body my disapproval of your resolu 
 tion of March 2/th, directing an order in favor of 
 the Street Commissioner for $75, being the amount 
 due (as was alleged) for the expense of livery for 
 the Street Department for the quarter ending 
 March 3ist, 1882. In the message transmitted on 
 that occasion I stated briefly the reasons for the 
 action I had taken. As the claim then presented 
 and allowed by your honorable body was in no sub 
 stantial respect different from the claim allowed by 
 your resolution of the I5th instant, I respectfully 
 refer you to that message as containing some reasons 
 why, in my opinion, this resolution should not be 
 permitted to take effect. 
 
 " In both these cases the claim is for a sum of 
 
VE TO MA YOR. 39 
 
 money at a yearly rate fixed by the Commissioner 
 himself for the use of a horse and wagon, owned and 
 kept by himself for his own general purposes, and 
 without the authority or direction of the city. 
 
 " Since sending my message of the loth ultimo, I 
 have further carefully considered the matter of such 
 claims, and find no reason to change or modify the 
 opinion expressed in that message that their allow 
 ance is, in effect if not in intention, the increasing 
 of the salary of the Street Commissioner as the same 
 had been determined before his election to that 
 office. This salary is the measure of compensation 
 for all the duties which the officer is required to per 
 form, and can no more be increased by the allowance 
 of a yearly sum for the use of ahorse and wagon than 
 of a yearly sum for the wages of a servant attached 
 to his person, though such servant might some 
 times assist in the discharge of the officer s duties. 
 
 " The law is extremely jealous of any attempt to 
 increase the compensation of a public officer during 
 his term of service. The charter of the city ex 
 pressly forbids it ; and to guard against the uncer 
 tainty and possible caprice of legislation a provision 
 to the same effect has been inserted in the Constitu 
 tion of the State. 
 
 " By section 24 of article 3 of that instrument it 
 is declared that the Legislature shall not, nor shall 
 the Common Council of any city, grant any extra 
 compensation to any officer or contractor. 
 
4O LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " A provision so wise and salutary should be 
 observed with the most scrupulous care, and the 
 officers of the city should be held, even at the ex 
 pense of some disappointment, to a strict perform 
 ance of their duties upon the terms implied by their 
 election. 
 
 "The rule of your action, if approved, might be 
 applied to other officers than the Street Commis 
 sioner, and so would grow up a precedent for vio 
 lating both the law and the constitution in a matter 
 
 o 
 
 so largely affecting the interests of the taxpayers of 
 the city. 
 
 " I cannot, therefore, give my assent to the allow 
 ance of this claim. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 "Mayor." 
 
 "BUFFALO, Oct. 16, 1882. 
 
 " I return without my approval a resolution passed 
 by your honorable body on the second day of Octo 
 ber, 1882, directing the City Clerk to draw a warrant 
 in favor of Dennis Danahy for ninety-nine dollars 
 for transportation furnished the Street Department 
 for ten days in June and twenty-three days in July, 
 1882. 
 
 " The transportation spoken of in the resolution 
 consists in the personal use of a horse and buggy by 
 the Street Commissioner in the performance, I sup 
 pose, of his official duty. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 41 
 
 " It amounts to nothing more or less than the al 
 lowance of livery to the Street Commissioner. 
 
 " But whether it is called transportation or livery 
 this officer has never, to my knowledge, been auth 
 orized to make the city liable for anything of this 
 kind. 
 
 "Section four of chapter twenty-seven of the Ordi 
 nances provides as follows : 
 
 " No officer or employee of the city shall be auth 
 orized to contract any debt or incur any expendi 
 ture, except pursuant to an ordinance, order or reso 
 lution of the Common Council. 
 
 " I do not pass here upon the legal question 
 whether or not the city might be made liable if the 
 acts of its officer, unauthorized in the first instance, 
 were ratified by your honorable body ; but I am de 
 termined that I will not in this case lend my aid to 
 such ratification. 
 
 "On the 3d day of October, iSSi, a resolution 
 was passed by the Common Council declaring it to 
 be the sense of that body that no amounts should 
 be included in the estimates or appropriations for 
 the year 1882 for livery for the Street Commis 
 sioner s Department, Department of Public Build 
 ings, or Clerk of the Markets. No less than ten of 
 the members of the present Council voted in favor 
 of this resolution. 
 
 " I do not claim that this resolution was binding 
 upon any subsequent Common Council, whose duty 
 
42 LIFE OF GROWER CLEVELAND. 
 
 it should be to fix upon the appropriations for the 
 succeeding year; but it was passed, and I have been 
 assured that the present Street Commissioner knew 
 of its passage before he was nominated as a candi 
 date for the office which he now holds. It will be 
 thus seen that he had a very plain hint that any ex 
 pense for livery in his office was to be included in 
 his salary, and that he was not justified in suppos 
 ing that any compensation on that score would be 
 allowed to him. 
 
 "At the commencement of his official term he 
 v/as presented by the inspectors attached to his 
 office, as he himself declared, with a horse, buggy 
 and harness. I do not speak of this to criticise the 
 taste or propriety exhibited by a city officer in ac 
 cepting such gifts from those who are subject to his 
 direction in the performance of their duty, but 
 rather to show that this official was gratuitously 
 equipped with all that was necessary in the way of 
 livery or transportation. 
 
 " Notwithstanding this, on the 27th day of March, 
 1882, a communication was sent to your honorable 
 body, by the Street Commissioner, stating that the 
 expense for livery for his department for the quarter 
 ending March 3 1st was due, amounting to seventy-five 
 dollars, and asking that a warrant be drawn in his 
 favor for that amount ; thereupon a resolution direct 
 ing such order drawn was passed by your honorable 
 body, which action I felt obliged to disapprove. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 43 
 
 "On the 1 5th day of May, 1882, another com 
 munication was received by your honorable body 
 from the Street Commissioner, stating that there 
 was due for use of a horse and wagon for his depart 
 ment, from January 1st to May 1st, 1882, the sum of 
 one hundred dollars as by a voucher submitted, and 
 recommending that a warrant be drawn in his favor 
 to pay the same. 
 
 " Pursuant to such recommendation this warrant 
 was ordered drawn by your honorable body. This 
 action I also disapproved. 
 
 " Very soon after this, I was informed that the 
 Street Commissioner had disposed of his horse and 
 buggy. 
 
 " The claims made by the Street Commissioner 
 himself having been disposed of as indicated above, 
 Dennis Danahy, his relative and friend, now pre 
 sents two accounts against the city, amounting to 
 ninety-nine dollars, for the payment of which the 
 warrant now under consideration was directed to be 
 drawn. One of these accounts is stated to be for 
 transportation for the Street Department from the 
 iQth of June to the 3Oth of June, both inclusive, 
 being ten days at three dollars per day ; the other 
 is for the use of a horse and buggy from July 1st to 
 the 29th, inclusive. It appears from a statement 
 attached to this account that a charge of three dol 
 lars is made for every day between the last-named 
 dates, except Sundays, the Fourth of July, and an- 
 
44 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 other day, making twenty-three days. I have also 
 before me two other accounts in favor of the same 
 party, one claiming sixty-nine dollars for the month 
 of August, and the other seventy-eight dollars for 
 the month of September. 
 
 " It will be thus seen that if these accounts are 
 allowed and paid, this livery or transportation, for 
 which the Street Commissioner in the outset only 
 asked three hundred dollars for the year, will cost 
 the city nearly three times that sum. 
 
 " It would be much cheaper for us to present the 
 officer with an establishment. 
 
 " I cannot forbear alluding to another circum 
 stance. Upon an investigation of this matter, I am 
 informed that the horse and buggy formerly owned 
 by the Street Commissioner was, up to within two 
 months ago, in the stable of the man who presents 
 these accounts. 
 
 "This does not necessarily affect the validity of 
 
 these claims, but it induces me the more earnestly 
 
 to request your honorable body to relieve me from 
 
 any further consideration of this unpleasant subject. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 The following five messages sufficiently explain 
 themselves. In the first of them the reader will se^e 
 the Mayor s confession of his own hasty action in 
 the matter. 
 
VETO MAYOR, 45 
 
 ECONOMY IN PRINTING. 
 
 " BUFFALO, April 17, 1883. 
 
 "At the last meeting of your honorable body, the 
 following preamble and resolution was adopted: 
 
 " Whereas, It is in the interest of the large German 
 class of our tax-payers to be informed of the notice 
 of tax sale by the City of Buffalo ; therefore be it 
 
 " * Resolved, To publish said tax sale in the three 
 daily German papers of this city in four different is 
 sues of each of them, and at the pro rata rate of the 
 English papers. 
 
 " On the same day it was represented to me that 
 the cost of the publication provided for would be one 
 hundred and fifty dollars for each of the papers men 
 tioned, and that it was necessary that preparations 
 for the publication should be made at once. Upon 
 these representations, I signified my approval of the 
 resolution. 
 
 " I knew, of course, that the publication of the 
 notice of tax sale in the German papers was not nec 
 essary to the validity of the sale ; but I was willing 
 to assent to the expenditure of four hundred and fifty 
 dollars for this purpose, because I thought it might 
 possibly increase the chance of some of our delin 
 quent German tax-payers paying their taxes, thus 
 preventing increased expense to them and perhaps 
 the sacrifice of their property. 
 
 * A few days afterward my attention was called 
 
46 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 particularly to this matter, and upon examination I 
 found to my great surprise that the publication au 
 thorized by this resolution involved an expense to 
 the city of nearly four thousand dollars, not one cent 
 of which is specially chargeable upon the land ad 
 vertised. 
 
 " I of course immediately withdrew my approval 
 of the action of your honorable body, and notified 
 the proprietors of the German newspapers to that 
 effect. 
 
 " No publication has yet been made in any of 
 these papers, though I am informed that the type 
 has been nearly or quite prepared by one of them, 
 which was to be used by all. 
 
 " I now return the said resolution without my ap 
 proval, for the reason that the appropriation of the 
 amount of money thereby authorized, for publishing 
 the matter referred to in the German newspapers, 
 is in violation of the charter. 
 
 "If your honorable body should, after due delib 
 eration, deem it proper that any of the public money 
 should be spent in this way, I am unable to see why 
 every useful purpose will not be subserved by allow 
 ing notice of the sale of lands situated in the fourth, 
 fifth, sixth, and seventh wards to be published twice 
 in each of these papers. The cost of this cannot, I 
 think, exceed two hundred and fifty dollars to each 
 paper. 
 
 "Though there may be a slight excuse for my ap- 
 
VETO MAYOR. 47 
 
 proval of this resolution in the first instance, I de 
 sire to acknowledge that my action in the matter 
 was hasty and inconsiderate. A little examination 
 and reflection would have prevented it. 
 
 " Allow me to say, further, that with a little 
 more attention on the part of your honorable body, 
 I am convinced that the resolution herewith re 
 turned would not have been presented for my ap 
 proval. 
 
 " I earnestly invite the co-operation of every 
 member of your honorable body, by official act and 
 by suggestion to me, to prevent such things in the 
 future. 
 
 " GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 BUFFALO, May 8, 1882. 
 
 " At the last session of your honorable body a 
 resolution was ^adopted directing the City Clerk to 
 draw a warrant for five hundred dollars in favor of the 
 Secretary of the Firemen s Benevolent Association. 
 
 " This action is not only clearly unauthorized, 
 but it is distinctly prohibited by the following clause 
 of the State Constitution : 
 
 " * No county, city, town, or village shall hereafter 
 give any money or property, or loan its money or 
 credit to, or in aid of any individual, association, 
 corporation, or become directly or indirectly the 
 owner of stock in, or bonds of any association or 
 
48 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 corporation ; nor shall any such county, city, town, 
 or village be allowed to incur any indebtedness, ex 
 cept for county, city, town, or village purposes. 
 
 " At the same meeting of your honorable body 
 the following resolution was passed : 
 
 " * That the City Clerk be and he is hereby directed 
 to draw a warrant on the Fourth of July Fund for 
 five hundred dollars to the order of J. S. Edwards, 
 Chairman of the Decoration Day Committee of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic, for the purpose of 
 defraying the expense attending a proper observa 
 tion of Decoration Day. 
 
 " I have taxed my ingenuity to discover a way to 
 consistently approve of this resolution, but have 
 been unable to do so. 
 
 " It seems to me that it is not only obnoxious to 
 the provisions of the Constitution above quoted, 
 but that it also violates that section of the charter 
 of the city which makes it a misdemeanor to ap 
 propriate the money raised for one purpose to any 
 other object. Under this section I think money 
 raised for the celebration of the Fourth of July 
 and the reception of distinguished persons can 
 not be devoted to the observance of Decoration 
 Day. 
 
 " I deem the object of this appropriation a most 
 worthy one. The efforts of our veteran soldiers to 
 keep alive the memory of their fallen comrades cer 
 tainly deserves the aid and encouragement of their 
 
VETO MAYOR, 49 
 
 fellow-citizens. We should all, I think, feel it a duty 
 and a privilege to contribute to the funds necessary 
 to carry out such a purpose. And I should be 
 much disappointed if an appeal to our citizens for 
 voluntary subscriptions for this patriotic object 
 should be in vain. 
 
 " But the money so contributed should be a free 
 gift of the citizens and tax-payers, and should not 
 be extorted from them by taxation. This is so, be 
 cause the purpose for which this money is asked 
 does not involve their protection or interest as mem 
 bers of the community, and it may or may not be 
 approved by them. 
 
 " The peonle are forced to pay taxes into the City 
 Treasury only upon the theory that such money 
 shall be expended for public purposes, or pur 
 poses in which they all have a direct and practical 
 interest. 
 
 " The logic of this position leads directly to the 
 conclusion that, if the people are forced to pay 
 their money into the public fund and it is spent by 
 their servants and agents for purposes in which the 
 people as tax-payers have no interest, the exaction 
 of such taxes from them is oppressive and unjust. 
 
 " I cannot rid myself of the idea that this city 
 government, in its relation to the tax-payers, is a 
 business establishment, and that it is put in our 
 hands to be conducted on business principles. 
 
 " This theory does not admit of our donating the 
 4 
 
50 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 public funds in the manner contemplated by the ac 
 tion of your honorable body. 
 
 " I deem it my duty, therefore, to return both of 
 the resolutions herein referred to without my ap 
 proval. 
 
 " GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 CHILDREN IN THE STREETS. 
 
 4 BUFFALO, June 5, 1882. 
 
 " My attention has been called by a committee 
 from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 
 Children, to the number of small boys and girls 
 found upon our streets at late hours in the night. 
 
 " I have reason to believe that many of these chil 
 dren are allowed, and some are obliged, by their 
 parents, to thus remain in the streets for the osten 
 sible purpose of earning money by selling newspa 
 pers or blacking boots. In truth, however, after a 
 certain hour in the evening, the most, if not all the 
 money they receive, they obtain by begging or by 
 false pretences. In the meantime they are subjected 
 to the worst influences, leading directly to profli 
 gacy, vagrancy, and crime. 
 
 " The importance of caring for children who are 
 uncared for by their natural guardians, or who are 
 unmindful of parental restraint, must be apparent to 
 all. In the future, for good or for evil, their influ 
 ence will be felt in the community ; and certainly 
 
VETO MA YOR. 51 
 
 the attempt to prevent their swelling the criminal 
 class is worth an effort. 
 
 " It seems to me that no pretext should be per 
 mitted to excuse allowing young girls to be upon 
 the streets at improper hours, since its result must 
 almost necessarily be their destruction. 
 
 " The disposition of the boy (child though he be) 
 to aid in his own support or that of others, in an 
 honest, decent way, ought not to be discouraged. 
 But this does not call for his being in the street at 
 late hours, to his infinite damage morally, mentally 
 and physically, and to the danger of society. 
 
 " I respectfully suggest that this subject be re 
 ferred to the Committee on Ordinances and the At 
 torney, and that a committee from the Society for 
 the Prevention of Cruelty to Children be invited to 
 co-operate with them in an effort to frame an ordi 
 nance which will remedy the evil herein considered. 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 EXTRA PAY OF CLERKS. 
 
 The reader will find a veto under date of Feb 
 ruary 27, similar to this one. 
 
 " BUFFALO, June 19, 1882. 
 
 " At a meeting of your honorable body held on 
 the 5th day of June inst., the Committee on Claims 
 
52 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 reported in favor of allowing sundry accounts, and 
 recommended that orders be drawn therefor, which 
 report was adopted by your honorable body. 
 
 " Among these accounts are eighty-eight claims 
 in favor of eighty-seven different persons for spread 
 ing taxes and copying rolls in the Comptroller s De 
 partment. The smallest claim is for three dollars, 
 and the largest for one hundred and thirty-five dol 
 lars. Three dollars per day seems to have been al 
 lowed for such services, and when done in the even 
 ing the same price has been allowed for an even 
 ing s work. The aggregate amount of these bills is 
 twenty-one hundred and nineteen dollars and fifty 
 cents ; and this sum represents seven hundred and 
 six and one-half days and evenings work, performed 
 during the month of May. 
 
 " I am free to say that these claims appear to me 
 to be very objectionable, and that they develop a 
 plan of doing business which would not in my opin 
 ion be adopted by any member of your honorable 
 body in the management of his private affairs. 
 
 " And yet these amounts have been certified as 
 correct by two city officers, found correct and rec 
 ommended paid by the Committee of Claims, and 
 ordered paid by your honorable body. 
 
 " In deference to the official action of those who 
 thus preceded me in the examination of these claims, 
 and pursuant to the direction of your honorable body, 
 I have signed orders for the payment of all of these 
 
VETO MAYOR. 53 
 
 demands except one in favor of Charles J. Kleber, for 
 the sum of twenty-one dollars. 
 
 " This gentleman appears to be a regular employee 
 in the Comptroller s office upon an annual salary ; 
 and he was paid in full such salary for the month of 
 May. 
 
 " I suppose the claim he now presents is for work 
 
 done in the Comptroller s office on seven evenings 
 
 , vdxiring that month. If he did work evenings for a 
 
 short time, when extra labor in the office was required 
 
 to be done, he did no more than any clerk in the de- 
 
 V partment ought to do. And to allow him extra pay 
 
 for such work would be a flagrant violation of the 
 
 Constitution of the State of New York and of the 
 
 provisions of our City Charter, as well as a disregard 
 
 of fair and correct business principles. 
 
 " This subject has been so recently brought to the 
 attention of your honorable body that it seems need 
 less to enlarge upon it here. 
 
 " I have declined to sign the order for Mr. Kleber s 
 extra pay, and am obliged, for the reasons stated, to 
 withhold my assent from the action of your honor 
 able body allowing his claim. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 "Mayor." 
 
 PROTECTION OF THE HEALTH OF CITIZENS. 
 
 " BUFFALO, Sept. n, 1882. 
 " I return without my approval a resolution passed 
 
54 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 by your honorable body on the 28th day of August, 
 directing the Street Commissioner to replace the 
 pump removed from the well on the corner of Will 
 iam and Watson streets, the expense to be charged 
 to the well district. 
 
 " On the fifth day of June, 1882, this well was de 
 clared a public nuisance by a resolution of your hon 
 orable body, and the Street Commissioner was 
 ordered to fill the same.. 
 
 " This action was taken at the instance of the 
 Board of Health, by whom the well had been con 
 demned as unfit for use. 
 
 " But neither your honorable body nor the Board 
 of Health took action in the premises until after the 
 water of this well had been analyzed by a competent 
 person. In his reports submitted to the Board of 
 Health, dated May 18, 1882, he gives the amount of 
 salt found in the water of this well and others. His 
 theory is that the presence of salt in well water, in 
 the quantity found in the water of many of the wells 
 embraced in his report, indicates that it holds in solu, 
 tion the nastiest kind of filth. He does not hesitate 
 to express the opinion that the water of this well 
 and that of twelve others, specified in his report, is 
 * vile, and disgustingly contaminated with filth. It 
 further appears from his report that the particular 
 well under consideration stands third in the list as 
 to the extent of contamination. 
 
 " Under these circumstances the action of your 
 
VETO MAYOR. 55 
 
 honorable body, in inviting the people to drink the 
 water of this well, can, it seems to me, only be justi 
 fied upon one of four grounds, viz. : 
 
 "First. A good deal of nastiness and contamina 
 tion in the water furnished our citizens to drink is 
 not objectionable. 
 
 " No one, I think, has the hardihood to advance 
 this theory. And if there is in the mind of any one 
 the idea that it is not necessary to supply the poor 
 and laboring people in the vicinity of this well with 
 water as pure and healthful as that furnished to their 
 richer and more pretentious fellow-citizens, I desire to 
 say that I have no sympathy with such a notion. On 
 the contrary, I believe that the poor who toil should 
 of all others have access to what nature intended 
 for their refreshment wholesome and pure water. 
 
 " Second. A chemical analysis does not furnish 
 the proof upon which we may safely act in deter 
 mining the quality of the water in this well. 
 
 " I should be sorry to think that there is any dis 
 position to belittle or distrust a science so well ad 
 vanced as chemistry, and one upon which are con 
 stantly based determinations affecting the most 
 important interests and rights, and which is so often 
 appealed to in courts of justice when human life is 
 at stake. 
 
 " Third. The analysis presented of the condition 
 of the water in this well is not entitled to our entire 
 confidence. 
 
$ LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " The standing and ability of the expert who fur 
 nished the analysis, and his knowledge of the branch 
 of science to which he has devoted himself, are cer 
 tainly unimpeached and I think unimpeachable. 
 Besides, the results at which he has arrived with re 
 gard to some of the wells which he examined have 
 been indorsed and confirmed by another competent 
 chemist. 
 
 "Fourth. If any of the people living in the vicin 
 ity of this well insist upon drinking its impure water 
 they should be permitted to do so. 
 
 " This doctrine, if carried to its legitimate conclu 
 sion, would leave so little of sanitary supervision to 
 be exercised by boards of health that they might 
 well be abolished. 
 
 " My belief is that the citizen should be allowed 
 great freedom in matters pertaining to himself as 
 an individual. And yet this freedom should be no 
 more than is consistent with the ends and purposes 
 of a just and useful government ; and there is no 
 place in this enlightened age for the proposition that 
 the authorities of a city may maintain an unwhole 
 some public well, known to be such, even though 
 the people are willing to take the risk to life and 
 health in the use of the water. 
 
 " It is not unnatural that the closing of a well that 
 has been so long in use should give rise to dissatis 
 faction and clamor ; but when we are so clearly in 
 the path of public duty as in the present case, it 
 
VETO MAYOR. 57 
 
 seems to me we should not yield. We can well af 
 ford to wait for the cooler second thought which 
 will approve our course. 
 
 " I have seen a remonstrance signed by a number 
 of citizens ( residing in the neighborhood of this well, 
 protesting against its being restored to use. 
 
 " They accepted the situation when it was closed, 
 and, at some expense, have provided themselves 
 with Niagara water, and they claim they should not 
 be taxed for this well which will be of no use to 
 them. 
 
 " I believe there is merit in this claim under all 
 the circumstances. I think, too, the extension of 
 our water pipes and the use of Niagara water by all 
 our people should be encouraged. 
 
 " GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 The terms of the Buffalo charter required that 
 proposals should be sent in by advertisement for 
 work that would cost over two hundred dollars. 
 But on one occasion the Board of Common Council 
 passed resolutions for doing such a job of work by 
 simply dividing it into three parts, neither of which 
 was to cost over two hundred dollars. This the 
 Mayor vetoed as follows, on the Monday preceding 
 his resignation : 
 
 " BUFFALO, Nov. 13, 1882. 
 
 " Af a meeting of your honorable body, held on 
 
58 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 the 3Oth day of October, three resolutions were 
 passed directing the Engineer to cause a crosswalk 
 to be constructed on the easterly side of the Upper 
 Terrace. 
 
 " The first of these resolutions provides for the 
 building of such crosswalk from the northerly line of 
 Eagle street to the southerly line of Genesee street, 
 at an expense not to exceed fifty dollars ; the sec 
 ond resolution provides for its construction from 
 the northerly line of Genesee street to the southerly 
 line of Genesee street, at an expense not to exceed 
 two hundred dollars ; and the third for the building 
 of the same from the northerly to the southerly line 
 of Eagle street, at an expense not to exceed two 
 hundred dollars. 
 
 These three sections, the construction of which is 
 thus provided for, form a continuous line of cross 
 walk extending from the southerly line of Eagle 
 street to the northerly line of Genesee street, and 
 should be included in one job ; and it is entirely 
 plain that the expense of the entire work will exceed 
 two hundred dollars. 
 
 " In such a case, by the terms of the charter, pro 
 posals-should be invited by advertisement for doing 
 the work. 
 
 " The resolutions, as passed, directing this cross 
 walk to be constructed piecemeal and without ad 
 vertising for proposals, seem to me to be an attempt 
 to evade a provision of law enacted for the protec- 
 
J-/-TO MAYOR. 59 
 
 tion of the tax-payers, and for that reason I return 
 all of said resolutions without my approval. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND." 
 
 Mayor Cleveland s zeal in the cause of economy 
 and his close attention to details are showed by the 
 four following vetoes : 
 
 ECONOMY IN PRINTING. 
 
 3, 1882. 
 
 " I return without my approval your resolution 
 of the I Qth inst., directing the City Clerk to publish 
 the act creating a Board of Sewer Commissioners 
 in two successive issues of all the daily papers of 
 the city. 
 
 " The act has been published at length in the 
 official paper on four several occasions, and, I think, 
 has been published and frequently noticed in the 
 other papers of the city. 
 
 "After much more publicity than is usually given 
 to any law affecting our citizens, the act has be 
 come of force, and the rights and liabilities under 
 it, whatever they may be, have become fixed, and 
 there seems to be no greater necessity for publish 
 ing it as suggested than for the publication of 
 other laws relating to the affairs of the city. The 
 act when published will occupy a space about 
 equal to a column of the large dailies. The ex- 
 
60 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 pcnse of publishing is not limited by the resolu 
 tion, and will doubtless amount to a considerable 
 sum. 
 
 " I do not feel satisfied that the interests of the 
 public require the incurring of this expense, and I 
 cannot therefore approve your resolution. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 "Mayor? 
 
 ECONOMY IN PRINTING. 
 
 "Jttfy 10, 1882. 
 
 " On the 26th ultimo your honorable body adopt 
 ed the following resolution : 
 
 " That the City Clerk be and is hereby directed 
 to publish the late act passed by the Legislature 
 in the month of April or May, under which the 
 street cleaning contract is to be awarded, in two 
 successive issues in all the daily papers of the 
 city. 
 
 " The act referred to in this resolution is an 
 amendment to a single section of the City Char 
 ter. It has been published with your proceed 
 ings in the city paper, and is easily accessible to 
 any one requiring information as to its provi 
 sions. 
 
 " A similar resolution relating to the act establish 
 ing the Sewer Commission was adopted by your 
 honorable body on the I9th ultimo and disapproved 
 by me on the 3d instant. I can find no reason 
 
VETO MA YOR. 6 1 
 
 why the city should be subjected to the expense 
 of publication in one case more than in another, or 
 why both resolutions should not be regarded by me 
 in the same manner. 
 
 " I therefore return your above-mentioned resolu 
 tion of the 26th ultimo without my approval. 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 " BUFFALO, Sept. 4, 1882. 
 
 " I return without my approval the resolution 
 adopted by your honorable body on the 2 1st day of 
 August, 1882, which evidently was intended as an 
 acceptance of certain lands conveyed to the city by 
 the Richmond Avenue Land Association, for two 
 streets, to be called respectively Cleveland Street 
 and Webster Street. 
 
 " The language of the resolution is quite indefinite 
 and faulty in that the grantor of the land is named 
 as the Richmond Land Association, and the accept 
 ance of the land so dedicated is not as distinctly de 
 clared as it should be. 
 
 " Inasmuch as it may be exceedingly important to 
 the city in the future to have proceedings of this 
 character exactly and technically correct, I advise 
 that such resolutions be prepared by the City At 
 torney. 
 
 " Another objection I have to the resolution un 
 der consideration is that it contemplates the estab- 
 
62 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 lishment of two streets only fifty feet wide. I think 
 no street should be laid out in this locality less than 
 sixty feet in width. It is much better to provide 
 for a proper width now than to be obliged to enlarge 
 the streets in the future when it shall be necessary. 
 
 " I desire to suggest to your honorable body the 
 very great importance of a full and careful consider 
 ation of the manner in which new streets should be 
 laid out. It has been too much the custom to ac 
 cept any and all grants of lands for streets, and, as 
 long as it did not involve expense to the city, to per 
 mit them to be laid out of any length and width the 
 owners of the adjoining lands desire. In this way 
 the private interests of those desiring to sell land on 
 the proposed street are consulted and answered ; it 
 may be at the expense of the beauty and regularity 
 of the city and the convenience of present or future 
 residents. 
 
 " I think a general plan for all streets to be here 
 after laid out should be adopted and strictly fol 
 lowed. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 11 BUFFALO, May i, 1882. 
 
 " I return without my approval a resolution adopt 
 ed by your honorable body on the i/th day of April, 
 1882, directing the Street Commissioner to cause a 
 sidewalk to be constructed on the west side of Main 
 
VETO MAYOR. 63 
 
 Street, between Humboldt parkway and about 1,000 
 feet northerly, at an expense not to exceed two hun 
 dred dollars. 
 
 " The land on the west side of Main Street and 
 extending more than two thousand feet northerly of 
 Humboldt parkway is owned by the same party. It 
 has no sidewalk along any part of it, the fence is 
 mostly down, the land in front of it very uneven, 
 with occasional and irregular trees, presenting alto 
 gether a very unpromising place for a sidewalk. 
 There are no houses on the premises except a small 
 and dilapidated one, at the extreme northerly limit. 
 On the east side of Main Street, opposite this 
 land, there are more habitations and a good side 
 walk. 
 
 " I do not think, in the present condition of af 
 fairs, that the proposed sidewalk is necessary or 
 ought to be constructed. 
 
 "And if it were necessary, I should still object to 
 the action of your honorable body for the reason 
 that it only provides for building a sidewalk for less 
 than half the distance where none now exists. 
 
 " It is quite obvious that if any sidewalk is needed 
 at this locality, it is needed for a distance of more 
 than two thousand feet ; and the whole should be 
 built together. 
 
 " This involves an expense which would make it 
 necessary to advertise for proposals to do the work. 
 
 " The provisions of the charter on this subject 
 
64 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 should not, in my opinion, be evaded by doing work 
 of this kind piecemeal. 
 
 -GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 I have yet to consider the two most important 
 matters that came before Mayor Cleveland during 
 his term of office: first, that of awarding the clean 
 ing of the streets of Buffalo ; secondly, the con 
 struction of an intercepting sewer. In the former 
 case Mayor Cleveland saved the city more than one 
 hundred thousand dollars by his " plain speech 
 veto " ; in the latter case he saved the city more 
 than eight hundred thousand dollars, or half the 
 original estimate. - 
 
 THE PLAIN SPEECH VETO. 
 
 " BUFFALO, June 26, 1882. 
 
 " I return without my approval the resolution of 
 your honorable body, passed at its last meeting, 
 awarding the contracts for cleaning the paved street^ 
 and alleys of the city for the ensuing five years to 
 George Talbot at his bid of four hundred and twenty- 
 two thousand and five hundred dollars. 
 
 "The bid thus accepted by your honorable body 
 is more than one hundred thousand dollars higher 
 than that of another perfectly responsible party for 
 the same work ; and a worse or more suspicious feat 
 ure in this transaction is that the bid now accepted 
 
VETO MAYOR. 65 
 
 is fifty thousand dollars more than that made by 
 Mr. Talbot himself within a very few weeks, openly 
 and publicly to your honorable body, for performing 
 precisely the same services. This latter circumstance 
 is to my mind the manifestation, on the part of the 
 contractor, of a reliance upon the forbearance and 
 generosity of your honorable body which would be 
 more creditable if it were less expensive to the tax 
 payers. 
 
 " I am not aware that any excuse is offered for the 
 acceptance of this proposal, thus increased, except 
 the very flimsy one that the lower bidders cannot 
 afford to do the work for the sums they name. 
 
 This extreme tenderness and consideration for 
 
 
 
 those who desire to contract with the city, and this 
 touching and paternal solicitude lest they should be 
 improvidently led into a bad bargain, is, I am sure, 
 an exception to general business rules, and seems to 
 have no place in this selfish, sordid world, except as 
 found in the administration of municipal affairs. 
 
 " The charter of your city requires that the mayor, 
 when he disapproves any resolution of your honora 
 ble body, shall return the same with his objections. 
 
 " This is a time for plain speech, and my objection 
 to_the action of your lionorable body, now under 
 consideration, shall be plainly stated. I withhold 
 my assent from the same, because I regard it as the 
 culmination of a most barefaced, impudent, and 
 shameless scheme to betray the interests of the 
 5 
 
66 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 people, and to worse than squander the public 
 money. 
 
 " I will not be misunderstood in this matter. 
 There are those whose votes were given for this res 
 olution whom I cannot and will not suspect of a 
 wilful neglect of the interests they are sworn to pro- 
 \ tect ; but it has been fully demonstrated that there 
 I are influences, both in and about your honorable 
 body, which it behooves every honest man to watch 
 and avoid with the greatest care. 
 
 "When cool judgment rules the hour, the people 
 
 f will, I hope and believe, have no reason to complain 
 
 of the action of your honorable body. But clumsy 
 
 appeals to prejudice or passion, insinuations, with 
 
 . a kind of low, cheap cunning, as to the motives and 
 
 purposes of others, and the mock heroism of brazen 
 
 . effrontery which openly declares that a wholesome 
 
 public sentiment is Fo be set at naught, sometimes 
 
 deceives and leads honest men to aid in the consum- 
 
 j mation of schemes which, if exposed, they would 
 
 4 look upon with abhorrence. 
 
 " If the scandal in connection with this street 
 cleaning contract, which has so roused our citizens, 
 shall cause them to select and watch with more care 
 those to whom they intrust their interests, and if it 
 serves to make all of us who are charged with offi 
 cial duties more careful in their performance, it will 
 not be an unmitigated evil. 
 
 " We are fast gaining positions in the grades of 
 
VETO MAYOR. 67 
 
 public stewardship. There is no middle ground. 
 1 Those who are not for the people, either in or out 
 of your honorable body, are against them, and 
 , should be treated accordingly. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor r 
 
 Now we come to the most important measure 
 that came before Mayor Cleveland. 
 
 The health of the citizens of Buffalo had long 
 been seriously endangered by the condition of the 
 Hamburg Canal. Different measures of relief had 
 been discussed ; the question had attracted wide 
 attention in the press, among the city authorities, 
 and among the citizens generally. Mayor Cleveland 
 alluded to the matter, January 2, 1882, in his first 
 message, in the following terms : 
 
 PUBLIC HEALTH AND VITAL STATISTICS. 
 
 u The Health Physician furnishes the following as 
 the number of deaths, births, and marriages in the 
 city, from the first day of January to the twenty- 
 fifth day of December, 1881 : 
 
 Number of deaths and still births 3,980 
 
 Number of births 4.953 
 
 Number of marriages 1,267 
 
 " Of the total deaths reported, 1,378, or more 
 than 36 per cent, of all, have been from zymotic dis- 
 
68 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 eases, dependent, in some degree at least, upon sur 
 rounding conditions, and which, to a certain extent, 
 are regarded as preventable. 
 
 " I mention this fact because it emphasizes the 
 importance of a due regard and care for our sani 
 tary condition, and the means necessary for its im 
 provement. 
 
 "And I cannot pass to another subject before 
 urging upon you the great and present necessity of 
 constructing a sewer in the lower part of the city, 
 and the consequent abatement of the nuisance 
 which now exists in the Hamburg Canal. 
 
 " No argument is necessary to present the im 
 portance of this work. I do not look upon it as 
 something that may be dispensed with, or even 
 postponed to a more convenient season. No one 
 has, I believe, the hardihood to deny that, as long as 
 the present condition of things exists, there lurks in 
 our very midst danger great and imminent. And this 
 danger threatens not the property interests alone, 
 but the lives and health of our fellow-citizens. We 
 have no right to falter or procrastinate. Because 
 we have had a measure of immunity from its worst 
 consequences hitherto, we ought not to tempt Prov 
 idence further. This work is actually indispensable, 
 and the question of economy is not a factor in the 
 problem, except so far as it should guide us to the 
 selection of the cheapest effectual plan and urge us 
 to insist that the money raised for that purpose is 
 
VETO MAYOR. 69 
 
 actually and honestly applied. If a pestilence should 
 be abroad and invited hither by our present condi 
 tion should settle in our midst, sweeping off thou 
 sands of our inhabitants, there would be but little 
 comfort in the reflections of the survivors of those 
 who had become victims of culpable neglect and 
 false economy. It is unfortunate that this outlay is 
 necessary, but, as it is, let us manfully face the situ 
 ation, devise the best means for securing our safety, 
 do the work and pay for it. 
 
 "The accomplishment of any scheme for our relief 
 seems to be fraught with great practical difficulties. 
 The work, when accomplished, should be for all 
 time, and sufficient for all future needs. I think, 
 under such circumstances, it would be money well 
 spent, to employ the best available engineering skill 
 to plan, and perhaps superintend, its execution." 
 
 Taking into consideration the importance and 
 magnitude of the work, Mayor Cleveland considered 
 that the best way through the difficulty would be 
 to have the work done under the supervision of a 
 Board of Commissioners chosen from prominent 
 citizens. This plan he recommended to the Com 
 mon Council in the following message : 
 
 "BUFFALO, Feb. 20, 1882. 
 
 " I believe it is conceded by all that there is at 
 present nothing so important to the welfare of our 
 
70 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 city as the construction of the intercepting sewer 
 which has been the subject of so much discussion ; 
 and the same reasons which render this important 
 make it necessary that the work should be quickly 
 done, and well done. And yet, though considerable 
 time and labor have been bestowed upon the subject, 
 and though much preliminary work has been done, 
 we are not at the threshold of actual performance. 
 
 " Thus valuable time is lost, and the danger to 
 our citizens and the damage to the fair fame of our 
 city continues. 
 
 " I do not think that your honorable body is at 
 fault for this delay, for all must admit that this mat 
 ter has of late occupied much of your time and at 
 tention. 
 
 " The construction of this sewer is, I believe, the 
 most extensive work, and will probably involve 
 more expenditure and more care and attention than 
 any ever before attempted in the city. It should 
 meet all the necessities of the future and anticipate 
 the needs of the increased growth and progress 
 which await us. 
 
 " There should be no mistake made in locating 
 the sewer; and the manner of its construction 
 should be superintended and constantly watched by 
 the best engineering skill and care. I understand 
 that three years is the least estimate of the time re 
 quired for its completion, during which period the 
 terms of all the present city officers will expire. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 7 1 
 
 " The advantage of having the work commenced 
 and completed under the same management must be 
 obvious. 
 
 "The character of the work is such that it is 
 hardly possible that a contract can be made cover 
 ing all contingencies and which would need no modi 
 fication during the progress of construction ; while 
 unforeseen and unexpected conditions that are likely 
 to be met should be promptly and vigorously dealt 
 with. 
 
 " Your honorable body has quite enough to oc 
 cupy your time in the ordinary matters connected 
 with municipal affairs, which from week to week are 
 urged upon your consideration ; and our City Engi 
 neer and his corps of assistants should be constantly 
 employed in the city s current affairs which necessa 
 rily fall to his department. 
 
 " Under these circumstances I beg leave to sug 
 gest that the construction of the contemplated 
 sewer be put in the hands of a commission of our 
 citizens, who shall have full charge of the work. 
 
 " Of course the success of this scheme depends 
 very much upon the men who are selected as com 
 missioners; but I believe that we have men among us 
 who will accept the positions, whose leisure will en 
 able them to devote the necessary time to the mat 
 ter, and whose energy and practical ability will in 
 sure the speedy and successful accomplishment of 
 the work. 
 
72 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " It does no harm to bring the non-office holding 
 portion of the community into more intimate rela 
 tions with public affairs ; and I should think it very 
 strange if the importance of the subject would not 
 suggest to all who are mindful of the welfare of the 
 city the necessity of a united effort on the part of 
 private citizens as well as officials, to protect our 
 interests from the dangers which threaten them. 
 
 " The private citizen has no right to stand aloof 
 and refuse to thus aid when called on, unless he is 
 prepared to share the consequences of neglect. 
 
 " I am satisfied that a commission, properly se 
 lected, to prosecute this work, would be the means 
 of saving much time and money, and that the sewer 
 would be better and more thoroughly built than in 
 any other way. 
 
 " I therefore recommend that measures be taken 
 to secure the passage of a law organizing such a 
 commission, with full control of the construction of 
 this sewer ; and that in the same bill such provisions 
 may be incorporated as are necessary to provide for 
 the payment of the expenses of the work. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 This proposal met with opposition in .the Com 
 mon Council, and was likewise opposed by the City 
 Engineer ; but it met the approval of the influential 
 citizens of Buffalo, and the Mayor was strengthened 
 
VETO MAYOR. 73 
 
 in his efforts by the encouragement he received in 
 the journals, and from the conversations of the peo 
 ple. From the great number of papers connected 
 with the subject I have selected those that seem 
 most important, and which seem to connect the dif 
 ferent stages of the proceedings sufficiently to ren 
 der them tolerably clear to the reader. It will be 
 seen that the Mayor carried his plan successfully 
 through, notwithstanding the opposition that he met 
 at various points. It soon became evident that the 
 decision of the contest would be in favor of his 
 strong will, contending for what he thought to be 
 
 right. 
 
 " BUFFALO, March 27, 1882. 
 
 " On the 2Oth day of February last I submitted 
 to your honorable body a communication suggest 
 ing, for the reasons therein assigned, the organiza 
 tion of a commission of citizens for the purpose of 
 constructing the intercepting sewer. 
 
 " I did not propose this until after some reflection, 
 and the advice of gentlemen in whose judgment I 
 have the greatest confidence, had satisfied me that 
 the plan suggested would insure the prompt, effi 
 cient, and economical accomplishment of the work. 
 
 " I am confirmed in my belief on this subject by 
 the unanimous indorsement of the press, and the 
 general approval of our tax-paying citizens. 
 
 " It was lately announced in the public prints that 
 the Committee on Sewers, having the entire matter 
 
74 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 in charge, had determined to recommend the adop 
 tion of the suggestion for the creation of a Sewer 
 Commission. 
 
 " At the last session of your honorable body, and 
 before any report was made by the committee, a 
 communication seems to have been received from the 
 Engineer of the city, seriously objecting to the plan 
 for a commission, on the ground that it would take 
 the work from his department. He further states 
 that the only question to be considered in connec- 
 with the matter is one of location, which can be de 
 termined by your honorable body when the report 
 now in preparation is submitted to you ; that the 
 work of construction is not difficult, being simply 
 the making of a cut or tunnel of sufficient capacity 
 in which to lay the sewer upon proper foundation, 
 and the turning of one stream of water into another. 
 He appears to see no force in the suggestion that 
 it might be better for the work to be constructed 
 entirely under the same management and supervi 
 sion, and concludes by asking that the work 
 upon which so much labor has been expended in 
 this office be left under the control of this depart 
 ment, and that * the force of assistants in his office 
 be increased during the progress of the work, as the 
 necessities may require. 
 
 " So much of the communication as refers to the 
 employment of more assistants in the Engineer s 
 office seems to have been adopted. 
 
VETO MA YOR. 75 
 
 " This action of your honorable body I cannot 
 approve, as I do not see why it does not allow the 
 Engineer to increase his force of assistants in his dis 
 cretion. This is, of course, a power that ought not 
 to be conferred on any city officer. 
 
 " It seems to me that the good taste of the En 
 gineer is not conspicuous in thus putting forward 
 his official pride as a reason why any particular plan, 
 looking to the accomplishment of this very impor 
 tant work, should not be adopted. At a time like 
 this, when everybody is or should be anxious to 
 be speedily rid of our city s disgrace, no such con 
 sideration ought to intervene. 
 
 <4 But I am utterly amazed to learn at this late 
 day, from the Engineer s communication, that the job 
 we have on hand is such an easy one. 
 
 " Every member of your honorable body knows 
 very well that for many years the problem of how 
 an intercepting sewer should be constructed, and 
 especially how the Main and Hamburg street canal 
 nuisance should be abated, has occupied more or less 
 the attention of our city officials. I find in the 
 Council proceedings of eleven years ago that this 
 canal was declared a great nuisance, and various 
 schemes were discussed for its abatement. 
 
 " I think about that time the city was indicted for 
 its maintenance. 
 
 " Various expedients were subsequently canvassed 
 by successive City Engineers and Common Councils, 
 
76 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 but the actual result of all their endeavors to master 
 this easy subject has been the establishment of a 
 wheel in the water adjoining the canal, causing some 
 thing of a current, thus, as is alleged, carrying the 
 smell of our nuisance to the districts of the inhabi 
 tants of Tonawanda, ten miles away, and Lockport, 
 more than twenty miles away, who now threaten to 
 institute legal proceedings against us on account of it. 
 
 " On the 29th day of March, 1880, your honorable 
 body, by resolution, directed the Engineer then in 
 office to associate with him one or more sanitary en 
 gineers to assist him in perfecting his plans for the 
 sewerage of the city, and especially for a speedy 
 and permanent abatement of the Hamburg Canal 
 nuisance, and that the Comptroller be requested to 
 include in his estimates for the year 1880 the sum 
 of three thousand dollars to defray the expenses at 
 tending the preliminary work or plans, and to pay 
 said sanitary engineers. 
 
 " Under this resolution the City Engineer did call 
 to his aid two distinguished non-resident engineers. 
 After going over the whole ground with great care, 
 they made a report, dated the 29th day of July, 
 1880, in which they submit a plan for the sewerage 
 of the city, which, as they say, will abate the Ham 
 burg Canal nuisance. 
 
 " Their plan was to build the sewer partly in the 
 Hamburg Canal. I suppose the money appropriated 
 was spent. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 77 
 
 " About a year later, three more engineers, more 
 renowned than those previously employed, were 
 called on by the city authorities to devise the best 
 means of sewering our city and abating our nuisance. 
 
 " They reported, just prior to the first of January, 
 1882, in favor of a sewer to be constructed in, or by 
 tunnel under, Seneca Street. 
 
 " At the last meeting of your honorable body, the 
 sum of three thousand seven hundred and eight dol 
 lars and nine cents was ordered paid for the services 
 of the last-named engineers. 
 
 " On the Qth day of January, 1882, the present 
 Engineer was directed by your honorable body to 
 prepare profiles and plans for an intercepting sewer 
 embodying the suggestions in the report of the ex 
 perts who have examined into the subject ; also, to 
 examine into and report upon the advisability of 
 constructing said sewer from the mill-race sewer at 
 Seneca Street through Swan Street to the Terrace, 
 and report the same to this Council at as early a date 
 . as practicable, with an estimate of the cost of the 
 same. 
 
 " Nearly four months have elapsed since the pas 
 sage of this resolution and no report from the Engi 
 neer is forthcoming. I suppose it is this which he 
 informs your honorable body is in course of prepara 
 tion and which will enable you to locate the sewer. 
 
 " Perhaps this will recommend a sewer in and un 
 der Swan Street. 
 
78 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " Not a stroke of real work has yet been done, and 
 yet there seems to have been considerable skilful 
 engineering talent employed, at quite an expense. 
 So far as we have gone either the work has not been 
 easy or considerable money has been wasted. 
 
 " Is there one of your honorable body who is will 
 ing to consider that the construction of this great 
 sewer upon either of the routes that may be suggest 
 ed, involving, as it must, deep and extensive exca 
 vation in and tunneling under our streets, with the 
 unknown and unforeseen difficulties that may be 
 met, is an easy matter not requiring engineering 
 skill ? 
 
 " I must confess that to my non-professional mind 
 such a thing seems inconceivable. 
 
 " I am very far from saying that whatever engi 
 neering skill is necessary is not found in our present 
 Engineer s Department. But I think this skill 
 should be constantly applied in watching the prose 
 cution of the work ; and other duties of the depart 
 ment will not admit of this. 
 
 " I cannot rid myself of the idea that there must 
 be an advantage in having the same engineer super 
 vise the whole work, and this we cannot be sure of 
 if it be left solely to our Engineer. 
 
 " It seems to me this sewer would be more 
 promptly built by a commission having it in charge 
 as their business ; and that in the very nature of 
 things the expenditures connected with its construe- 
 
VETO MAYOR. 79 
 
 tion can be more carefully watched than by your 
 honorable body who have so many other urgent 
 matters constantly in charge. 
 
 "In whatever way the work is done we shall all, 
 I hope, have an opportunity to help it on. 
 
 " I beg leave to assure your honorable body that 
 I myself have no undue pride of opinion on this sub 
 ject. I advocate the establishment of a commission 
 to do this work because it promises the best results. 
 The details of the matter I have given but little at 
 tention to, and I am by no means committed to any 
 particular provisions for the perfection of the plans. 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 "BUFFALO, April 3, 1882. 
 
 "I find in the proceedings of the meeting of your 
 honorable body, held on the 2/th day of March, 1882, 
 the following preamble and resolution, which seems 
 to have been adopted : 
 
 " Whereas, The Common Council of the City of 
 Buffalo at its last meeting were presented with a 
 communication from the City Engineer, Thomas S. 
 Rogers, protesting against the appointment of a 
 Sewer Commission for the construction of the in 
 tercepting sewer, and recommended the matter of 
 constructing said sewer be left in the charge of him 
 and the Common Council; and 
 
 " Whereas, The Council did adopt his recommenda- 
 
80 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 tion, as it has been clearly shown that all the 
 difficult part for the Engineer of said work has been 
 done at a cost of over $10,000 through said office, and 
 as we have a competent Engineer to superintend the 
 construction of the work : 
 
 " * Whereas, the daily papers have published an act 
 introduced before the Legislature of this State by 
 Senator Titus from this district, for the appointment 
 of a commission to take charge of the construction 
 of said sewer ; now be it 
 
 " Resolved, That we, the Common Council of the 
 City of Buffalo, being the representatives of the 
 people, and believing we know what they want, here 
 by disapprove of said action of the said SenatorTitus, 
 and respectfully ask him to withdraw said bill or such 
 portion thereof as relates to an appointment of said 
 commission, and that the City Clerk be directed 
 to forward a copy of this resolution to said Senator 
 Titus. 
 
 " I take this occasion to say that I do not feel 
 called upon, in all cases, to officially approve or dis 
 approve resolutions of this description, which do not 
 constitute municipal legislation, and which in many 
 cases are but the expression of opinion touching 
 matters over which neither you nor I have any con 
 trol. When such action is presented to me, as -, 
 a part of the proceedings of your honorable body, I 
 shall feel at perfect liberty to express my approval 
 or dissent, or, if I see fit, withhold any action on my , 
 
VETO MAYOR. 8 1 
 
 part, to the end that both of us may enjoy the lib 
 erty of holding and expressing our opinions unem 
 barrassed by the other, as to all matters which do 
 not pertain to the ordinary management of municipal 
 affairs, and which the Legislature has not placed in 
 our keeping. 
 
 " In regard to the preamble and resolution which 
 I have quoted, I desire to express my disapproval of 
 the same, in its entire scope and meaning. 
 
 " It recited that your honorable body has adopted 
 a recommendation of the City Engineer, that the 
 matter of the construction of the intercepting sewer 
 be left in his charge and that of the Common 
 Council. 
 
 " I do not understand this to be the attitude of 
 your honorable body, and I do not believe a major 
 ity of its members are prepared to take such a 
 position. 
 
 " I am in favor of putting the construction of this 
 sewer in the hands of a commission for reasons 
 which I have heretofore given at length, and which 
 involve no lack of confidence in your honorable 
 body nor in any department of the City Government. 
 
 " I firmly believe that a majority of the people 
 who are to be taxed to pay for this work are also in 
 favor of this plan. 
 
 " I am inclined to think that the location or route 
 of the sewer should be fixed by your honorable body, 
 and that the commission to execute the work should 
 6 
 
82 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 be appointed here instead of being named in the act 
 authorizing its creation. My judgment is that the 
 bill lately presented in the Senate touching this sub 
 ject might well be modified in these and perhaps 
 other particulars. 
 
 " But if I dissent from all the provisions of the 
 bill, and even from the principle upon which it is 
 based, I could not adopt the language of the pre 
 amble and resolution, which it seems to me savors of 
 a not over-courteous dictation to our Senator, for 
 whose ability I have the greatest respect, and in 
 whose honesty of purpose I have the greatest con 
 fidence. 
 
 " I have no doubt the rights and interests of the 
 people in this matter, so far as State legislation is 
 concerned, can be safely left in the keeping of those 
 who represent our citizens in the two branches of the 
 State Legislature. 
 
 " GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 " BUFFALO, May i, 188?. 
 
 " On the i /th day of April, 1882, there was adopted 
 by your honorable body a substitute for the bill 
 which had been prepared by the City Attorney for 
 the purpose of creating a commission to construct 
 the intercepting sewer. At the same meeting the 
 City Clerk was directed by resolution to forward 
 such substitute to our representatives at Albany. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 83 
 
 And at the last session of your honorable body a 
 resolution was adopted directing the City Attorney 
 to proceed to Albany immediately to urge the pas 
 sage of said substituted bill. 
 
 " I cannot approve of the action of your honor 
 able body above referred to. 
 
 " I have examined the provisions of the proposed 
 bill carefully, and so far as I can understand them 
 they provide for the creation of a commission which 
 is invested with no duties of any great importance 
 and with no powers except very subordinate ones. 
 I cannot see that the commissioners contemplated 
 by the act would be more than dignified inspectors 
 of the work therein mentioned. 
 
 " My ideas in regard to the appointment of com 
 missioners to further the construction of this work 
 are too well known to need repetition here. I very 
 much regret that there is not perfect agreement be 
 tween us on this subject. I certainly expected that 
 the provisions of the bill prepared by the City At 
 torney, by which your honorable body were to join 
 in determining the route of the sewer, and in naming 
 the commissioners under whose charge it should be 
 constructed, would enable us to act together in an 
 honest and hearty endeavor to push this great work 
 to a satisfactory and speedy conclusion, and thus 
 answer the hopes and wishes of our fellow-citizens. 
 
 " It certainly never entered my mind to ask any 
 of our citizens to assume such offices as are pro- 
 
84 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 vided for in the substitute adopted by your honor 
 able body ; and I am fully satisfied that a commis 
 sion thus organized would be next to useless in the 
 accomplishment of any good results. Its creation 
 would, in my opinion, have the effect to divide re 
 sponsibility without any corresponding benefit. 
 
 " Rather than this, I think it would be better to 
 abandon the idea of a commission entirely. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 Aid. Knell moved that the communication from 
 His Honor the Mayor be laid on the table. 
 
 Aid. Rogers moved as an amendment that the 
 communication be received and referred to the Com 
 mittee on Sewers, to report May 8, 1882. 
 
 The question was taken on the motion of Aid. 
 Knell to lay on the table. 
 
 Carried. Ayes 14, Noes 4. 
 
 " BUFFALO, May 22, 1882. 
 
 " On the 8th day of May, 1882, a resolution was 
 passed by your honorable body instructing our 
 Senator and the Members of Assembly from the 
 city, in case the construction of the intercepting 
 sewer is authorized, to have an act passed permit 
 ting the city to issue bonds to pay for the same, 
 which should mature in not less than twenty or more 
 than fifty years from their date. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 85 
 
 " I am opposed to such a postponement of the 
 payment for this work ; and I am quite sure that 
 a majority of our tax-paying citizens are not in 
 favor of thus increasing the bonded debt of the city. 
 
 " If we experience a fair portion of the prosperity 
 which we expect in the near future it will be no 
 very great hardship to pay the cost of the sewer by 
 installments distributed through ten years, as is pro 
 posed by the terms of the bill now before the Legis 
 lature. 
 
 " This paying year by year, if we are able to do 
 so, to my mind accords more with correct business 
 principles than an unnecessary postponement and 
 the payment of interest in the meantime. 
 
 " I therefore withhold my assent to such resolution. 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 " Mayor" 
 
 "BUFFALO, June 12, 1882. 
 
 " Pursuant to an act passed by the Legislature of 
 the State of New York on the eighth day of June, 
 1882, to create a Board of Commissioners of Sewers 
 of the City of Buffalo, I hereby appoint the follow 
 ing named persons as such commissioners : 
 
 "Daniel C. Beard, 
 
 " Jacob Scheu, 
 
 " George Gorham, 
 
 " Michael Nellany, 
 
 " George B. Mathcws. 
 
86 LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 " I respectfully ask your honorable body to confirm 
 the said appointments. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 "Mayor? 
 
 "CITY AND COUNTY HALL, 
 
 IN COMMON COUNCIL, 
 BUFFALO, Monday, June 19, 1882. 
 At 2 o clock, P.M. 
 
 " Present George W. Patridge, President of 
 the Council, and Aid. Baer, Beck, Brainard, Doty, 
 Drake, Elliott, Fritz, Glor, Hanback, Hanrahan, 
 Hefford, Knell, Koch, Little, McMaster, Matteson, 
 Maycock, Miller, Montgomery, Rochevot, Rogers, 
 Rupp, Schier, Twichell, White. 
 
 Absent None. 
 
 * * # * * * 
 
 " Aid. Drake moved to take from the table the 
 communication from His Honor the Mayor relative 
 to the appointment of a Board of Sewer Commis 
 sioners in connection with the intercepting sewer. 
 
 " Carried. 
 
 "Aid. Drake then moved that the communi 
 cation be received and filed and nominations con 
 tained therein confirmed. 
 
 Lost 
 
 " Ayes Aid. Baer, Drake, Elliott, Glor, Hanra 
 han, Hefford, Koch, Maycock, Montgomery, Pat- 
 ridge, Rogers, Rupp 12. 
 
VETO MAYOR. 87 
 
 " Noes Aid. Beck, Brainard, Doty, Fritz, Han- 
 back, Knell, Little, McMaster, Matteson, Miller, 
 Rochevot, Schier, Twichcll, White 14." 
 
 " BUFFALO, June 26, 1882. 
 
 " The law lately passed by the Legislature, au 
 thorizing the appointment of commissioners to con 
 struct the intercepting sewer, provides that immedi 
 ately upon the passage of the act the Mayor shall, 
 by and with the advice of your honorable body, ap 
 point such commissioners. 
 
 " Anticipating the passage of the law, I devoted a 
 good deal of time and thought to their selection, 
 and was then able to send to you for confirmation, 
 at the next meeting of your honorable body after 
 the approval of the act, the names of five of our 
 fellow-citizens who were willing to act as such com 
 missioners. 
 
 " It being conceded on all hands that the char 
 acter and standing of these gentlemen, and their 
 entire freedom from any inclination to enrich con 
 tractors at the expense of the people, was a perfect 
 guarantee that this work, under their supervision, 
 would be faithfully and economically done, I flat 
 tered myself that they would receive your prompt 
 confirmation. 
 
 " I cannot but think that their rejection at the 
 last meeting of your honorable body was the result 
 of haste and confusion. 
 
88 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " We all agree that this work should not be de 
 layed. 
 
 " If I should see fit to attempt to submit other 
 names such as I am willing to be responsible for, 
 it would be impossible to do so for some time to 
 come. 
 
 " In the meantime, with this delay, and the vaca 
 tion of your honorable body during the month of 
 July, much valuable time will be lost. 
 
 " I am convinced that a majority of your honor- 
 orable body do not care to be chargeable with this 
 result. 
 
 " I assure you that it is no easy task to find fit men 
 who are willing to gratuitously undertake this work ; 
 and in no event would I ever nominate men who did 
 not have the fitness and ability of those already 
 submitted to you. 
 
 " Under the circumstances I hereby nominate as 
 such Sewer Commissioners the following named per 
 sons, and respectfully and earnestly request that they 
 be confirmed : 
 
 " Daniel C. Beard, 
 
 " Jacob Scheu, 
 
 " George Gorham, 
 
 " Michael Nellany, 
 
 George B. Mathews. 
 
 " GROVER CLEVELAND, 
 
 "Mayor" 
 
VETO MA YOR. 89 
 
 "Aid. Drake moved that the communication be 
 received, filed, and nominations confirmed. 
 " Carried. Ayes, 17. Noes, 8." 
 
 This Board of Sewer Commissioners, immediately 
 after their organization, examined the whole ques 
 tion thoroughly, and concluded to employ Col. 
 George E. Waring, Jr., the well-known Sanitary En 
 gineer, of Newport, Rhode Island, to aid them in 
 selecting a route and plan for an intercepting sewer, 
 which should fill the requirements of the future as 
 well as tho present. 
 
 Col. Waring visited Buffalo, and under date of 
 August 17, 1882, he addressed the Commissioners as 
 follows : 
 
 " GENTLEMEN : In compliance with your instruc 
 tions I have examined the condition of your canals, 
 and the circumstances in connection with your pres 
 ent and future sewerage which should influence the 
 construction of the intercepting sewer needed to 
 withhold the putrescible organic matter by which 
 the canal water is now made foul. Concerning the 
 importance of constructing such a sewer I need add 
 nothing to the convincing arguments with which 
 your community is already so familiar. Your citi 
 zens must recognize, to a greater degree than a 
 casual visitor can do, the full bearing in this case of 
 the demands of salubrity and of common decency. 
 The question of the day with Buffalo is not at all as 
 
90 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 to the policy of instituting the proposed reform, 
 only as to the best means for securing it. 
 
 " I have under your guidance made an examina 
 tion of the whole ground ; I have received much in 
 formation from your local engineers ; I have exam 
 ined with care the excellent contour map of the city, 
 and I have endeavored to regard the subject from 
 the point of view of the experts who have already 
 reported upon it. With this preparation I venture 
 to submit my report." 
 
 Then follows his report in detail, the plans con 
 tained in which were finally adopted ; and they are 
 now carrying out his recommendations at a c6st of 
 less than one-half the other preceding estimates. 
 
 I see it asked, with some affectation of ignorance 
 I fancy, in some of the journals supporting Mr. 
 Elaine for President : 
 
 " Who is Mr. Cleveland ?" " What has he done ?" 
 The reader who has taken the time to examine 
 the preceding messages will not be at a loss to an 
 swer those questions. And in the next chapter he 
 will find more of the same kind of work. Mr. Cleve 
 land s clear, penetrating common sense, his accurate 
 knowledge of law, his direct, pithy statements can 
 not fail to strike and favorably impress the thought 
 ful reader. He well deserves to be called Buffalo s 
 Veto Mayor and New York s Reform Governor ; 
 with equal propriety he may be styled the Business 
 like Mayor and the Common Sense Governor. 
 
.j-^t es a*.-*, 1, 
 
 - ^.- ; r ~M!; 
 
 .. <t,<fi?^=~: -, ;3 TV.*-. ,--^^=;.^i 
 
 : ; 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 REFORM GOVERNOR. 
 
 THE year 1882 was, in a political point of view, 
 certainly one of the most memorable and probably 
 one of the most influential years in our recent history. 
 
 There had for many years been mutterings of dis 
 content, not only among the Democrats, but also 
 among the Republicans. There was rapidly forming 
 a well-defined and influential body of Independents, 
 destined to draw upon themselves a large share of 
 opprobrium and ridicule, but composed in the main 
 of men not deeply vulnerable by the ordinary poli 
 tician or party journal. But no one, even within 
 their own body, imagined that their influence had 
 assumed such gigantic proportions. 
 
 The year was now at hand in which these indica 
 tions of discontent were to express themselves in a 
 manner that surprised the whole nation. No such po 
 litical " tidal wave " had swept over the country fora 
 generation. And although the change was very strik 
 ing in Massachusetts and other States, it was in New 
 York that the most astonishing revolt took place. 
 In that State the Independent vote for the first time 
 showed to what an astonishing extent it had grown. 
 
92 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 In 1879 Mr. Cornell defeated Governor Robinson 
 by forty-two thousand votes (although, owing to the 
 opposition of the " Young Scratchers," he ran 
 20,000 votes behind the rest of his ticket); in 1880 
 General Garfield had twenty-one thousand more 
 votes in New York than General Hancock ; but the 
 jeform movement of 1882 swept away these majori 
 ties, and gave Grover Cleveland such a majority as 
 had never before been received by anybody in a, 
 State of the Union. 
 
 And this notwithstanding the fact that the Re 
 publican party was fairly well satisfied with the 
 administration of Governor Cornell, and notwith 
 standing also that Mr. Cleveland s opponent, Judge 
 Folger, was a man of acknowledged ability and high 
 character. 
 
 This prodigious change was due to a combina 
 tion of circumstances : first, it was a year of general 
 reaction against the Republican party ; secondly, 
 there was a general uprising among the better ele 
 ments of the Republican party in New York against 
 dictation and intrusive interference in State politics 
 by the National Administration. 
 
 Those in authority at Washington, together with 
 a few prominent New York opponents of Governor 
 Cornell, took it into their heads to defeat his renom- 
 ination, and to name his successor. Changes were 
 made among the government officials in Brooklyn, 
 Albany, Utica, and other cities, for the sole purpose 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 93 
 
 of manipulating the local nominating machinery. 
 Several of these officials who were sacrificed had been 
 so efficient that the reason for their removal was ap 
 parent, and gave rise to a general protest in the jour 
 nals and a greater one at the election. The people 
 were determined to express in a forcible manner their 
 disapproval of such a " debauchery of patronage." 
 
 The opposition to Governor Cornell from cer 
 tain influential sources in New York sprang from mo 
 tives even more unworthy than those which charac 
 terized the National Administration ; so that the 
 manner in which the nomination of Judge Folger 
 was brought about was happily ascribed by Rev. 
 Henry Ward Beecher to " a union of revenge and 
 avarice." 
 
 In the Republican State Convention, moreover, 
 there were well-founded accusations of bargaining 
 and purchasing, and even of forgery. 
 
 In addition to these causes of the revolution in 
 public sentiment, came the fortunate nomination by 
 the Democrats of a man for Governor who had no 
 record but a good one, a man who, as citizen and 
 Mayor of Buffalo, had showed himself to have just 
 the qualities needed in a Governor at that time. He 
 had fully justified the expectations of the people of 
 Buffalo that he would put down dishonesty in the 
 government of their city ; he had done this, and in 
 doing it showed executive ability of a high order, an 
 independence of party, a strength of will and straight- 
 
94 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 forward practical dealing with public questions that 
 had won for him golden opinions and spread his 
 name throughout the State. 
 
 Closely following the Republican Convention that 
 nominated Judge Folger, came the Democratic Con 
 vention at Syracuse. 
 
 It adopted the following platform, presented by 
 General Roger A. Pryor, of Kings County, the chair 
 man of the Committee on Resolutions: 
 
 The Democracy of New York in convention assembled 
 declare : 
 
 First. That whereas the country is again subjected 
 by Republican maladministration to the evils and abuses 
 which afflicted it in 1874, we reaffirm the principles of 
 our platform of that year, under which the Republican 
 party was driven from power, and the government of the 
 State brought back for a time to the practice of econo 
 my and honesty. 
 
 Second. We arraign the Republican majority in Con 
 gress for its culpable failure to reduce the amount of taxa 
 tion to a sum sufficient only for the legitimate require 
 ments of government under an honest and frugal admin 
 istration ; and we favor such tariff and fiscal reforms as 
 shall relieve an over-taxed people from all unnecessary 
 burdens, and prevent the accumulation of a fund to be 
 lavished in profligate legislation, and the support of a 
 horde of useless and idle placemen. In particular we 
 proclaim our condemnation of the River and Harbor Bill, 
 in which, by the multiplication and mutual support of ob- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 95 
 
 noxious provisions, an infamous measure purchases its 
 passage through Congress in disregard of the limitations 
 of the Constitution, and to the depravation of the public 
 morals. 
 
 Third. In the nomination of the Secretary of the Treas 
 ury for Governor of New York, by which, in effect, a can 
 didate for the Chief Magistracy of a State was appointed 
 by the President, we see a fresh and impressive proof of 
 the dangerous power of public patronage, and, urged 
 by this alarming spectacle, we protest against Federal in 
 tervention in State elections, and repeat our demand of 
 1 88 1 for a reform and purification of the Civil Service. 
 And we are further admonished by the recent experience 
 of the Republican corruption, of the necessity of forbid 
 ding, by penal enactment, the levying of blackmail from 
 dependent office-holders to promote the interests of a 
 party which finds no support in the intelligent and inde 
 pendent convictions of the people. 
 
 Fourth. We hold the present Republican Administra 
 tion responsible for unredressed outrages on our foreign- 
 born fellow-citizens, and we demand for them, when 
 abroad, the protection to which they are entitled in return 
 for their voluntary allegiance, and which the honor of the 
 American Government requires shall be extended to 
 them. 
 
 Fifth. We charge that in this State the Republican 
 party has lowered the standard of the public service by 
 its local administration and by the representatives it has 
 sent to the houses of Congress, that it has made the 
 State Legislature the instrument of the lobby to rob the 
 
g6 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 public and enrich corporations, and has refused to its 
 Governor the renomination which was due to him by 
 custom, because he dared to use his veto power to thwart 
 such purposes in disregard of those who sought to con 
 trol him by the influence of political and moneyed 
 power. 
 
 Sixth. We demand the restoration of the New York 
 State National Guard to the efficiency of which it has 
 been deprived, and which made it the representative of 
 the soldierly spirit of the people. 
 
 Seventh. In order to restore our merchant marine to its 
 former prosperity, we demand the immediate revision and 
 amendment of the laws relating to shipping and the car 
 riage of ocean freights. 
 
 Eighth. We favor the adoption by the next Legislature 
 of the resolution of 1882, providing an amendment to the 
 Constitution for the local self-government of cities. 
 
 Ninth. Primary elections, openly and honestly con 
 ducted, afford the surest means of securing the most suit 
 able candidates for public office, thus best preserving a 
 democratic form of government. We therefore favor the 
 speedy passage of general laws providing against fraud and 
 intimidation at such elections. 
 
 Tenth. The public welfare demands that the various 
 questions relating to chartered monopolies, and the 
 methods of transportation should be met and decided, 
 and we are in favor of the adoption of measures to restrict 
 the growing power of such monopolies. They should be 
 subjected to the strict supervision of the Commission now 
 provided by law. All unjust discriminations in the trans- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR, 97 
 
 portation of passengers and merchandise should be pro 
 hibited. The charges of corporations, which have taken 
 the property of private citizens for public use, should be 
 limited to the cost of service, with a reasonable profit, in 
 stead of the mercenary exaction of " all the traffic will 
 bear. " The laws should be so revised that taxation may 
 be reduced so far as possible, and that personal and cor 
 porate property may severally pay their fair proportion of 
 taxes. 
 
 Eleventh. We approve the submission to the vote of 
 the people of the constitutional amendment in favor of 
 free canals ; and we have full confidence that they will 
 dispose of it in such manner as to promote all the great 
 interests of the State agricultural, manufacturing, and 
 commercial. 
 
 Twelfth. We reaffirm the policy always maintained by 
 the Democratic party, that it is of the first importance 
 that labor should be made free, healthful, and secure of 
 just remuneration ; that convict labor should not come 
 into competition with the industry of law-abiding citizens ; 
 that the labor of children should be surrounded with such 
 safeguards as their health, their right of education, and 
 their future as useful members of the community demand ; 
 that workshops, whether large or small, should be under 
 such sanitary control as will insure the health and comfort 
 of the employed, and will protect all against unwholesome 
 labor and surroundings ; that labor shall have the same 
 right as capital to combine for its own protection ; and 
 that all legislation which cramps industry, or which en 
 ables the powerful to oppress the weak, should be repealed ; 
 7 
 
98 LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 and, to promote the interests of labor, we recommend the 
 collection of statistics and information respecting the im 
 provements, the needs, and the abuses of the various 
 branches of industry. 
 
 Thirteenth. Whereas, The founders of the Democratic 
 party inculcated a frequent recurrence to fundamental prin 
 ciples, the Democracy of New York again avow their 
 fidelity to those tenets of economy, simplicity, and respect 
 for the liberty of the individual which characterized the 
 administration of government in the primitive days of the 
 Republic. 
 
 To this platform was afterward added the follow 
 ing: 
 
 We also arraign the Republican party for its wholesale 
 gift of the public lands to railroad jobbers, thus robbing 
 the mass of the people of their rightful inheritance, and 
 we demand that, so far as possible, these lands shall be 
 reclaimed and reserved for occupation by active settlers ; 
 and we request the Democratic Representatives in Con 
 gress from the State of New York to use their power to 
 secure this great blessing. 
 
 Then came the presentation of names to the con 
 vention. Some half-dozen men were put in nomina 
 tion, and among them Grover Cleveland was nomi 
 nated by Hon. D. N. Lockwood, of Buffalo. 
 
 In the next chapter we shall again hear from Mr. 
 Lockwood in the Chicago Convention ; I therefore 
 give his Syracuse speech for the sake of comparison, 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 99 
 
 and still more for the sake of laying before the reader 
 the estimate set on Mr. Cleveland at the opening of 
 his national career. The reader cannot fail to be in 
 terested in reading the words of one who had known 
 Mr. Cleveland for many years, and who had had 
 superior advantages of studying his character and 
 mind. I take the following account from the Buffalo 
 Courier of September 23, 1872. 
 
 The name of Mr. Cleveland was presented by Hon. 
 Daniel N. Lockwood in a most able manner. Mr. Lock- 
 wood spoke with deliberateness and regard for effect 
 unusual to him, and his words rang through the house in 
 a way that was telling, and there could be no mistaking 
 his admiration of the man for whom he spoke, and his 
 sincere desire to have the just claims of Western New 
 York recognized by the convention. 
 
 He said : 
 
 Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Convention : 
 
 I have the honor, as one of the representatives in this 
 convention of the Democracy in the eighth judicial dis 
 trict of this State, to present for nomination for Governor 
 the name of an honored citizen of Buffalo, the third city 
 in commercial importance in the State. 
 
 His nomination is asked from this convention by a dis 
 trict greater in the extent of its territory than many of the 
 States of the Union, and greater in the number of its pop 
 ulation than Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, 
 Delaware, Colorado, and Florida ; and I need scarcely re- 
 
100 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 mind this convention that up to the present time the De 
 mocracy of this important section have never asked the 
 people of the State to place one of their representatives in 
 the executive chair of the State of New York. 
 
 I present the name of Hon. Grover Cleveland of Buf 
 falo for the consideration of this convention, and with 
 full confidence that his nomination will insure a glorious 
 victory for the Democracy in November. 
 
 With Grover Cleveland as the standard bearer, the 
 State will be redeemed to the Democracy. You will 
 pardon me if I make a brief personal reference to the 
 gentleman I have named. 
 
 Grover Cleveland is a self-made man. When he came 
 to Buffalo some twenty-five years ago, he came with no 
 other capital than his honesty, his integrity, his industry 
 and his ability. Unaided he has advanced step by step 
 until he has won an honorable place in the community in 
 which he lives, and in the State of New York. He 
 was first called to official position when about twenty-five 
 years of age. He was appointed to the office of assistant 
 district-attorney of the county, and discharged the duties 
 of his office with great ability and fairness, and to the 
 satisfaction of the whole people. 
 
 From this time until the fall of 1870 he continued in 
 the practice of his profession, when at the earnest solici 
 tation of his party he consented to the nomination for 
 sheriff of Erie County. 
 
 He was elected, and his candidacy saved his party from 
 defeat. 
 
 In his administration of the delicate duties of this office 
 
REFORM tiO~VRNOR. IOI 
 
 he showed great executive and administrative ability ; 
 and when his term expired he sought again the profession 
 of the law. His reputation as an able lawyer and advo 
 cate is second to none in Western New York. 
 
 Always honest and faithful to every interest committed 
 to his care, he has the confidence and respect of all alike. 
 
 In the fall of 1881, Mr. Cleveland, much against his 
 wishes, was nominated for the office of Mayor of Buffalo. 
 Municipal extravagance was at its height. The best citi 
 zens begged him to accept the office for the public good. 
 There was to him a great personal sacrifice involved, but 
 he could not decline. 
 
 His party, his neighbors, and his friends demanded it, 
 and from sheer sense of duty, and because, as he said 
 when he accepted the nomination, he was a Democrat, he 
 consented to be a candidate. He made no pledge, no 
 promise ; he simply said if elected he would give the citi 
 zens the best government he was capable of. 
 
 The people knew what that meant, and elected him 
 by 5,000 majority ; and from the day he entered upon 
 the duties of his office, he constantly showed great 
 capacity and executive ability. 
 
 The affairs of the city are administered on business 
 principles ; the taxpayers and the laborers are both pro 
 tected, and all classes of his fellow-citizens respect him as 
 a man and a public official. 
 
 In his hands the veto power is in truth and fact a 
 shield of protection ; and he has received, what he has 
 well earned, the title of the Veto Mayor. 
 
 Such, in brief, is the official record of the candidate 
 
IQ2 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 we present. It fully shows that he is a man of ability 
 and integrity, and worthy of the confidence we ask you 
 to repose in him. 
 
 If you place him in nomination you present to the peo 
 ple a man who can command not only the votes of his 
 own party, but also a large proportion of the independent 
 voters of the State. But one objection has been men 
 tioned against the nomination of Mr. Cleveland, and that is 
 that he is comparatively unknown outside of his county. 
 
 To this I have to say that he will soon be known, and 
 the better he is known the wiser will seem the action of 
 the convention which places him in nomination. 
 
 He certainly has no enemies, and he will command the 
 vote of every Democrat in the State. He has always been 
 a consistent Democrat. He was never engaged in any 
 of the political differences which have so unfortunately 
 divided the party. He is free from all complications 
 and entangling alliances, and he has the manhood and the 
 courage to defend the right and expose the wrong. We 
 respectfully urge his nomination for other reasons. The 
 delegates to this convention represent a constituency who 
 demand at this time the nomination of a candidate who 
 possesses all the qualities I have named, and in addition 
 one who has no enemies in his own party. This con 
 vention will be held responsible by the people for their ac 
 tion to-day. The Democrats in every State in the Union 
 are anxiously awaiting the action of this convention. 
 They expect us to do our duty, and this can best be 
 done by placing in nomination a man who, while able 
 and honest, will unite the whole party. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 03 
 
 Mr. Cleveland is not a professional politician. Office 
 and honor have sought him, and if the people who sent 
 delegates to this convention could speak, they would pro 
 nounce in favor of a man whose candidacy is sure to bring 
 success to the party. 
 
 Mr. Cleveland has been educated in the best school of 
 Democracy, has never sympathized with any of the fac 
 tions in the party. He has always supported and advo 
 cated Democratic principles sincerely and faithfully ; and 
 I know of no better way of illustrating his character as a 
 man and a Democrat than to say that he is to the young 
 men of the State and party, what Horatio Seymour has al 
 ways been in the past. 
 
 Mr. Cleveland s nomination was well received by 
 all factions of his own party ; and as the time of the 
 election drew nearer it became constantly clearer 
 that he would receive many votes from the Repub 
 licans. The Independents were attracted by Mr. 
 Cleveland s previous record and furthermore by his 
 Letter of Acceptance, which was in its tone moderate 
 and non-partisan. 
 
 HIS LETTER ACCEPTING THE NOMINATION FOR 
 GOVERNOR. 
 
 "BUFFALO, Oct. 7, 1882. 
 " Hon. Thomas C. E. Ecclesine, Chairman, etc. 
 
 " DEAR SIR : I beg to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your letter informing me of my nomination for Gov- 
 
104 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 ernor by the Democratic State Convention lately 
 held at the city of Syracuse. I accept the nomina 
 tion thus tendered to me, and trust that, while I am 
 greatly sensible of the honor conferred, I am also 
 properly impressed with the responsibilities which it 
 invites. 
 
 " The platform of principles adopted by the con 
 vention meets with my hearty approval. The doc 
 trines therein enunciated are so distinctly and ex 
 plicitly stated that their amplification seems scarcely 
 necessary. If elected to the office for which I have 
 been nominated, I shall endeavor to impress them 
 upon my administration, and make them the policy 
 of the State. 
 
 " Our citizens, for the most part, attach themselves 
 to one or the other of the great political parties ; 
 and, under ordinary circumstances, they support the 
 nominees of the party to which they profess fealty. 
 It is quite apparent that under such circumstances 
 the primary election or caucus should be surrounded 
 by such safeguards as will secure absolutely free and 
 uncontrolled action. Here the people themselves 
 are supposed to speak ; here they put their own 
 hands to the machinery of government, and in this 
 place should be found the manifestation of the popu 
 lar will. When by fraud, intimidation, or any other 
 questionable practice, the voice of the people is here 
 smothered, a direct blow is aimed at a most precious 
 right, and one which the law should be swift to pro- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 10$ 
 
 tect. If the primary election is uncontaminated and 
 fairly conducted, those there chosen to represent the 
 people will go forth with the impress of the people s 
 will upon them, and the benefits and purposes of a 
 truly representative government will be attained. 
 
 " Public officers are the servants and agents of the 
 people to execute laws which the people have made, 
 and within the limits of a constitution which they 
 have established. Hence the interference of officials 
 of any degree, and whether State or Federal, for the 
 purpose of thwarting or controlling the popular wish, 
 should not be tolerated. 
 
 " Subordinates in public places should be selected 
 and retained for their efficiency, and not because 
 they may be usecf to accomplish partisan ends. The 
 people have a right to demand here, as in cases of 
 private employment, that their money be paid to 
 those who will render the best service in return, and 
 that the appointment to and tenure of such places 
 should depend upon ability and merit. If the clerks 
 and assistants in public departments were paid the 
 same compensation and required to do the same 
 amount of work as those employed in prudently con 
 ducted private establishments, the anxiety to hold 
 these public places would be much diminished, and, 
 it seems to me, the cause of civil service reform 
 materially aided. 
 
 " The system of levying assessments for partisan 
 purposes on those holding office or place, cannot be 
 
IO6 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 too strongly condemned. Through the thin dis 
 guise of voluntary contributions, this is seen to be 
 naked extortion, reducing the compensation which 
 should be honestly earned, and swelling a fund used 
 to debauch the people and defeat the popular will. 
 
 " I am unalterably opposed to the interference by 
 the Legislature with the government of municipali 
 ties. I believe in the intelligence of the people when 
 left to an honest freedom in their choice, and that, 
 when the citizens of any section of the State have 
 determined upon the details of a local government, 
 they should be left in the undisturbed enjoyment of 
 the same. The doctrine of home rule, as I under 
 stand it, lies at the foundation of republican institu 
 tions, and cannot be too strongly insisted upon. 
 
 " Corporations are created by the law for certain 
 defined purposes, and are restricted in their opera 
 tions by specific limitations. Acting within their 
 legitimate sphere, they should be protected ; but 
 when by combination, or by the exercise of unwar 
 ranted power, they oppress the people, the same au 
 thority which created should restrain them, and 
 protect the rights of the citizens. The law lately 
 passed for the purpose of adjusting the relations be 
 tween the people and corporations should be execut 
 ed in good faith, with an honest design to effect its 
 objects, and with a due regard for the interests in 
 volved. 
 
 " The laboring classes constitute the main part of 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. IO/ 
 
 our population. They should be protected in their 
 efforts peaceably to assert their rights when endan 
 gered by aggregated capital, and all statutes on this 
 subject should recognize the care of the State for 
 honest toil, and be framed with a view of improving 
 the condition of the workingman. 
 
 " We have so lately had a demonstration of the 
 value of our citizen soldiery in time of peril, that it 
 seems to me no argument is necessary to prove that 
 it should be maintained in a state of efficiency, so 
 that its usefulness shall not be impaired. 
 
 " Certain amendments to the Constitution of our 
 State, involving the management of our canals, are 
 to be passed upon at the coming election. This 
 subject affects diverse interests, and of course gives 
 rise to opposite opinions. It is in the hands of the 
 sovereign people for final settlement ; and as the 
 question is thus removed from State legislation, any 
 statement of my opinion in regard to it at this time 
 would, I think, be out of place. I am confident 
 that the people will intelligently examine the merits 
 of the subject, and determine where the preponder 
 ance of interest lies. 
 
 "The expenditure of money to influence the ac 
 tion of the people at the polls, or to secure legisla 
 tion, is calculated to excite the gravest concern. 
 When this pernicious agency is successfully em 
 ployed, a representative form of government be 
 comes a sham, and laws passed under its baleful 
 
108 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 influences cease to protect, but are made the means 
 by which the rights of the people are sacrificed and 
 the public treasury despoiled. It is useless and fool 
 ish to shut our eyes to the fact that this evil exists 
 among us ; and the party which leads in an honest 
 effort to return to better and purer methods will re 
 ceive the confidence of our citizens and secure their 
 support. It is wilful blindness not to see that the 
 people care but little for party obligations, when 
 they are invoked to countenance and sustain fraud 
 ulent and corrupt practices. And it is well for our 
 country, and for the purification of politics, that the 
 people, at times fully roused to danger, remind their 
 leaders that party methods should be something 
 more than a means used to answer the purposes of 
 those who profit by political occupation. 
 
 " The importance of wise statesmanship in the man 
 agement of public affairs cannot, I think, be over 
 estimated. I am convinced, however, that the per 
 plexities and the mystery often surrounding the 
 administration of State concerns grow, in a great 
 measure, out of an attempt to serve partisan ends 
 rather than the welfare of the citizen. 
 
 " We may, I think, reduce to quite simple elements 
 the duty which the public servants owe, by constantly 
 bearing in mind that they are put in place to pro 
 tect the rights of the people, to answer their needs 
 as they arise, and to expend for their benefit the 
 money drawn from them by taxation. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 09 
 
 " I am profoundly conscious that the management 
 of the diverse interests of a great State is not an 
 easy matter ; but I believe, if undertaken in the 
 proper spirit, all its real difficulties will yield to 
 watchfulness and care. 
 
 " Yours respectfully, 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND." 
 
 An attempt has been made to cause the public to 
 believe that Mr. Cleveland received only the vote of 
 his own party. " Compare his vote," say they, " with 
 that received by General Hancock for President, and 
 it will be seen that they are about the same." 
 
 But this attempt is not altogether fair and ingen 
 uous, because it is well known from the records of 
 many elections, that the vote in New York for Pres 
 ident is about one hundred thousand heavier in 
 either party than it is in the State elections. That 
 the reader may make the examination for himself, 
 and may form a correct estimate of Mr. Cleveland s 
 popularity in New York, I give the following table 
 of the vote cast in 1879, I 88o and 1882 : 
 
no 
 
 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 COUNTIES. 
 
 GOVERNOR, 
 1882. 
 
 GOVERNOR, 
 1879. 
 
 PRESIDENT, 
 1880. 
 
 pd 
 
 1- 
 
 Robinson. 
 D. 
 
 v 
 
 Hancock. 
 D. 
 
 Garfield. 
 R. 
 
 Albany 
 
 20,126 
 
 3,779 
 5,060 
 
 5,279 
 5,859 
 6,207 
 5,336 
 4-258 
 3,56o 
 6,703 
 3,on 
 4,596 
 8,875 
 23,748 
 2,150 
 2,294 
 
 3,855 
 
 3,5i8 
 4,48i 
 5,i3T 
 7,190 
 65,636 
 3,787 
 3,966 
 4,328 
 13,143 
 5,374 
 124,914 
 5..83 4 
 13-673 
 11,563 
 5,272 
 8,874 
 
 3,H9 
 
 10,309 
 3,7i8 
 4,955 
 4,681 
 4,4o6 
 4,803 
 3,079 
 3,9 J 3 
 4,3i8 
 3,607 
 2,996 
 4,33i 
 7,32i 
 16,408 
 2,95i 
 3,074 
 
 3,33i 
 
 2,898 
 2,808 
 3,701 
 4,483 
 26,148 
 
 2,447 
 3,650 
 3,512 
 11,056 
 3,927 
 47,785 
 3,256 
 8,741 
 11,629 
 4,675 
 6,54i 
 2,549 
 
 12,976 
 2,710 
 4,777 
 2,972 
 3,946 
 4,303 
 3,547 
 3,78o 
 3,672 
 
 4,659 
 2,238 
 
 4,555 
 7,653 
 17,095 
 2,292 
 2,263 
 
 3,40i 
 2,722 
 4,oi5 
 4,349 
 6,703 
 44,388 
 3,160 
 3,604 
 3,634 
 7,828 
 4,240 
 60,556 
 3,902 
 10, 86 r 
 7,742 
 4,616 
 
 7,254 
 1,667 
 
 14,505 
 5,679 
 
 6,020 
 
 5,851 
 7,316 
 
 7,935 
 3,48i 
 4,851 
 4,663 
 5,978 
 3,35i 
 4,9*4 
 9, J 55 
 20,150 
 
 3,649 
 3,676 
 
 4,146 
 
 3,735 
 2,957 
 5,206 
 
 7,959 
 32,816 
 
 3,397 
 4,700 
 5,397 
 11,304 
 4,262 
 46,322 
 
 4,9 2 3 
 11,712 
 12,542 
 
 5,457 
 8,381 
 
 3,445 
 
 19,624 
 3,482 
 5,450 
 5,466 
 5,976 
 5,472 
 4,806 
 
 4,559 
 4,250 
 5,992 
 2,749 
 
 5,084 
 8,475 
 20,848 
 
 2,775 
 2,799 
 
 3,879 
 
 3,48i 
 4,405 
 5,070 
 7,216 
 61,062 
 3,674 
 4,242 
 4,683 
 13,742 
 4,947 
 123,015 
 
 5,937 
 12,600 
 11,732 
 5,767 
 9,672 
 3,104 
 
 16,564 
 6,827 
 7,173 
 7,403 
 9-372 
 10.422 
 4,636 
 5,769 
 6,080 
 6,486 
 4,124 
 6,058 
 H,045 
 24,199 
 4,776 
 4,i85 
 
 4,985 
 
 4,815 
 3,879 
 6,331 
 9,439 
 5i,75i 
 4,036 
 5,522 
 6,793 
 17,102 
 5,230 
 81,730 
 6,478 
 M,546 
 16,153 
 6,774 
 10,088 
 4,58i 
 
 Alleirany 
 
 Broome 
 
 Cattaraugus . . 
 
 Cavus:a. . 
 
 Chautauqua.. . . 
 
 Chemung 
 
 Chenango 
 
 Clinton 
 Columbia 
 
 Cortland 
 
 Delaware 
 
 Dutchess 
 
 Erie 
 
 Essex 
 Franklin .... 
 
 Fulton and ) 
 Hamilton f 
 Genesee 
 
 Greene 
 Herkimer 
 
 Jefferson 
 
 King s 
 
 
 Livingston .... 
 
 Madison 
 
 Monroe . . 
 
 Montgomery .... 
 New York 
 
 Oneida 
 
 Onondaga 
 Ontario 
 
 Orancre 
 
 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 
 
 Ill 
 
 COUNTIES. 
 
 GOVERNOR, 
 1882. 
 
 GOVERNOR, 
 1879. 
 
 PRESIDENT, 
 1880. 
 
 Cleveland. 
 D. 
 
 \_ 
 
 Robinson. 
 D. 
 
 oi 
 u 
 
 Hancock. 
 D. 
 
 Garfield. 
 R. 
 
 Oswego 
 
 6,757 
 6,848 
 1,691 
 8,666 
 13,714 
 4,370 
 2,77i 
 5,220 
 6,277 
 2,836 
 4,924 
 2,155 
 3,5io 
 8,997 
 5,287 
 3,45i 
 3,583 
 3,6i9 
 8,470 
 2,677 
 4,190 
 4,296 
 11,478 
 2,909 
 2,073 
 
 6,376 
 4,730 
 1,825 
 3,698 
 10,468 
 
 2,012 
 
 i,473 
 9,304 
 6,185 
 2,604 
 2,076 
 2,151 
 2,555 
 6,577 
 3-815 
 2,266 
 
 3,143 
 2,690 
 6,140 
 2,560 
 5,929 
 4,254 
 6,005 
 2,120 
 . 2,501 
 
 3,636 
 6,297 
 1,277 
 7,024 
 H,075 
 3,379 
 2,565 
 5,032 
 4,891 
 2,598 
 4,756 
 1,678 
 2,722 
 
 6,673 
 5,125 
 
 2.799 
 3,340 
 3,587 
 7,163 
 2,621 
 3,174 
 3,473 
 8,459 
 2,494 
 1,844 
 
 7,436 
 6,237 
 
 i,93 
 5,435 
 io,547 
 2,552 
 2,267 
 ",378 
 6,727 
 2,533 
 3,045 
 2,406 
 
 2,934 
 8,465 
 
 5,155 
 2,554 
 4,149 
 
 4,382 
 
 7.847 
 2,639 
 6,697 
 5,903 
 8,778 
 3,82i 
 2,919 
 
 6,746 
 7,184 
 1,708 
 10,391 
 13,031 
 4,8i5 
 3,415 
 5,835 
 5,8o8 
 2,628 
 5.262 
 2,293 
 3-802 
 8,992 
 6,061 
 3,7i8 
 3,627 
 3,956 
 9,870 
 2,618 
 
 4,145 
 5,207 
 11,858 
 3,309 
 2,197 
 
 10,236 
 7,156 
 2,114 
 8,151 
 13,672 
 3,291 
 2,688 
 13,748 
 8,116 
 3,250 
 3,646 
 2,790 
 
 3,394 
 10,245 
 
 6,515 
 3,339 
 4,750 
 4,896 
 9,994 
 3,330 
 
 7,779 
 7,600 
 
 11,367 
 4,695 
 3,432 
 
 Otsego 
 
 
 Queens . . 
 
 Rensselaer 
 
 
 Rockland 
 
 St. Lawrence. . . . 
 Saratoga 
 Schencctady. 
 
 
 Schuyler 
 
 Seneca 
 
 Suffolk 
 
 Sullivan 
 
 Tioga 
 
 Tompkins 
 
 Ulster 
 
 \Varren 
 
 \Vashington . . . 
 
 Wayne 
 
 \Vestchester 
 
 Y^yoming 
 
 Yates 
 
 Majority 
 
 535,318 
 192,854 
 
 342,464 
 
 375,79 
 
 418,567 
 42,777 
 
 534,511 
 
 555,544 
 21,033 
 
 To the vote received by Governor Robinson in 
 1879 must be added seventy-five thousand received 
 
112 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 by Mr. John Kelly ; this will give the total Dem 
 ocratic vote for that year, which is eighty-five thou 
 sand smaller than that received by General Hancock. 
 Mr. Cornell likewise received one hundred and thirty- 
 seven thousand votes less than General Garfield. It 
 is evident, therefore, that the Republicans did not 
 censure the National Administration and the " ma 
 chine politicians " by merely abstaining from voting, 
 but from seventy-five to one hundred thousand of 
 them went to the polls and cast their votes for 
 Grover Cleveland and Reform. Such is the formi 
 dable growth to which the Independent party has 
 attained in the State of New York, since in the cam 
 paign of 1879 it made its first protest against Repub 
 lican mismanagement by casting 20,000 votes against 
 Governor Cornell. 
 
 It is noticeable that in only eight counties in the 
 whole State of New York did Judge Folger, a man 
 not wanting in ability nor in good character, receive 
 more votes than Mr. Cleveland. The latter has 
 never been a candidate for any office, city, county 
 or State, that he did not receive a much heavier vote 
 than his party. He was elected Mayor in a Repub 
 lican city, Sheriff in a Republican county, and Gov 
 ernor in a State Republican at the two preceding 
 elections. 
 
 This vote was certainly flattering in its indications 
 of the great confidence the people placed in Mr. 
 Cleveland. At the same time it was well calculated 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 113 
 
 to increase his sense of responsibility on assuming 
 such an office, because it clearly showed that high 
 expectations had been formed as to what he would do. 
 
 On the day before his inauguration as Governor 
 he came to Albany and spent the night at the Ex 
 ecutive Mansion. 
 
 On the following day he walked through the 
 throngs of people in the streets to the Capitol and 
 entered the building unrecognized. As soon as the 
 simple ceremony of inauguration was over, he entered 
 the office of the Executive and went quietly to work. 
 In this may be seen both his dislike of public osten 
 tation and his simple, industrious habits. 
 
 As in treating of his services as Mayor, so here I 
 shall endeavor to present an idea of his merits and 
 characteristics as Governor through his own public 
 papers. 
 
 From his first Annual Message, I make the fol 
 lowing extracts, which give his ideas on several points 
 of public policy. 
 
 STATE OF NEW YORK. 
 
 " EXECUTIVE CHAMBER. > 
 " ALBANY, January 2, 1883. \ 
 " To the Legislature : 
 
 " In obedience to the provision of the Constitution 
 which directs that the Governor shall communicate 
 to the Legislature, at every session, the condition of 
 the State, and recommend such matters to them as 
 
 8 
 
114 LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 he shall judge expedient, I transmit this, my first 
 annual message, with the intimation that a newly 
 elected Executive can hardly be prepared to present 
 a complete exhibit of State affairs, or to submit in 
 detail a great variety of recommendations for the 
 action of the Legislature. 
 
 TAXATION. 
 
 " The imperfection of our laws touching the matter 
 of taxation, or the faulty execution of existing 
 statutes on the subject, is glaringly apparent. 
 
 " The power of the State to exact from the citizen 
 a part of his earnings and income for the support of 
 the Government, it is obvious should be exercised 
 with absolute fairness and justice. When it is not 
 so exercised, the people are oppressed. This fur 
 nishes the highest and the best reason why laws 
 should be enacted and executed which will subject 
 all property, as all alike need the protection of the 
 State, to an equal share in the burdens of taxation, 
 by means of which the Government is maintained. 
 And yet it is notoriously true that personal property 
 not less remunerative than land and real estate 
 escapes to a very great extent the payment of its 
 fair proportion of the expense incident to its pro 
 tection and preservation under the law. The people 
 should always be able to recognize, with the pride 
 and satisfaction which are the strength of our insti- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 15 
 
 tutions, in the conduct of the State, the source of 
 undiscriminating justice, which can give no pretext 
 for discontent. 
 
 PROTECTION TO THE PEOPLE, 
 "(i.) As to Banks. 
 
 " State supervision of banks is worse than useless 
 unless it is thorough and effective. Under the law 
 as it now stands, the Superintendent of the Banking 
 Department must cause an examination to be made 
 of these institutions only when, in his opinion, there 
 is good reason to suspect an unsound condition, 
 or false reports. It would seem that the solvency of 
 the banks and the protection of depositors would be 
 better assured, if one or more examinations in each 
 year were made compulsory on the Department. 
 
 * # -X- * * * 
 
 " (2.) As to Insurance. 
 
 " I am informed that the expenses of maintaining 
 this department for the year ending September 30, 
 1882, were at least $100,000, while recent investiga 
 tions tend to convince the ordinary mind that this 
 department, and the laws in relation to the subject 
 of insurance, do not furnish the protection to the 
 people which they ought. I suggest that steps be 
 taken to make this department more useful and less 
 expensive, and that the law touching the entire 
 
Il6 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 question of insurance be reduced to a plain and 
 simple enactment which shall be a safeguard against 
 the abuses to which this important interest is now 
 exposed. 
 
 CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 " The usefulness of such institutions depends very 
 much on the confidence which the public have in 
 their proper conduct, and it is abundantly demon 
 strated that the people are ready to believe, some 
 times on very slight grounds, the gravest charges of 
 mismanagement and inhuman treatment with refer 
 ence to their superintendence. It is equally certain 
 that if abuses in the care of the insane exist, there 
 should be the least possible opportunity for their 
 continuance without exposure. Frequent visitations 
 and the most thorough examinations should be made 
 either by local boards or by properly constituted 
 State authorities, which the people would be sure 
 were in no wise committed, except to the faithful 
 discharge of their duties. By this means these 
 institutions would be protected from unjust charges 
 and suspicion, and the confidence of our citizens in 
 their management be secured. 
 
 REFORM IN CIVIL SERVICE. 
 
 " It is submitted that the appointment of subordi 
 nates in the several State departments, and their 
 tenure of office or employment should be basedjLijxm 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 1/ 
 
 fitness and efficiency, and that this principle should 
 be embodied in legislative enactment, to the end 
 that the policy of the State may conform to the 
 reasonable public demand on that subject. 
 
 MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 " The formation and administration of the govern 
 ment of cities are subjects of much public interest, 
 and of great importance to many of the inhabitants 
 of the State. The formation of such governments 
 is properly matter for most careful legislation. 
 
 " They should be so organized as to be simple in 
 their details, and to cast upon the people affected 
 thereby the full responsibility of their administra 
 tion. The different departments should be in such 
 accord as in their operation to lead towards the same 
 results. Divided counsels, and divided responsibility 
 to the people, on the part of municipal officers, it is 
 believed, give rise to much that is objectionable in 
 the government of cities. If, to remedy this evil, 
 the chief executive should be made answerable to 
 the people for the proper conduct of the city s af 
 fairs, it is quite clear that his power in the selection 
 of those who manage its different departments should 
 be greatly enlarged. 
 
 PRIMARY ELECTIONS. 
 " The protection of the people in their primaries 
 
118 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 will, it is hoped, be secured by the early passage of 
 a law for that purpose which will rid the present 
 system of the evils which surround it, tending to de 
 fraud the people of rights closely connected with 
 their privileges as citizens. 
 
 SPECIAL LEGISLATION. 
 
 " It is confidently expected that those who repre 
 sent the people in the present Legislature will ad 
 dress themselves to the enactment of such laws as 
 are for the benefit of all the citizens of the State, to 
 the exclusion of special legislation and interference 
 with affairs which should be managed by the locali 
 ties to which they pertain. 
 
 " It is not only the right of the people to adminis 
 ter their local government, but it should be made 
 their duty to do so. Any departure from this doc 
 trine is an abandonment of the principles upon which 
 our institutions are founded, and a concession of the 
 infirmity and partial failure of the theory of a repre 
 sentative form of government. 
 
 " If the aid of the Legislature is invoked to further 
 projects which should be subject to local control and 
 management, suspicion should be at once aroused, 
 and the interference sought should be promptly and 
 sternly refused. 
 
 " If local rule is in any instance bad, weak, or ineffi 
 cient, those who surfer from maladministration have 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 119 
 
 the remedy within their own control. If, through 
 their neglect and inattention, it falls into unworthy 
 hands, or if bad methods and practices gain a place 
 in its administration, it is neither harsh nor unjust 
 to remit those who are responsible for those condi 
 tions to their self-invited fate, until their interest, if 
 no better motive, prompts them to an earnest and 
 active discharge of the duties of good citizenship. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " Let us enter upon the discharge of our duties, 
 fully appreciating our relations to the people, and 
 determined to serve them faithfully and well. This 
 involves a jealous watch of the public funds, and a 
 refusal to sanction their appropriation except for 
 public needs. To this end all unnecessary offices 
 should be abolished, and all employment of doubt 
 ful benefit discontinued. If to this we add the en 
 actment of such wise and well-considered laws as 
 will meet the varied wants of our fellow-citizens and 
 increase their prosperity, we shall merit and receive 
 the approval of those whose representatives we are, 
 and with the consciousness of duty well performed, 
 shall leave our impress for good on the legislation of 
 the State. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND." 
 
 With the above-cited passage from his annual 
 
I2O LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 message on special legislation, should be compared 
 the following on the same subject. These principles 
 apply equally well to the legislation of other States. 
 In vetoing a bill relating to the village of Lyons he 
 says: 
 
 " There are other sections of this charter which 
 might be criticised, to which I will not refer. It is 
 quite apparent that something should be done to 
 prevent the introduction or, at any rate, the passage 
 of such bills as this. They seem often to be pre 
 pared without any care, or without any appreciation 
 of the evils to be remedied, or the manner of accom 
 plishing improvements. Once here, they attract but 
 little attention, because they are supposed to be of 
 no importance to the Legislature, being local in their 
 nature. And then they are good-naturedly allowed 
 to pass and to reach the Executive, a mass of im 
 practicable inconsistencies and incongruous and use 
 less crudities, which, if allowed to go upon our 
 statute books, would be a disgrace to the State and 
 the law-making power." 
 
 In his veto of a bill to amend the charter of the 
 city of Buffalo he makes the following statement on 
 
 PARTISAN LEGISLATION: 
 
 " The purpose of the bill is too apparent to be 
 mistaken. A tried, economical and efficient admin- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 121 
 
 istration of an important department in a large city 
 is to be destroyed, upon partisan grounds or to sat 
 isfy personal animosities, in order that the places 
 and patronage attached thereto may be used for 
 party advancement. 
 
 " I believe in an open and sturdy partisanship, 
 which secures the legitimate advantages of party h 
 supremacy; but^parties were ma Jj^Jj*g people, P 
 and I am unwilling, knowingly, to give my assent to 
 measures purely partisan, which will sacrifice or en 
 danger their interests." 
 
 But of the Governor s official acts of this year the 
 one that has called forth the most discussion, and 
 produced the greatest opposition, is his veto of the 
 bill reducing the fares on the elevated railroads in 
 New York city. 
 
 I have not space for the bill itself, but its contents 
 are clearly enough set forth in the Governor s veto. 
 
 The readers of this book beyond the limits of the 
 State of New York, and perhaps beyond the limits 
 of New York city, will be astonished that this veto 
 did not redound to Governor Cleveland s fame rather 
 than the contrary ; such readers, having no pecuniary 
 interest in the question, may feel disposed to dismiss 
 it without further attention ; but even they will not 
 regret it if they give the message a careful reading. 
 Even if it had excited no opposition it would be well 
 worth including in this book for its clear state- 
 
122 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 ment of the principles that ought to guide legisla 
 tion. 
 
 VETO, ASSEMBLY BILL NO 58, TO REGULATE FARES 
 ON ELEVATED RAILROADS IN NEW YORK CITY. 
 
 " STATE OF NEW YORK, 
 EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, 
 
 .1 
 
 ALBANY, March 2, 1883. ) 
 " To the Assembly : 
 
 "Assembly bill No. 58, entitled An act to regulate 
 the fare to be charged and collected by persons or 
 corporations operating elevated railroads in the city 
 of New York, is herewith returned without approval. 
 
 " This bill prohibits the collection or receipt of 
 more than five cents fare on any elevated railroad in 
 the city of New York, for any distance between the 
 Battery and Harlem River, and provides that if any 
 person or corporation operating such elevated rail 
 roads shall charge, demand, collect or receive any 
 higher rate of fare, such person or corporation shall, 
 in addition to all other penalties imposed by law, 
 forfeit and pay to any person aggrieved fifty dollars 
 for each offence, to be recovered by such person in 
 any court of competent jurisdiction. 
 
 "The importance of this measure, and the interest 
 which it has excited, has impressed me with my 
 responsibility, and led me to examine, with as 
 much care as has been possible, the considerations 
 involved. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 12$ 
 
 " I am convinced that in all cases the share which 
 falls upon the Executive regarding the legislation of 
 the State should be in no manner evaded, but fairly 
 met by the expression of his carefully guarded and 
 unbiased judgment. In his conclusion he may err, 
 but if he has fairly and honestly acted, he has per 
 formed his duty and given to the people of the State 
 his best endeavor. 
 
 " The elevated railroads in the city of New York are 
 now operated by the Manhattan Railway Company, 
 as the lessee of the New York Elevated Railway 
 Company and the Metropolitan Elevated Railway 
 Company. 
 
 " Of course whatever rights the lessee companies 
 have in relation to the running and operation of 
 their respective roads passed to the Manhattan 
 Company under its lease. 
 
 "The New York Elevated Railway Company is the 
 successor of the West Side and Yonkers Patent 
 Railway Company. 
 
 "The latter company was formed under and in pur 
 suance of an act passed on the 2Oth day of April, 1 866. 
 
 " The third section of that act provides that com 
 panies formed under its provisions may fix and 
 collect rates of fare on their respective roads, not 
 exceeding five cents for each mile or any fraction of 
 a mile for each passenger, and with a right to a mini 
 mum fare of ten cents. 
 
 " On the 22d day of April, 1867, an act was passed 
 
124 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 in relation to this corporation, which provides for 
 the manner of constructing its road, the eighth sec 
 tion of which act reads as follows : 
 
 " * The said company shall be authorized to demand 
 and receive from each passenger within the limits 
 of the city of New York rates of fare not exceeding, 
 for any distance less than two miles, five cents ; for 
 every mile or fractional part of a mile in addition 
 thereto, one cent. Provided that when said railway 
 is completed and in operation between Battery 
 Place and the vicinity of Harlem River, the said com 
 pany may, at its option, adopt a uniform rate not 
 exceeding ten cents for all distances upon Manhat 
 tan Island, and may also collect said last-named 
 rate for a period of five years from and after the 
 passage of this act. 
 
 " It was further provided by section nine of this 
 act that the said company should pay a sum not 
 exceeding five per cent, of the net income of said 
 railway from passenger traffic upon Manhattan 
 Island, into the treasury of the city of New York, 
 in such manner as the Legislature might thereafter 
 direct, as a compensation for the use of the streets 
 of the city. 
 
 "In 1868 a law was passed supplementary to the 
 act last referred to, by which the said company was 
 authorized to adopt such form of motor as certain 
 commissioners should, after due experiment, recom 
 mend or approve. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 12$ 
 
 " Specific provision was made in the act to carry 
 out section 9 of the law of 1867, in relation to the 
 payment of the five per cent, of the net income of 
 the company into the treasury of the city. 
 
 " Section 3 of this act contains the following pro 
 vision : 
 
 " It shall be the duty of the constructing com 
 pany aforesaid, before opening its railway to 
 public use, to file with the Comptroller of the city 
 of New York, in form to be approved by the mayor 
 of the city of New York, its bond in the penal sum 
 of SIOQ,OOO, conditioned upon the true and faithful 
 payment of the revenue in amount and manner 
 specified in the preceding section, and the payment 
 thereof shall be the legal compensation in full for 
 the use and occupancy of the streets by said railway 
 as provided by law, and shall constitute an agree 
 ment in the nature of a contract between said city 
 and Constructing Company entitling the latter or its 
 successors to the privileges and rates of fare hereto 
 fore or herein legalized, which shall not be changed 
 without the mutual consent of the parties thereto as 
 aforesaid ; and the mayor on behalf of said city 
 may, in case of default in payments as aforesaid, sue 
 for and collect at law any arrearages in such pay 
 ment, and the claims of the city therefor shall con 
 stitute a lien on the railway of said company, having 
 priority over all others. 
 
 " The use of what are called dummy engines was 
 
126 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 afterward authorized in the operation of said road 
 by the commissioners above referred to. 
 
 " The New York Elevated Railroad Company was 
 organized under the general railroad law passed in 
 1850, and the laws amendatory thereof and supple 
 mentary thereto. 
 
 " Within a short time thereafter the last-named 
 company became the purchaser under a foreclosure, 
 and by other transfers, of the railway and all the 
 rights, privileges, easements and franchises of the 
 West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company 
 (the name of which had in the meantime been 
 changed to the West Side Elevated Patented Rail 
 way Company of New York City). 
 
 " We have now reached a point where the New 
 York Elevated Railway Company, one of the lessors 
 of the Manhattan Railroad Company, has succeeded 
 to all the rights and property of the West Side and 
 Yonkers Patent Railway Company. 
 
 " By a law passed on the I ;th day of June, 1 875 (the 
 railway still being unfinished), it is declared that the 
 New York Elevated Railroad Company, having ac 
 quired by purchase under mortgage foreclosure 
 and sale and other transfer, all the rights, powers, 
 privileges, and franchises, which were conferred 
 upon the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway 
 Company by the acts above referred to, is * hereby 
 confirmed in the possession and enjoyments of the 
 said rights, powers, privileges, and franchises, as fully 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. \2*J 
 
 and at large as they were so granted in and by the 
 acts aforesaid to the said West Side and Yonkers 
 Patent Railway Company. 
 
 " The Court of Appeals, speaking of this law, uses 
 the following language : 
 
 " The effect of this act was to secure to the Ele 
 vated Railroad Company all the rights, privileges 
 and franchises of the West Side and Yonkers Patent 
 Railway Company under the purchase by and trans 
 fer to it. 
 
 " By the sixth section of this act, it is provided that 
 the New York Elevated Railroad Company might 
 demand and receive from each passenger on its rail 
 road, not exceeding ten cents for any distance of five 
 miles or less, and with the assent required by section 
 3 of the act of 1868, hereinbefore referred to, not 
 exceeding two cents for each additional mile or frac 
 tional part thereof. 
 
 Another act was passed in 1875, commonly called 
 the Rapid Transit Act, which provided for the 
 appointment of commissioners, who, among other 
 things, were authorized to fix and determine the 
 time within which roads subject to the provisions of 
 the act should be completed, together with the max 
 imum rates to be paid for transportation and con 
 veyance over said railways, and the hours during 
 which special cars should be run at reduced rates of 
 fare. 
 
128 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " Commissioners were duly appointed by the mayor 
 of the city of New York, as provided by this act, 
 who fixed and determined the route of the road of 
 the New York Elevated Railroad Company, and 
 prescribed with the utmost particularity the manner 
 of its construction, and thereupon deliberately 
 agreed with said company that it should charge as 
 fare upon trains and cars other than what were 
 called by the parties commission trains and cars, for 
 all distances under five miles not to exceed ten 
 cents, and not to exceed two cents for each mile or 
 fraction of a mile over five miles, until the fare 
 should amount to not exceeding fifteen cents for a 
 through passenger from and between the Battery 
 and intersection of Third Avenue and One Hun 
 dred and Twenty-ninth Street, and from and between 
 the Battery and High Bridge, not to exceed seven 
 teen cents for a through passenger, and that for the 
 entire distance from and between the Battery and 
 Fifty-ninth Street the fare should not exceed ten 
 cents per passenger. 
 
 " It was further agreed between the said company 
 and the commissioners that commission trains should 
 be run during, certain hours in the morning and even 
 ing for the accommodation of the public and the labor 
 ing classes, upon which the fare should not exceed 
 five cents from and between the Battery and Fifty- 
 ninth Street, nor any greater sum for any distance 
 not exceeding five miles; that it should not exceed 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 29 
 
 seven cents for a through passenger from and be 
 tween the Battery, or any point south thereof, and 
 the Harlem River, and that such fare should not 
 exceed eight cents on such commission cars and trains 
 from and between the Battery and High Bridge. 
 
 "And it was further agreed by said company that 
 when the net income of the road, after all expendi 
 tures, taxes and charges are paid, should amount to 
 a sum sufficient to pay exceeding ten per cent, per 
 annum on the capital stock of the company, that in 
 such case and within six months thereafter, and so 
 long as said net earnings amount to a sum sufficient 
 to pay more than ten per cent, as aforesaid, the 
 said company would run commission trains on its 
 road at all hours during which it should be operated, 
 at the rates of fare last mentioned. 
 
 " Having thus completed an agreement with this 
 company, the commissioners transmitted the same 
 to the mayor of the city of New York, accompanied 
 by a very congratulatory report of their proceed 
 ings, whereupon the mayor submitted the same to 
 the Board of Aldermen, by whom it was approved. 
 This was in the latter part of 1875. 
 
 " Since that time the New York Elevated Railroad 
 Company, upon the faith of the laws which have 
 been recited, and its proceedings with the commis 
 sioners, at a very large expense, has completed its 
 road from the Battery to Harlem River, a distance 
 of about ten miles. 
 
130 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 " The bill before me provides that notwithstanding 
 all the statutes that have been passed and all that 
 has been done thereunder, passengers shall be car- 
 ried the whole length of this road for five cents, a 
 sum much less than is provided for in any of such 
 statutes or stipulated in the proceedings of the com 
 missioners. 
 
 " I am of the opinion that in the legislation and 
 proceedings which I have detailed, and in the fact 
 that pursuant thereto the road of the company was 
 constructed and finished, there exists a contract in 
 favor of this company, which is protected by that 
 clause of the Constitution of the United States 
 which prohibits the passage of a law by any State 
 impairing the obligation of contracts. 
 
 " But let it be supposed that this is not so, and 
 that neither of these lessor companies are in any 
 way protected from interference with their rates of 
 fare, but that, on the contrary, they are subject to 
 all the provisions of the general railroad act, under 
 which they are both organized. 
 
 " Section thirty-three of that act reads as follows : 
 
 " The Legislature may, when any such railroad 
 shall be opened for use, from time to time alter or re 
 duce the rate of freight, fare or other profits upon said 
 road ; but the same shall not, without the consent 
 of the company, be so reduced as to produce with 
 said profits less than ten per centum per annum on 
 the capital actually expended; nor unless on an ex- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 131 
 
 amination of the amount received or expended, to 
 be made by the State Engineer and Surveyor and 
 the Comptroller, they shall ascertain that the net 
 income derived by the company from all sources, 
 for the year then last past shall have exceeded an 
 annual income of ten per cent, upon the capital of 
 the corporation actually expended/ 
 
 " Even if the State has the power to reduce the 
 fare on these roads, it has promised not to do so 
 except under certain circumstances and after a cer 
 tain examination. 
 
 " I am not satisfied that these circumstances exist, 
 and it is conceded that no such examination has 
 been made. 
 
 " The constitutional objections which I have sug 
 gested to the bill under consideration are not, I 
 think, removed by the claim that the proposed leg 
 islation is in the nature of an alteration of the char 
 ters of these companies, and that this is permitted 
 by the State Constitution and by the provisions of 
 some of the laws to which I have referred. 
 
 " I suppose that while the charters of corporations 
 may be altered or repealed, it must be done in sub 
 ordination to the Constitution of the United States, 
 which is the supreme law of the land. This leads to 
 the conclusion that the alteration of a charter can 
 not be made the pretext for the passage of a law 
 which impairs the obligation of a contract. 
 
 " If I am mistaken in supposing that there are legal 
 
132 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 objections to this bill, there is another consideration 
 which furnishes to my mind a sufficient reason why 
 I should not give it my approval. 
 
 " It seems to me that to arbitrarily reduce these 
 fares, at this time and under existing circumstances, 
 involves a breach of faith on the part of the State, 
 and a betrayal of confidence which the State has in 
 vited. 
 
 " The fact is notorious that for many years rapid 
 transit was the great need of the inhabitants of the 
 city of New York, and was of direct importance to 
 the citizens of the State. Projects which promised 
 to answer the people s wants in this direction failed 
 and were abandoned. The Legislature, appreciating 
 the situation, willingly passed statute after statute 
 calculated to aid and encourage a solution of the 
 problem. Capital was timid, and hesitated to enter 
 a new field full of risks and dangers. By the prom 
 ise of liberal fares, as will be seen in all the acts 
 passed on the subject, and through other conces 
 sions gladly made, capitalists were induced to invest 
 their money in the enterprise, and rapid transit but 
 lately became an accomplished fact. But much of 
 the risk, expense and burden attending the main 
 tenance of these roads are yet unknown and threat 
 ening. In the meantime, the people of the city of 
 New York are receiving the full benefit of their con 
 struction, a great enhancement of the value of the 
 taxable property of the city has resulted, and in ad- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 133 
 
 dition to taxes, more than 120,000, being five per 
 cent, in increase, pursuant to the law of 1868, has 
 been paid by the companies into the city treasury, 
 on the faith that the rate of fare agreed upon was 
 secured to them. I am not aware that the corpora 
 tions have, by any default, forfeited any of their 
 rights ; and if they have, the remedy is at hand 
 under existing laws. Their stock and their bonds 
 are held by a large number of citizens, and the in 
 come of these roads depends entirely upon fares re 
 ceived from passengers. The reduction proposed is 
 a large one, and it is claimed will permit no divi 
 dends to investors. This may not be true, but we 
 should be satisfied it is not, before the proposed law 
 takes effect. 
 
 " It is manifestly important that invested capital 
 should be protected, and that its necessity and use 
 fulness in the development of enterprises valuable to 
 the people should be recognized by conservative 
 conduct on the part of the State government. 
 
 " But we have especially in our keeping the honor 
 and good faith of a great State, and we should see 
 to it that no suspicion attaches, through an act of 
 ours, to the fair fame of the Commonwealth. The 
 State should not only be strictly just, but scrupu 
 lously fair, and in its relations to the citizen every 
 legal and moral obligation should be recognized. 
 This only can be done by legislating without vindic- 
 tiveness or prejudice, and with a firm determination 
 
134 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 to deal justly and fairly with those from whom we 
 exact obedience. 
 
 " I am not unmindful of the fact that this bill origi 
 nated in response to the demand of a large portion 
 of the people of New York for cheaper rates of fare 
 between their places of employment and their homes, 
 and I realize fully the desirability of securing to 
 them all the privileges possible, but the experience 
 of other States teaches that we must keep within 
 the limits of law and good faith, lest in the end 
 we bring upon the very people whom we seek to 
 benefit and protect, a hardship which must surely 
 follow when these limits are ignored. 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND." 
 
 When the question of cheaper fares on the ele 
 vated railroads once arose, it was but natural that a 
 strong popular movement would be at once aroused 
 in favor of it. 
 
 These roads bear many external marks of great 
 prosperity ; the people feel that their rights have 
 often been neglected by railroads, and rich corpora 
 tions. There undoubtedly exists a strong public 
 feeling of hostility to monopolies and monopolists, 
 and to a certain extent against capital itself. This 
 hostility is founded partly on reasonable grounds, 
 and partly on ignorant prejudice. It is of the ut 
 most importance to the public welfare, of the poor 
 as well as of the rich, that all legislation in regard to 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 135 
 
 corporations and to capital should be guided by 
 principles of justice. 
 
 The laboring people commit a fatal blunder when 
 they think capital can be injured without injuring 
 themselves. Their interests are firmly bound up 
 with those of capital ; in properly protecting capital 
 they protect themselves. 
 
 When public attention was once awakened, and 
 the expectation of cheap fares became so general, it 
 was natural that the people would, to some extent, 
 be unconsciously influenced in their judgments by 
 pecuniary motives, and when the veto was published 
 bitter disappointment naturally followed. Hence 
 the hostility to the veto. 
 
 It was likewise natural that this hostility would be 
 extended to the Governor himself, at least tempo 
 rarily. 
 
 And in our present condition it was equally natu 
 ral that Governor Cleveland s political enemies of 
 private enemies he has none would make use of 
 this veto and this occasion to excite opposition to 
 him, and finally to spread the story that he was a 
 friend of monopolies, a friend of rich corporations, 
 an enemy of the laboring man, and so forth. 
 
 Mobilitate viget, viresque adquirit eundo. 
 
 Political agitators were not slow in ringing the 
 changes on these phrases, and in wilfully misrepre- 
 
136 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 senting the matter. Many workingmen in New 
 York have thereby been honestly deceived and 
 duped ; but I should momentarily feel inclined to 
 despair of human nature, at any rate of the judg 
 ment of the workingmen, if I did not feel entire 
 confidence that they would take a correct view of 
 the matter and approve the Governor s actions when 
 the matter is clearly laid before them. 
 
 The proper answer to the misrepresentations that 
 have been diligently circulated is the veto itself. 
 The workingmen have doubtless in many cases 
 drawn their conclusions from hearsay, and from mea 
 gre newspaper articles. Let them read the veto, 
 and ponder what the Governor says. 
 
 In the end it will clearly appear that Governor 
 Cleveland has done few things during his public ca 
 reer that are so much to his honor as this very veto. 
 It is precisely in questions of this kind, where a 
 strong popular interest has been excited, that an Ex 
 ecutive can best show his strength of character, his 
 firmness, and his independence. Several such emer 
 gencies have arisen in Governor Cleveland s life, and 
 in no case so far has he been unequal to them. 
 For this he will be honored, and that regardless of 
 the result of the approaching Presidential election. 
 
 Let those who have formed the opinion that Gov 
 ernor Cleveland is unduly favorable to rich corpora 
 tions compare the foregoing statements with the fol 
 lowing. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 137 
 
 April 2, 1883, in vetoing a bill regarding gas-light 
 companies, he says : 
 
 " Another fatal objection to this bill is found in 
 the provision allowing the corporations therein 
 named to enter upon private property, and erect 
 and maintain their structures thereon, without the 
 consent of the owner. It seems to me that this is 
 taking private property, or an easement therein, 
 with very little pretext that it is for a public use. 
 
 " If a private corporation can, under authority of 
 law, construct its appliances and structures upon the 
 lands of the citizen without his consent, not only for 
 the purpose of furnishing light, but in an experi 
 mental attempt to transmit heat and power, the 
 rights of the people may well be regarded as in dan 
 ger from an undue license to corporate aggrandize- v 
 ment." 
 
 And again, in speaking of a bill relating to street 
 railroads, May 29, 1883, he says: 
 
 " In any event, if it is proposed to act under the 
 Constitution, there should honestly and fairly be ac 
 corded to the people the protection which the Con 
 stitution intended. 
 
 " I think no one can read the peculiar provisions of 
 this bill without being convinced that its design is 
 more to further private and corporate schemes than 
 to furnish the citizens of the State street railroad 
 facilities under the spirit and letter of the Constitu- 
 
138 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 tion and within the limits therein fixed for the bene 
 fit of the people." 
 
 In his Annual Message of 1884 he gives at greater 
 length his views in regard to corporations : 
 
 " The action of the Board in requiring the filing 
 of quarterly reports by the railroad companies, ex 
 hibiting their financial condition, is a most impor 
 tant step in advance, and should be abundantly 
 sustained. It would, in my opinion, be a most val 
 uable protection to the people if other large corpora 
 tions were obliged to report to some department 
 their transactions and financial condition. 
 
 " The State creates these corporations upon the 
 theory that some proper thing of benefit can be bet 
 ter done by them than by private enterprise, and 
 that the aggregation of the funds of many individ 
 uals may be thus profitably employed. They are 
 launched upon the public with the seal of the State, 
 in some sense, upon them. They are permitted to 
 represent the advantages they possess and the 
 wealth sure to follow from admission to member 
 ship. In one hand is held a charter from the State, 
 and in the other is proffered their stock. 
 
 " It is a fact, singular though well established, that 
 people will pay their money for stock in a corpora 
 tion engaged in enterprises in which they would re 
 fuse to invest if in private hands. 
 
 " It is a grave question whether the formation of 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR 139 
 
 these artificial bodies ought not to be checked, or 
 better regulated and in some way supervised. 
 
 " At any rate they should always be kept well in 
 hand, and the funds of its citizens should be pro 
 tected by the State which has invited their invest 
 ment. While the stockholders are the owners of 
 the corporate property, notoriously they are often 
 times completely in the power of the directors and 
 managers, who acquire a majority of the stock and 
 by this means perpetuate their control, using the 
 corporate property and franchises for their benefit 
 and profit, regardless of the interests and rights of 
 the minority of stockholders. Immense salaries are 
 paid to officers ; transactions are consummated by 
 which the directors make money, while the rank 
 and file among the stockholders lose it ; the honest 
 investor waits for dividends, and the directors grow 
 rich. It is suspected, too, that large sums are spent 
 under various disguises in efforts to influence legis 
 lation. 
 
 " It is not consistent to claim that the citizen 
 must protect himself by refusing to purchase stock. 
 The law constantly recognizes the fact that people 
 should be defended from false representations and 
 from their own folly and cupidity. It punishes ob 
 taining goods by false pretences, gambling and lot 
 teries. 
 
 " It is a hollow mockery to direct the owner of a 
 small amount of stock in one of these institutions to 
 
LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 the courts. Under existing statutes, the law s de 
 lay, perplexity and uncertainty lead but to despair. 
 
 " The State should either refuse to allow these 
 corporations to exist under its authority and patron 
 age, or, acknowledging their paternity and its respon 
 sibility, should provide a simple, easy way for its 
 people whose money is invested, and the public 
 generally, to discover how the funds of these institu 
 tions are spent, and how their affairs are conducted. 
 It should at the same time provide a way by which 
 the squandering or misuse of corporate funds would 
 be made good to the parties injured thereby. 
 
 "This might well be accomplished by requiring 
 corporations to frequently file reports made out 
 with the utmost detail, and which would not allow 
 lobby expenses to be hidden under the pretext of 
 legal services and counsel fees, accompanied by 
 vouchers and sworn to by the officers making them, 
 showing particularly the debts, liabilities, expendi 
 tures and property of the corporation. Let this re 
 port be delivered to some appropriate department 
 or officer, who shall audit and examine the same ; 
 provide that a false oath to such account shall be 
 perjury, and make the directors liable to refund to 
 the injured stockholders any expenditure which shall 
 be determined improper by the auditing authority. 
 
 " Such requirements might not be favorable to 
 stock speculation, but they would protect the inno 
 cent investors ; they might make the management of 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 14! 
 
 corporations more troublesome, but this ought not 
 to be considered when the protection of the people 
 is the matter in hand. It would prevent corporate 
 efforts to influence legislation ; the honestly con 
 ducted and strong corporations would have nothing 
 to fear ; the badly managed and weak ought to be 
 exposed." 
 
 I feel confident that the reader who duly considers 
 these statements and compares them with what is 
 known of Governor Cleveland s character, his truth 
 fulness, and his total freedom from the tricks of the 
 demagogue, will be ready to confess that the idea 
 that Governor Cleveland improperly protects cor 
 porations, and is hostile in any sense whatever to 
 the interest and welfare of the laboring class, is not 
 only erroneous and false, but is in the highest degree 
 absurd. 
 
 On the contrary, he has shown in his entire public 
 career, as well as in his private life, a profound re 
 gard for the welfare of the people of all classes, and 
 a close attention to economy in the use of their 
 money ; the foregoing messages, both as Mayor and 
 Governor, abound in proof of this. 
 
 In addition to all this, it is a well-known fact that 
 the very men in New York who in the public mind 
 are most fully identified with monopolies are op 
 posed to Mr. Cleveland s election as President. 
 
 The reader will see from the veto that Governor 
 
142 LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 Cleveland based his action both on constitutional 
 grounds and on those of public policy and justice; 
 that he was standing on a firm basis in the latter 
 respect was further shown from the numerous letters 
 he received from prominent men of both political 
 parties approving his action. Of these I give the 
 following from Rev. Dr. Martin B. Anderson, 
 President of Rochester University : 
 
 ROCHESTER, March 4, -1883. 
 
 GOVERNOR CLEVELAND SIR : I cannot, in justice to ray 
 convictions, refrain from expressing my gratitude for your 
 veto message, which I have just read. I have no personal 
 interest in any of the great corporations which were 
 directly or indirectly affected by the bill from which you 
 have so wisely withheld your approval. But the just and 
 statesmanlike position taken in your message seems to me 
 a most fitting rebuke to the demagogism which is ready to 
 trifle with those sacred rights of property guaranteed by 
 our State and National constitutions. In these safeguards 
 of property the poor man has a more vital interest than 
 the capitalist, for they make secure the poor man s sav 
 ings, which constitute his only means of support. I 
 have taken occasion to commend your message to the 
 careful consideration of my students as an exhibition of 
 the principles which should govern their actions should 
 they be called to fill public station in their future lives. I 
 trust you will pardon me for obtruding myself upon your 
 attention. As a teacher of young men, I feel grateful to 
 any public functionary who illustrates in his person the 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 43 
 
 lessons which I am so anxious to impress upon their 
 minds. Again I thank you for the courageous and worthy 
 action which you have adopted to secure sound govern 
 ment for our great State. 
 
 Yours very respectfully, 
 
 MARTIN B. ANDERSON. 
 
 A strong proof that the adverse criticism excited 
 by this veto did not so much reflect the opinion of 
 the New York workingmen as of Governor Cleve 
 land s political enemies, is the fact that by existing 
 regulations these elevated railroads do already carry 
 the workingmen and all passengers for five cents 
 per trip during those hours (5.30 to 8.30 A.M., and 
 from 4.30 to 7.30 P.M.) in the morning and evening 
 when the workingmen use these trains in going to 
 and coming from their work. Very few working 
 men need the elevated roads between the hours of 
 8.30 A. M. and 4.30 P.M. 
 
 Workingmen and all men should honor and re 
 spect Governor Cleveland for his firmness and up 
 rightness in doing what he thought was right, at a 
 time when his action was sure to awaken prejudices 
 and popular opposition. 
 
 THE CONDUCTORS AND DRIVERS BILL. 
 
 There is another veto of Governor Cleveland s 
 which has been misrepresented in the same manner 
 
144 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 with the same end in view namely, to excite opposi 
 tion to him among the laboring class. I speak of 
 his veto of the Street-car Conductors and Drivers 
 bill. About the first of February, 1884, there was 
 introduced in the Assembly and passed the follow 
 ing bill : 
 
 SECTION i. On and after the passage of this act it shall 
 be unlawful for any officer or agent of any railroad cor 
 poration in any of the cities of this State, whose cars are 
 drawn by horses, TO EXACT from conductors or drivers 
 employed by them more thanjiwelve hours labor, for a 
 day s work, and such corporations shall, out of said twelve 
 hours labor, allow such conductors and drivers a reason 
 able time to obtain meals. 
 
 2. Any officer or agent of any such corporation who 
 shall violate or otherwise evade the provisions of this act 
 shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a 
 fine of not to exceed three hundred dollars or imprison 
 ment not to exceed six months, or both fine and imprison 
 ment for each offence. 
 
 3. This act shall take effect immediately. 
 
 This bill was sent to the Senate and there delayed 
 till the very close of the session, when it was finally 
 passed by a very small majority. 
 
 It reached the Governor after the Legislature had 
 adjourned, and consequently too late for amend 
 ment. Governor Cleveland considered the bill so 
 indefinite and so defectively worded that he vetoed 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 145 
 
 it. It is highly probable that under the bill, if he 
 had signed it, the persons intended to be benefited 
 by it would have been injured. Because these men 
 are paid, as a rule, not by the day but by the trip ; 
 now there was nothing in the bill to prevent persons 
 from forming an agreement with the car companies 
 to work more than twelve hours per day ; but if the 
 companies through fear of litigation had refused to 
 make such an agreement, and had felt themselves 
 limited to twelve hours by the terms of the bill, they 
 would without any doubt have decreased the wages 
 of the conductors and drivers. But these employees 
 prefer to work fourteen hours per day for the wages 
 they now receive, than twelve hours for less wages. 
 Accordingly their condition is probably better under 
 the existing laws than it would be if he had signed 
 the above bill. These questions of wages are settled 
 by supply and demand, and not by legislative 
 attempts to regulate the length of a day s work or 
 the amount that shall be paid for it. 
 
 But as to the question of Governor Cleveland s 
 motives in vetoing this bill, we must interpret them 
 by a reference to his other public acts. Hitherto I 
 think there has no case been produced in which he 
 seemed to act from selfishness or from ambitious 
 schemes. On the contrary his acts uniformly and 
 completely show that his intentions, as well as his 
 professions, have been to benefit the people. 
 
 Governor Cleveland s relations to those bills in 
 
 10 
 
LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 which the workingmen seem to have been especially 
 interested are well summed up in the following 
 letter from Mr. Thayer, the President of the State 
 Trades Assembly, and an active friend of the work 
 ingmen: 
 
 TROY, July 2, 1884. 
 To the Argus : 
 
 I have been informed that a statement has been pub 
 lished to the effect that while in Chicago at the recent 
 national Democratic convention I stated that I could 
 pledge the vote of the workingmen, of this and other lo 
 calities, to Governor Cleveland. I wish to state that no 
 such expression ever fell from my lips, and that no inter 
 view with me was ever published in which I made such a 
 statement. On the contrary, I stated that no man could 
 pledge the vote of the labor element of New York State, 
 or of any portion of it, to any candidate, nor did any man 
 have sufficient influence to cause it to be cast against any 
 candidate. I stated that if any man pretended to pledge 
 the workingmen s vote to any candidate he did so without 
 any authority. I stated that I had no authority to speak 
 for them on political questions, nor had any one else. I 
 was asked what my personal preferences were, and I said 
 that I preferred Governor Cleveland. When asked my 
 reasons, I expressed them as follows : The workingmen s 
 assembly of this State has, since I have been at the head 
 of that organization, succeeded in passing through the 
 Legislature the following bills : Abolishing the manufacture 
 of hats in State prisons, creating a bureau of labor statis 
 tics, the tenement house cigar bill (twice), the abolition of 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 147 
 
 convict contract labor, the lien law, and the conductors and 
 drivers bill seven in all. Of these measures Governor 
 Cleveland signed five and vetoed two, viz., the lien law, 
 and the conductors and drivers bill. As to the lien law, 
 it is generally acknowledged now that he did us a kindness 
 in vetoing that bill, because, through errors of our own 
 in drafting the measure, the bill as passed would have 
 been a positive injury to us. The conductors and drivers 
 bill, I think he should have signed. So the record shows 
 that we have sent to Governor Cleveland six perfect bills 
 and he has signed five and vetoed one. On this record I 
 am not prepared to condemn him. If the Governor does 
 us five favors and commits but one error, I feel that he is 
 entitled to my support. In addition to the labor measures 
 prepared by our organization, Governor Cleveland has 
 signed a bill introduced by Senator Fassett, which makes 
 workingmen preferred creditors in case of assignment or 
 failure of the firm or corporation by which they are em 
 ployed. Recognizing the justness of the measure and its 
 great benefits to the working class, I asked Governor 
 Cleveland to sign it, and he did so without hesitation. So, 
 to sum the matter up, he has approved of six bills favor 
 able to our interests and disapproved of one. By his 
 record on legitimate labor measures I judge him, and on 
 the strength of that record I shall support him. I do not 
 wish it understood that I am voicing the sentiments or 
 preferences of any one but myself. I have no authority 
 to speak for the workingmen on political subjects. 
 Yours truly, 
 
 WALTER N. THAYER. 
 
148 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 In the preceding pages I have given a sketch of 
 Governor Cleveland s action in reference to those 
 bills touching the workingmen that excited consid 
 erable discussion in the years 1883 an d 1884. To 
 some extent, therefore, I have anticipated his Annual 
 Message of 1884, some recommendations from which 
 I now give. 
 
 " STATE OF NEW YORK, \ 
 EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, V 
 ALBANY, January i, 1884. ) 
 " To the Legislature : 
 
 " In transmitting a statement of the condition of 
 the State, and recommending such matters for legis 
 lative action as are deemed expedient, I believe it 
 to be entirely proper, at the outset, to direct atten 
 tion to the fact that the growth and progress of the 
 State in every direction, and the needs of the peo 
 ple, call for patient and intelligent action on the part 
 of their representatives in the Legislature. Every 
 one who has assumed any share of responsibility in 
 this branch of the government should enter upon 
 the discharge of his duties, fully appreciating his 
 trust, and with an unwavering determination to 
 faithfully serve the State. 
 
 " It is suggested that frequent and unnecessary re 
 cesses, taken during the session of the Legislature, 
 not only result in a great waste of time, but, by in 
 terruption of thought and effort, tend to loose, care 
 less and ill-advised legislative action. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 149 
 
 " Another evil which has a most pernicious influ 
 ence on legislation, is the introduction and consid 
 eration of bills purely local in their character, affect 
 ing only special interests, and which ought not upon 
 any pretext to be permitted to incumber the statutes 
 of the State. Every consideration of expediency, as 
 well as the language and evident intent of the Con 
 stitution, dictate the exclusion of such matters from 
 legislative consideration. The powers of Boards of 
 Supervisors and other local authorities have been 
 enlarged, for the express purpose of permitting 
 them to deal intelligently and properly with such 
 subjects. But, notwithstanding this, bills are intro 
 duced authorizing the building and repairing of 
 bridges and highways, the erection of engine houses 
 and soldiers monuments, the establishment of libra 
 ries, the regulation or purchase of cemeteries, and 
 other things of a like nature. In many cases no 
 better excuse exists for the presentation of such 
 bills than the dignity and force which is supposed to 
 be gained for their objects by legal enactment, the 
 saving of expense and trouble to those interested in 
 their purposes, and the local notoriety and popu 
 larity sought by the legislators having them in 
 charge. Their consideration retards the business of 
 the session and occupies time which should be de 
 voted to better purposes. And this is not the worst 
 result that may follow in their train. Such measures, 
 there is ground to suspect, are frequently made the 
 
LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 means of securing, by a promise of aid in their pas 
 sage, the votes of those who introduce them, in 
 favor of other and more vicious legislation. 
 
 " The crowding of a large amount of business into 
 the closing hours of the session gives opportunity 
 in the haste and confusion which ensue, for the pas 
 sage of bad and improvident laws, perhaps to the 
 exclusion of measures of importance and value. 
 
 " The postponement of legislation until the last of 
 the session also results in leaving a large number of 
 bills in the hands of the Governor at the time of 
 final adjournment. By the terms of the Constitu 
 tion, such bills cannot become laws unless they are 
 approved by the Executive within thirty days after 
 the adjournment ; there is no opportunity for the 
 Legislature to review the disapproval of the Gov 
 ernor, and he has the absolute power to determine 
 which shall become laws and which shall fail. This 
 arbitrary executive control of legislation should be 
 guarded against by submitting the same to the 
 Governor, as far as possible, in time to permit the 
 Legislature to review his action thereon if unfavor 
 able. 
 
 TAXATION. 
 
 " The subject of taxation still remains a vexed ques 
 tion ; and the injustice and discrimination apparent 
 in our laws on this subject, as well as the methods 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 151 
 
 of their execution, call loudly for relief. There is 
 no object so worthy of the care and attention of the 
 Legislature as this. Strict economy in the manage 
 ment of State affairs, by their agents, should furnish 
 the people a good government at the least possible 
 cost. This is common honesty. But to see to it 
 that this cost is fairly and justly distributed, and the 
 burden equally borne by those who have no peace 
 ful redress if the State is unjust, is the best attribute 
 of sovereignty and the highest duty to the citizen. 
 The recognition of this duty characterizes a benefi 
 cent government ; but its repudiation marks the 
 oppression of tyrannical power. The tax-payer need 
 not wait till his burden is greater than he can bear 
 for just cause of complaint. However small his tax, 
 he may reasonably protest, if it represents more than 
 his share of the public burden and the State neg 
 lects all effort to apply a remedy. 
 
 ** The object is to preserve the honor of the State 
 in its dealings with the citizen, to prevent the rich, 
 by shirking taxation, from adding to the burdens of 
 the poor, and to relieve the landholder from unjust 
 discrimination. The spirit of our institutions dic 
 tates that this endeavor should be pursued, in a 
 manner free from all demagogism, but with the de 
 termination to use every necessary means to accom 
 plish the result. 
 
I$2 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 
 
 "I cannot but believe that much that is defective 
 and expensive in the present management of these 
 institutions is attributable to divided responsibility 
 and consequent loose and unbusiness-like methods. 
 I fear that too much of the time of superintendents, 
 which should be devoted to the actual care and 
 watch of those put in their charge, is spent in other 
 occupations, which, though not necessarily foreign 
 to the interests of the institutions, should not be 
 included among their duties. 
 
 " At every session of the Legislature, not only the 
 superintendent, but delegations from the local 
 boards of managers, appear before the committees 
 having the subject of appropriations in charge, ask 
 ing for money to maintain their institutions, which, 
 if needed, they should receive without importunity. 
 Appropriations are made for all manner of enlarge 
 ments, repairs, alterations and improvements, many 
 of which are disapproved after executive exami 
 nation, which is unavoidably imperfect and may lead 
 to injustice. 
 
 " A suspicion may well be entertained that in the 
 localities where these institutions are situate the 
 privilege of furnishing the supplies and materials is 
 granted from motives of friendliness or a desire to 
 patronize home trade, resulting in bargains disad 
 vantageous to the institutions and the State. 
 
 " In seeking to better the condition of affairs, we 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 153 
 
 cannot fail to be reminded of the experience of the 
 State in relation to prison management. During 
 the year ending the 3Oth day of September, 1876, 
 there was paid from the Treasury for the mainte 
 nance of these institutions, above their earnings, the 
 sum of $704,379.85. By an amendment to the Con 
 stitution adopted in November of that year the 
 superintendence, management and control of the 
 State prisons were vested in a superintendent, who 
 entered upon the discharge of his duties in Febru 
 ary, 1877. On the 3Oth day of September fol 
 lowing, or in less than nine months, under the new 
 management the deficiency of expenditure was re 
 duced to 369,688.08. This deficiency steadily de 
 creased until the 3Oth of September, 1881, when a 
 surplus of $564.35 was reported, which has annually 
 increased until at the close of the last year it 
 reached $9,106.23. 
 
 " There seems to be no good reason why similarly 
 favorable results cannot be obtained by the applica 
 tion of a like system to the control and manage 
 ment of the business affairs of our charitable institu 
 tions. It accords with the plan adopted where 
 large private interests are involved ; it has the ad 
 vantage of concentrated responsibility ; the Legisla 
 ture and the Executive should, under such a sys 
 tem, be satisfactorily informed of the actual needs 
 of the different institutions and the necessary appro 
 priations should be cheerfully made; the time of 
 
154 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 the superintendents could be devoted to their legiti 
 mate and proper duties; the detection and preven 
 tion of abuses and neglect could be reasonably ex 
 acted ; a very large saving should be effected in the 
 wholesale purchase of supplies of uniform grade, for 
 all the institutions, and the advantages consequent 
 upon a correct application of business methods 
 would be secured to the people of the State. 
 
 " The change suggested contemplates the employ 
 ment of a fit person vested with the supervision and 
 control of these institutions, to whom a fair salary 
 should be paid, and who should have no other busi 
 ness. He should absolutely be required to devote 
 all his time to the performance of his duties. 
 
 " The attention of the Legislature is earnestly called 
 to this subject, in the hope that a better system 
 may be adopted, with such careful consideration of 
 detail and the necessary change in present laws as 
 will secure the inauguration of a plan which shall be 
 simple, efficient and well perfected. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " The people of the State are to be congratulated 
 upon the progress made during the last year in the 
 direction of wholesome legislation. 
 i j " The most practical and thorough Civil Service 
 I Reform has gained a place in the policy of the 
 I State. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 55 j 
 
 " Political assessments upon employees in the 
 public departments have been prohibited. 
 
 " The rights of all citizens at primary elections 
 have been protected by law. 
 
 " A bureau has been established to collect informa 
 tion and statistics touching the relations between 
 labor and capital. 
 
 " The sale of forest land at the source of our im 
 portant streams has been prohibited, thereby check 
 ing threatened disaster to the commerce on our 
 water-ways. 
 
 " Debts and obligations for the payment of money, 
 owned though not actually held within the State, 
 have been made subject to taxation, thus preventing 
 an unfair evasion of liability for the support of the 
 government. 
 
 " Business principles have been introduced in the 
 construction and care of the New Capitol and other 
 public buildings, and waste and extravagance thereby 
 prevented. 
 
 "A law has been passed for the better administra 
 tion of the Emigration Bureau and the prevention 
 of its abuses. 
 
 " The people have been protected by placing co 
 operative insurance companies under the control and 
 supervision of the Insurance Department. 
 
 " The fees of receivers have been reduced and regu 
 lated in the interests of the creditors of insolvent 
 companies. 
 
156 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 11 A Court of Claims has been established where 
 the demands of citizens against the State may be 
 properly determined. 
 
 " These legislative accomplishments, and others of 
 less importance and prominence, may well be cited 
 in proof of the fact that the substantial interests of 
 the city and the State have not been neglected. 
 
 " The State of New York largely represents within 
 her borders the development of every interest which 
 makes a nation great. Proud of her place as leader 
 in the community of States, she fully appreciates 
 her intimate relations to the prosperity of the coun 
 try ; and justly realizing the responsibility of her po 
 sition, she recognizes in her policy and her laws, as of 
 first importance, the freedom of commerce from all 
 unnecessary restrictions. Her citizens have assumed 
 the burden of maintaining, at their own cost and free 
 to commerce, the waterway which they have built and 
 through which the products of the great West are 
 transported to the seaboard. At the suggestion of 
 danger she hastens to save her northern forests, and 
 thus preserve to commerce her canals and vessel- 
 laden rivers. The State has become responsible for 
 a bureau of immigration, which cares for those who 
 seek our shores from other lands, adding to the na 
 tion s population and hastening to the development 
 of its vast domain ; while at the country s gateway 
 a quarantine, established by the State, protects the 
 nation s health. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. I 57 
 
 " Surely this great Commonwealth, committed fully 
 to the interests of commerce and all that adds to the 
 country s prosperity, may well inquire how her ef 
 forts and sacrifices have been answered ; and she, of 
 all the States, may urge that the interests thus by 
 her protected should by the greater government ad 
 ministered for all be fostered for the benefit of the 
 American people. 
 
 " Fifty years ago a most distinguished foreigner, 
 who visited this country and studied its condition 
 and prospects, wrote : 
 
 " When I contemplate the ardor with which the 
 Americans prosecute commerce, the advantages 
 which aid them, and the success of their undertak 
 ings, I cannot help believing that they will one day 
 become the first maritime power of the globe. They 
 are bound to rule the seas as the Romans were to 
 conquer the world. * * * The Americans now 
 transport to their own shores nine-tenths of the Eu 
 ropean produce which they consume, and they also 
 bring three-fourths of the exports of the New World 
 to the European consumers. The ships of the 
 United States fill the docks of Havre and of Liver 
 pool ; whilst the number of English and French ves 
 sels which are to be seen at New York is compara 
 tively small. 
 
 " We turn to the actual results reached since these 
 words were written, with disappointment. 
 
 " In 1840 American vessels carried 82^ per cent, of 
 
158 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 all our exports and imports; in 1850, 72^ ; in 1860, 
 66-V; in 1870, 35-^; in 1880, 17^-; in 1882, 15-^. 
 
 " The citizen of New York, looking beyond his 
 State and all her efforts in the interest of commerce 
 and national growth, will naturally inquire concern 
 ing the causes of this decadence of American ship 
 ping. 
 
 " While he sternly demands of his home govern 
 ment the exact limitation of taxation by the needs 
 of the State, he will challenge the policy that accu 
 mulates millions of useless and unnecessary surplus 
 in the national Treasury, which has been not less a 
 tax because it was indirectly but surely added to the 
 cost of the people s life. 
 
 " Let us anticipate a time when care for the peo 
 ple s needs as they actually arise, and the applica 
 tion of remedies as wrongs appear, shall lead in the 
 conduct of national affairs ; and let us undertake the 
 business of legislation with the full determination 
 that these principles shall guide us in the perform 
 ance of our duties as guardians of the interests of 
 the State." 
 
 The most important measures that were passed 
 by the Legislature oTTSSJ were those relating to 
 the reform jof the go^ernm^nJ^-af^New York city, 
 and to the reform of the Civil Service. 
 
 Charges of corruption in various departments of 
 the New York city government were made by some ; 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 159 
 
 others denied the existence of corruption, but ad 
 mitted that the manner of administering the city 
 government was in many respects antiquated, and 
 that the present system, which in great part had 
 grown up many years ago, was no longer suited to a 
 city of the size and commercial importance of New 
 York. 
 
 There was accordingly an earnest and general 
 movement, irrespective of party ties, in the direc 
 tion of reform in these matters. It was very fortu 
 nate that the subject was earnestly undertaken at a 
 time when the executive chair was filled by a man 
 fully identified with reform, who was at the same 
 time a sound lawyer and an experienced mayor of 
 a large city, fresh from the details of his office. 
 These measures consequently, so far as they seemed 
 calculated to produce a real improvement in the 
 government of New York city, received the hearty 
 co-operation of Governor Cleveland. So that the 
 Legislature, which was Republican, had nothing to 
 complain of on that score. Indeed, it is probable 
 that a Republican governor could not have given the 
 Legislature such efficient support as Governor Cleve 
 land did, because he not only encouraged by his 
 action those of his own party who were in favor of 
 reform, but confirmed the wavering and weakened, 
 if not silenced, the opposition. 
 
 The first of these reform bills, the entering wedge, 
 was the Mayor s bill : 
 
160 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 AN ACT to centre responsibility in the municipal govern 
 ment of the city of New York. 
 
 The People of the State of New York, represented in 
 Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows : 
 
 SECTION i. All appointments to office in the city of 
 New York, and made by the Mayor and confirmed by the 
 Board of Aldermen, shall hereafter be made by the Mayor 
 without such confirmation. 
 
 2. This act shall take effect January i, 1885. 
 
 This short but far-reaching measure was only the 
 embodiment of a recommendation or suggestion 
 made by Governor Cleveland in his first Annual 
 Message : 
 
 " Divided counsels and divided responsibility to 
 the people, on the part of municipal officers, it is 
 believed, give rise to much that is objectionable in 
 the government of cities. If, to remedy this evil, 
 the Chief Executive should be made answerable to 
 the people for the proper conduct of the city s offi 
 cers, it is quite clear that his power in the selection 
 of those who manage its different departments 
 should be greatly enlarged." 
 
 The Governor signed the bill at once, and filed 
 with it his reasons. As this is a matter that con 
 cerns all our cities, and as the same problem is sure 
 to arise elsewhere, I consider it important to lay this \ 
 paper before the public : 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR l6l 
 
 EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, \ 
 
 ALBANY, March 17, 1884. f 
 
 " The interest which has been aroused regarding 
 the merits of this bill, and quite a determined hos 
 tility which has been developed on the part of those 
 entitled to respectful consideration, appear to justi 
 fy a brief reference to the principles and purposes 
 which seem to me to be involved in the measure, 
 and an incidental statement of the process of 
 thought by which I have been led to approve the 
 same. 
 
 "The opponents of the bill have invoked the invio 
 lability of the right of the people to rule themselves, 
 and have insisted upon the preservation of a wise 
 distribution of power among the different branches 
 of government ; and I have listened to solemn warn 
 ing against the subversive tendency of the concen 
 tration of power in municipal rule, and the destruc 
 tive consequences of any encroachment upon the 
 people s rights and prerogatives. 
 
 "I hope I have not entirely misconceived the scope 
 and reach of this bill ; but it seems to me that my 
 determination as to whether or not it should be 
 come a law does not depend upon the reverence I 
 entertain for such fundamental principles. 
 
 " The question is not whether certain officers here 
 tofore elected by the people of the city of New 
 York shall, under the provisions of a new law, be ap 
 pointed. The transfer of power from an election by 
 
1 62 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 the people to an appointment by other authority, 
 has already been made. 
 
 " The present charter of the city provides that the 
 mayor shall nominate, and by and with the consent 
 of the board of aldermen appoint the heads of de 
 partments. 
 
 "The bill under consideration provides that after 
 the 1st day of January, 1885, l all appointments to 
 office in the city of New York now made by the 
 mayor and confirmed by the board of aldermen shall 
 be made by the mayor without such confirmation. 
 
 " The change proposed is clearly apparent. 
 
 "By the present charter the mayor, elected by 
 all the people of the city, if a majority of twenty- 
 four aldermen, elected by the voters of twenty-four 
 separate districts, concur with him, may appoint the 
 administrative officers who shall have charge and 
 management of the city departments. 
 
 " The bill presented for my action allows the mayor 
 alone to appoint these officers. This authority is not 
 conferred upon the mayor now in office, who was 
 chosen without anticipation on the part oHhe peo 
 ple who elected him that he should exercise this 
 power, but upon the incoming mayor who, after 
 the passage of the act, shall be elected with the 
 full knowledge on the part of the people, at the 
 time they cast their votes, that they are consti 
 tuting an agent to act for them in the selection of 
 certain other city officers. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 163 
 
 "This selection under either statute is delegated 
 by the people. In the one case it is exercised by 
 the chief executive acting with twenty-four officers 
 representing as many different sections of the mu 
 nicipality ; in the other by the chief executive alone. 
 
 " I cannot see that any principle of democratic 
 rule is more violated in the one case than in the 
 other. It appears to be a mere change of instru 
 mentalities. 
 
 " It will hardly do to say that because the aldermen 
 are elected annually, and the mayor every two years, 
 that the former are nearer the people and more es 
 pecially their representatives. The difference in 
 their terms is not sufficient to make a distinction in 
 their direct relations to the citizen. 
 
 " Nor are the rights of the people to self-government 
 in theory and principle better protected when the 
 power of appointment is vested in twenty-five men, 
 twenty-four of whom are responsible only to their 
 constituents in their respective districts, than when 
 this power is put in the hands of one man elected 
 by all the people of the municipality with particular 
 reference to the exercise of such power. Indeed, in 
 the present condition of affairs, if disagreement 
 arises between the mayor and the aldermen, the 
 selection of officers by the representative of all the 
 people might be defeated by the adverse action of 
 thirteen representatives of thirteen aldermanic dis 
 tricts. And it is perfectly apparent that these 
 
164 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 thirteen might, and often would, represent a decided 
 minority of the people of the municipality. 
 
 " It cannot be claimed that an arrangement which 
 permits such a result is pre-eminently democratic. 
 
 " It has been urged that the proposed change is 
 opposed to the principle of home rule. If it is in 
 tended to claim that the officers, the creation of 
 which is provided for, should be elected, it has no 
 relevancy ; for that question is not in any manner 
 presented for my determination. And it surely can 
 not be said that the doctrine of home rule prevents 
 any change by the Legislature of the organic law of 
 municipalities. The people of the city cannot them 
 selves make such change ; and if legislative aid can 
 not be invoked to that end, it follows that abuses, 
 flagrant and increasing, must be continued, and ex 
 isting charter provisions, the inadequacy of -which 
 for the protection and prosperity of the people is 
 freely admitted, must be perpetuated. It is the inter 
 ference of the Legislature with the administration of 
 municipal government by agencies arbitrarily cre 
 ated by legislative enactment, and the assumption 
 by the law-making power of the State of the rights to 
 regulate such details of city government as are or 
 should be under the supervision of local authorities 
 that should be condemned as a violation of the doc 
 trine of home rule. 
 
 " In any event I am convinced that I should not 
 disapprove the bill before me on the ground that it 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 165 
 
 violates any principle which is now recognized and 
 exemplified in the government of the city of New 
 York. 
 
 " I am also satisfied that as between the system 
 now prevailing and that proposed, expediency and a 
 close regard to improved municipal administration 
 lead to my approval of the measure. 
 
 "If the chief executive of the city is to be held re 
 sponsible for its order and good government, he 
 should not be hampered by any interference with 
 his selection of subordinate administrative officers ; 
 nor should he be permitted to find in a divided 
 responsibility an excuse for any neglect of the best 
 interests of the people. 
 
 " The plea should never be heard that a bad nomi 
 nation had been made because it was the only one 
 that could secure confirmation. 
 
 " No instance has been cited in which a bad ap 
 pointment has been prevented by the refusal of the 
 board of aldermen of the city of New York to con 
 firm a nomination. 
 
 " An absolute and undivided responsibility on the 
 part of the appointing power accords with correct 
 business principles, the application of which to pub 
 lic affairs will always, I believe, direct the way to 
 good administration and the protection of the peo 
 ple s interests. 
 
 "The intelligence and watchfulness of the citizens 
 of New York should certainly furnish a safe guar- 
 
1 66 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 anty that the duties and powers devolved by this 
 legislation upon their chosen representative will be 
 well and wisely bestowed ; and if they err or are 
 betrayed, their remedy is close at hand. 
 
 " I can hardly realize the unprincipled boldness 
 of the man who would accept at the hands of his 
 neighbors this sacred trust, and standing alone in the 
 full light of public observation, should wilfully pros 
 titute his powers and defy the will of the people. 
 
 " To say that such a man could by such means per 
 petuate his wicked rule concedes either that the 
 people are vile or that self-government is a deplor 
 able failure. 
 
 " It is claimed that because some of these appoint 
 ees become members of the Board of Estimate and 
 Apportionment, which determines very largely the 
 amount of taxation, therefore the power to select 
 them should not be given to the mayor. If the 
 question presented was whether officials having such 
 important duties and functions should be elected by 
 the people or appointed, such a consideration might 
 well be urged in favor of their election. But they 
 are now appointed, and they will remain appointive, 
 whether the proposed bill should be rejected or ap 
 proved. This being the situation, the importance 
 of the duties to be performed by these officials has 
 to do with the care to be exercised in their selec 
 tion, rather than the choice between the two modes 
 of appointment which are under consideration. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 67 
 
 " For some time prior to the year 1872, these ap 
 pointments were made by the mayor without con 
 firmation, as is contemplated by the bill now before 
 me. In that year a measure passed the Legislature 
 giving the power of appointment to the common 
 council. The chief executive of the State at that 
 time was a careful and thorough student of munici 
 pal affairs, having large and varied experience in 
 public life. He refused to approve the bill, on the 
 ground that it was a departure from the principle 
 which should be applied to the administration of the 
 affairs of the city, and for the reason that the mayor 
 should be permitted to appoint the subordinate ad 
 ministrative officers without the interference of any 
 other authority. 
 
 " This reference to the treatment of the subject by 
 one of my distinguished predecessors in office, af 
 fords me the opportunity to quote from his able 
 and vigorous veto message which he sent to the 
 Legislature on that occasion. He said : 
 
 " Nowhere on this continent is it so essentially a 
 condition of good government as in the city of New 
 York, that the chief executive officer should be 
 clothed with ample powers, have full control over 
 subordinate administrative departments, and so be 
 subject to an undivided responsibility to the people 
 and to public opinion for all errors, shortcomings 
 and wrong-doings by subordinate officers. 
 
 "He also said : 
 
1 68 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 11 1 Give to the city a chief executive, with full 
 power to appoint all heads of administrative depart 
 ments. Let him have power to remove his subor 
 dinates, being required to publicly assign his reason. 
 
 " He further declared : 
 
 " The members of the common council, in New 
 York, will exert all the influence over appointments 
 which is consistent with the public good, without 
 having the legal power of appointment, or any part 
 of it, vested in their hands. 
 
 " In 1876, after four added years of reflection and 
 observation, he said, in a public address, when sug 
 gesting a scheme of municipal government : 
 
 " * Have, therefore, no provision in your charter re 
 quiring the consent of the common council to the 
 mayor s appointments of heads of departments; 
 that only opens the way for dictation by the council 
 or for bargains. This is not the way to get good 
 men nor to fix the full responsibility for mal-ad min 
 istration upon the people s chosen prime minister. 
 
 " These are the utterances of one who during two 
 terms had been mayor of the city of New York and 
 for two terms recorder of that city ; and who for 
 four years had been Governor of the State. 
 
 " No testimony, it seems to me, could be more 
 satisfactory and convincing. 
 
 " It is objected that this bill does not go far enough, 
 and that there should be a rearrangement of the 
 terms of these officers ; also that some of them 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 169 
 
 should be made elective. This is undoubtedly true; 
 and I shall be glad to approve further judicious leg 
 islation supplementary to this, which shall make the 
 change more valuable and surround it with safe 
 guards in the interests of the citizens. But such 
 further legislation should be well digested and con 
 servative, and, above all, not proposed for the pur 
 pose of gaining a mere partisan advantage. 
 
 " I have not referred to the pernicious practices 
 which the present mode of making appointments in 
 the city of New York engenders, nor in the constantly 
 recurring bad results for which it is responsible. They 
 are in the plain sight of every citizen of the State. . 
 
 " I believe the change made by the provisions of 
 this bill gives opportunity for an improvement in 
 the administration of municipal affairs ; and I am 
 satisfied that the measure violates no right of the 
 people of the locality affected, which they now en 
 joy. But the best opportunities will be lost and 
 the most perfect plan of city government will fail, 
 unless the people recognize their responsibilities and 
 appreciate and realize the privileges and duties of 
 citizenship. With the most carefully devised char 
 ter, and with all the protection which legislative 
 enactments can afford them, the people of the city 
 of New York will not secure a wise and economical 
 rule until those having the most at stake determine 
 to actively interest themselves in the conduct of mu 
 nicipal affairs. GROVER CLEVELAND." 
 
I/O LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 There were several other bills designed to further 
 the reform of the government of New York city. 
 
 The bill entitled " An act in relation to the office 
 of the Clerk of the City and County of New York," 
 and the bill entitled " An act to regulate and pro 
 vide for certain expenses of conducting the office of 
 Sheriff of the City and County of New York," were 
 promptly signed by the Governor. 
 
 The bill entitled " An act in relation to the office 
 of Surrogate of the County of New York," and the 
 one entitled " An act in relation to the office of 
 the Register of the City and County of New York," 
 passed the Legislature and reached the Governor 
 before the Legislature adjourned. 
 
 When he examined these bills he found them so 
 defective that he would not sign them, but sent a 
 message to the Legislature pointing out their de 
 fects and recommending their recall and amend 
 ment. They were accordingly recalled and amended, 
 but not fully in accordance with his suggestions, and 
 were left in a very unsatisfactory condition. 
 
 The Governor, however, signed them, and gave 
 his reasons for so doing. 
 
 Thus far we have five of these bills relating to the 
 government of New York city which have been 
 signed by the Governor. 
 
 There were two more the Tenure of Office Bill 
 and the Park Commission Bill which reached the 
 Governor during the last hours in which the Legis- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. I/ I 
 
 lature was in session, while about one hundred and 
 fifty other bills were awaiting his action ; and on the 
 adjournment of the Legislature this number was in 
 creased to four hundred. 
 
 When he recommended the recall and amendment 
 of the County Register s Bill and the Surrogate s 
 Bill, of which I have above spoken, he said : 
 
 " In view of the near approach of the final ad 
 journment of the Legislature, I suggest that the 
 other bills of a like character be also recalled or care 
 fully examined by some party familiar with the sub 
 jects they embrace, so that fatal defects shall not be 
 discovered when it is too late for amendment." 
 
 But the Legislature failed to carefully examine 
 the Tenure of Office Bill and the Park Commission 
 Bill in accordance with the Governor s suggestions. 
 When he came to examine them he found them so 
 imperfect that he refused to sign them, and charac 
 terized them as " defective and shabby legislation." 
 
 His refusal to sign the Tenure of Office Bill ex 
 cited a great deal of criticism at the time ; but an ex 
 amination of his reasons has satisfied most people 
 that he was right. Mr. Francis M. Scott published 
 a letter on the subject in the Times of June 18, 1884, 
 in which occurs the following sentence : 
 
 " As the draughtsman of the original Tenure of Office 
 act, and one of its most ardent supporters, I am con 
 strained to agree with Governor Cleveland that in the 
 
172 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 shape in which it reached him it was a very shabby piece 
 of legislation, quite unfit to find a place in the statute- 
 book." 
 
 He thus shows the fatal effect of Mr. Dayton s 
 amendment to the original bill. The Times and the 
 Independent journals, since the publication of Mr. 
 Scott s letter, have all agreed that the Governor was 
 justified in his action. 
 
 But an earnest effort has nevertheless been made 
 to cause the public to believe that, in refusing to 
 sign this bill, Governor Cleveland was influenced by 
 unworthy motives and desired to make political capi 
 tal out of it. But, as has been repeatedly pointed 
 out in the New York journals, if his refusal to sign 
 it favored anybody, it was his political enemies. The 
 Governor has been so fully justified in the matter, 
 and the insinuation that he had acted from selfish 
 motives has been so entirely refuted, that in my 
 opinion it is now only a question of temporary and 
 purely local importance. Therefore I do not feel 
 that it is necessary to give in this book the bill and 
 the Governor s reasons for his action. Both these 
 documents will be distributed by the National 
 Democratic Committee. And a clear and exhaust 
 ive discussion of the subject can be found in the 
 Evening Post of New York, July 30, 1884, in another 
 letter from Mr. Scott. 
 
 Governor Cleveland refused to sign the Park 
 Commission Bill on account of the indefinite and 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1 73 
 
 careless manner in which it was drawn. In reference 
 to these two last bills he says : 
 
 "Appreciating the litigation and the sacrifice of 
 rights and interest which result from defective laws, 
 I have earnestly tried, during my official term, to 
 enforce care in their preparation. I am importuned 
 every day to allow laws to go upon the statute book 
 which are mischievously imperfect, but which are 
 deemed good enough to promote the purposes of 
 interested parties. It is not pleasant constantly to 
 refuse such applications, but I conceive it my duty 
 to do so. 
 
 " Though the purposes of these bills are supposed 
 to be in the public interest, and though their failure 
 may be^a disappointment to many, I do not see that 
 I should allow them to breed dispute and litigation 
 touching important public offices, and to be made 
 troublesome precedents to encourage careless and 
 vicious legislation." 
 
 Another of the reform measures, regarded by 
 some as the most important of all, was a bill taking 
 the control of elections from the Police Commis 
 sioners, and putting it into the hands of a non-parti 
 san commission. This bill was defeated in the 
 Assembly by Republican votes, under the leadership 
 of Mr. Dayton, whose amendment, as we have al 
 ready seen, destroyed the value of the Tenure of 
 Office Bill. If it had passed the Legislature it would 
 
174 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 doubtless have received the approval of the Gov 
 ernor. The cause of reform met with no obstacle 
 on his part. Such is the record of Governor Cleve 
 land in regard to the reform of the government of 
 New York city. His position was a difficult one, 
 but his firmness and thorough sympathy with pure 
 government carried him through with honor. And, 
 without doubt, his record on these bills did much to 
 build up the enviable national reputation which he 
 now enjoys. 
 
 I now come to his record on a yet more important 
 subject that of 
 
 CIVIL SERVICE REFORM. 
 
 In October, 1882, when Mr. Cleveland was a can 
 didate for Governor, Mr. George William Curtis, Mr. 
 John Jay, Mr. Everett P. Wheeler, and Mr. William 
 Potts, acting as a committee for the Civil Service 
 Reform Association of New York, sent to Mr. Cleve 
 land and various other candidates a set of questions 
 regarding the Reform for which they were and are 
 yet so faithfully and successfully laboring. 
 
 Mr. Cleveland s reply I give in full, and all friends 
 of the cause must acknowledge that it has the right 
 ring to it ; and whatever deficiency in regard to this 
 question they may have found in the Chicago Plat 
 form is fully compensated for in the sentiments of 
 the candidate nominated to stand on it. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1/5 
 
 " BUFFALO, New York, Oct. 28, 1882. 
 " Hon. Geo. William Curtis and others, Committee, etc. 
 
 " GENTLEMEN : In answer to your letter of in 
 quiry, dated Oct. 20, 1882, in relation to Civil Service 
 Reform, I beg to refer you to my recent letter ac 
 cepting the nomination for Governor, in which many 
 of the matters referred to in your letter are touched 
 upon : and I assure you that the sentiments therein 
 expressed are sincerely and honestly entertained, 
 and are stated without any mental reservation. 
 
 " I have no hs^tat|onjn_s_a^ing thatj^fully approve 
 of the principles embodiedin tfie T^endleton BilLre- 
 hiling to this subject, ami that I should be glud to 
 aid in any practical legislation which would give 
 fKerrTaplace in the management of the_affairs of the 
 State and of municipalities, so far as they can be 
 made applicable thereto. 
 
 " I believe that the interests of the people demand 
 that a reform in the National and State Adminis 
 trative service should speedily become an accom 
 plished fact, and that the Public should receive 
 honest and faithful service at the hands of well-fitted 
 and competent servants. 
 
 " When contests between parties are wa^ed for the 
 purpose of securinsL-places^ for ^professional politi 
 cians pfjiigh or low degree, whose only recommen 
 dation for appointment is their supposed ability to 
 do partisan service, the people are apt to be de 
 frauded by the displacement of tried and faithful 
 
1?6 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 servants, well able to perform the duties for which 
 they are paid with the People s money, and the sub 
 stitution of those who are unfit and incompetent. 
 In this way the interests of the party may be sub 
 served, but the interests of the people are neglected 
 and betrayed. 
 
 " This pernicious system gives rise to an office-hold 
 ing class who, in their partisan zeal, based upon the 
 hope of personal advantage, arrogate to themselves 
 an undue and mischievous interference with the will 
 of the people in political action ; this breeds the use 
 of dishonest and reprehensible methods, which fre 
 quently results in the servants of the people dic 
 tating to their masters. 
 
 "If places in the public service are worth seeking, 
 /they should be the reward of merit and well-doing, 
 /and the opportunity to secure them on that basis 
 / should be open to all. Those holding these places 
 / should beTasFured that their tenure depends upon 
 * their efficiency and fidelity to their trusts, and they 
 should not be allowed to use them for partisan pur 
 poses. The money they earn they should receive 
 and be allowed to retain, and no part of it should 
 be exacted from them by way of political assess 
 ments. 
 
 " It seems to me that very much or all of what we 
 desire in the direction of Civil Service Reform is in 
 cluded in the doctrine that the concerns of the State 
 and Nation should be conducted on business princi- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. Iff 
 
 pies, and as nearly as possible in the same manner 
 that a prudent citizen conducts his private affairs. 
 
 " If this principle is kept constantly in mind, I be 
 lieve the details of a plan by which its adoption may 
 be secured will, without much difficulty, be sug 
 gested. 
 
 " You refer especially to mismanagement in schools, 
 asylums, and institutions of charity and correction, 
 and to the difficulty in securing the construction of 
 an additional aqueduct in the City of New York. 
 Without being fully acquainted in detail with the 
 evils and obstacles surrounding these subjects, I be 
 lieve they may be remedied and removed by a due 
 regard to the dictates of humanity and decency, and 
 the application of the principles to which I have 
 alluded. 
 
 " Yours very respectfully, 
 
 "GROVER CLEVELAND." 
 
 The reader should compare this reply with the 
 statement in his letter accepting the nomination for 
 Governor, to which he alludes, and with the para 
 graph on the same subject in his first Annual Mes 
 sage, and with the following extract from his second 
 Annual Message : 
 
 " During the year the provisions of the act passed 
 by the last Legislature to regulate and improve the 
 Civil Service of the State have been put into operation. 
 Fortunately a commission was secured whose mem- 
 
 12 
 
1/8 -LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 bers were in hearty sympathy with the principles of 
 the law and who possessed much practical knowledge 
 of the needs of the public service. The commission 
 itself was also fortunate in obtaining the services of 
 Silas W. Burt as Chief Examiner, whose experience 
 in public affairs and familiarity with the best methods 
 of regulating the Civil Service enabled him to render 
 invaluable assistance to the commission and the 
 State. The preliminary classification and the fram 
 ing of rules, contemplated by the act governing the 
 appointments to place, having been completed and 
 received my approval, the system will become op 
 erative in respect to all State officers and in all State 
 institutions on the fourth day of the present month. 
 This work, owing to the diversity of the State service 
 and the number and variety of positions affected by 
 the law, has been a task attended with many diffi 
 culties. Although some slight revision may be nec 
 essary, on the whole I am confident the scheme will 
 be found practical and effective, without being too 
 rigorous or burdensome. 
 
 " In addition the commission has co-operated with 
 the mayors of cities who, under the law, have exclusive 
 control of the municipal service and in several cities, 
 notably New York and Brooklyn, a thorough system 
 of Civil Service has been prepared and promulgated, 
 as nearly in harmony with the State system as the 
 charters and statutes relating to municipal matters 
 will permit. 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 1/9 
 
 " New York then leads in the inauguration of a 
 // comprehensive State system of civil service. The 
 principle of selecting the subordinate employees of 
 the State on the ground of capacity and fitness, 
 ascertained according to fixed and impartial rules, 
 without regard to political predilections and with 
 reasonable assurance of retention and promotion in 
 case of meritorious service, is now the established 
 policy of the State^The children of our citizens are 
 educated and trained in schools maintained at com 
 mon expense, and the people as a whole have a right 
 to demand the selection for the public service of those 
 whose natural aptitudes have been improved by the 
 educational facilities furnished by the Statex^The 
 application to the public service of the same rule 
 which prevails in ordinary business, of employing 
 those whose knowledge and training best fit them 
 for the duties at hand, without regard to other con 
 siderations, must elevate and improve the Civil Ser 
 vice and eradicate from it many evils from which it 
 has long suffered. Not the least gratifying of the 
 results which this system promises to accomplish, is 
 relief to public men from the annoyance of impor 
 tunity in the strife for appointments to subordinate 
 places." 
 
 I am informed by the officers of the Civil Service 
 Reform Association of New York that the Civil 
 Service laws passed since Mr. Cleveland has been 
 
 
ISO LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 Governor are in their present form satisfactory to 
 the friends of the cause throughout the country. 
 
 The act creating a commission, adopting the 
 competitive system in the State service, and making 
 it optional for the mayors of cities with 50,000 in 
 habitants (the Police, Fire, Educational, and Law 
 departments being exempted), was passed in 1883. 
 
 The Association thereupon prepared an amend 
 atory bill making the system compulsory in all these 
 cities, and removing the above exemptions. 
 
 All limitation by reason of population was stricken 
 out, and in this shape the bill passed. And accord 
 ingly it now applies to all incorporated cities in the 
 State of New York, twenty-three in number. 
 
 I am furthermore informed by these officers that 
 they have found on all occasions Governor Cleveland 
 a stanch friend of their movement, and that he has 
 done all that he could to advance their cause. 
 
 He had an opportunity to delay the whole matter, 
 if he had been an enemy of Civil Service Reform. 
 Under the Constitution of New York it was necessary, 
 if the Commission were to begin their work in 1883, 
 that they should be appointed before the Legislature 
 adjourned. If Governor Cleveland had felt disposed 
 Ire could easily have delayed sending in the names 
 of the Commissioners to the Legislature, as the bill 
 did not reach him until just before it adjourned. 
 Instead of delaying he was prepared to send his nom 
 inations in at once; and they were promptly con- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. l8l 
 
 firmed by a Democratic Senate. Moreover he 
 selected, as Commissioners, firm friends of the cause, 
 and they fortunately secured Mr. Burt as Chief Ex 
 aminer, upon which the Governor congratulates the 
 State, as seen above, in his second Annual Message. 
 
 There is every reason for thinking that these laws 
 will improve the service very much in all these cities ; 
 and so far everything is turning out so satisfactorily 
 to the friends of the movement, that the above As 
 sociation is taking steps to have other States imitate 
 what New York has done and is doing in this mat 
 ter. Massachusetts has already done so. 
 
 Governor Cleveland has furthermore proved by 
 his appointments to office that his words about Civil 
 Service Reform were sincere. When he came to 
 appoint a Superintendent of Public Works there was , 
 very strong party influence brought to bear for the 
 appointment of a prjQjnjaenl politician, who had taken 
 an active part in favor of the Governor s election. 
 This superintendent has under him a great number 
 of men connected with the canal system, scattered 
 through a great many counties in New York, and 
 therefore able to exert great political influence in 
 conventions and at elections. But Governor Cleve 
 land, instead of selecting the politician, selected a 
 man whose only recommendation was that he was 
 intimately acquainted with the business of his office. 
 
 The same principles guided him in appointing a 
 Superintendent of the Insurance Department, al- 
 
1 82 LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 though the politicians had selected another man ; 
 and in appointing an officer to superintend the work 
 on the new Capitol. In both cases, without regard to 
 political influence, he selected men because of their 
 practical knowledge of the duties of their positions. 
 No State has yet had a Governor who has done more 
 to advance the cause of Civil Service Reform than 
 New York. His acts and his words bid the friends 
 of this movement God-speed, and seem to say: 
 " Courage in the good work; the present is almost 
 yours, and the future will certainly be." 
 
 I have considered only the bills that seemed to me 
 most important intrinsically or from the discussion 
 they have called forth ; and given only some of the 
 most important passages from Governor Cleveland s 
 messages. But enough has been given to satisfy the 
 public that Grover Cleveland is a man of strong, rug 
 ged common sense, who has a thorough knowledge of 
 law and a comprehensive grasp of the problems of gov 
 ernment. It has been extremely fortunate for the 
 State of New York to have once more a sound law 
 yer for her Executive. The official careers of Mr. 
 Tilden and Mr. Cleveland illustrate the importance 
 of sound legal learning to the proper performance of 
 the duties of the Executive of a great State. Gov 
 ernors who have not such must, to a great extent, rely 
 on the judgment of others, especially of legal experts 
 employed to examine the bills passed by the legis- 
 
REFORM GOVERNOR. 183 
 
 lature. But Governor Cleveland has examined them 
 himself, and the final decision has depended on his 
 own judgment. His great physical endurance and 
 strong vital force have therefore been a blessing to 
 the public. All accounts agree as to the great quan 
 tity of work he does ; and by no means his least 
 recommendation to business people is the fact that 
 he is so business-like a governor. 
 
 He has likewise impressed the people by his dig 
 nity, manliness of character, and unwavering firm 
 ness. He is not a stubborn man, nor has he, as some 
 men, an intrusive strong will and a constant desire 
 to show it ; on the contrary, his conclusions are 
 formed with great deliberation, and his firmness and 
 decision of character rest on convictions of duty. 
 
 Whenever he has accepted office or the nomina 
 tion for office his close personal friends have fre 
 quently observed how he has been deeply impressed 
 with feelings of grave responsibility. His letters 
 and speeches on these occasions enable the public to 
 observe the same thing. 
 
 We may see in his speech of July 29, on formally 
 accepting the nomination for President, that it was 
 to him more than a mere formal utterance that it 
 came from the heart and shows a deep and sacred 
 feeling of the magnitude and difficulty of the trust 
 which the American people devolve upon their 
 President. 
 
 The direct, clear and forcible style of his public 
 
1 84 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 papers shows that his fondness for literature has been 
 valuable to him. This taste he has been able to 
 gratify to a very limited extent for several years 
 past, from pressure of business, legal and public. 
 
 This loss he regrets, but finds some compensation 
 for it in a memory of very unusual retentiveness, 
 stored as it is with many treasures from his former 
 reading, which doubtless assist him in sometimes giv 
 ing to his utterances a singular grace and felicity of 
 expression. 
 
 Altogether his official life has made on the Amer 
 ican people a deep impression of his ability, his up 
 rightness and thorough-going independence. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 
 
 IT was altogether natural that there would arise a 
 movement in favor of the nomination of such a man 
 as we have in the preceding chapters seen Governor 
 Cleveland to be a man in the prime of life and with 
 so strong a record. 
 
 It was likewise favorable to his nomination that 
 the agitation in his behalf had arisen only a short 
 time before the Democratic Convention met. It was 
 certain that New York would use her influence for 
 Mr. Tilden, if he did not again decline the nomina 
 tion in an emphatic and definite manner. And until 
 he did this the movement for Governor Cleveland s 
 nomination was necessarily kept in the back-ground. 
 But as soon as Mr. Tilden s letter was published, in 
 June, the " boom " for Governor Cleveland began 
 to develop in a definite and forcible manner ; and 
 there was not time left between then and the meet 
 ing of the convention for the people to grow weary 
 of hearing his name. There are many people 
 who believe that conventions have in a manner 
 ceased to nominate men whose names have been 
 
!3 4 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 p a /sistently pushed for months. The nomination of 
 T /Ir. Elaine, however, after three earnest " booms " 
 does not accord with this theory of the action of 
 conventions. 
 
 Another circumstance favorable to Mr. Cleveland s 
 nomination was that he had at his back the seventy, 
 two votes of New York. This is no trifling factor 
 in a National Convention. 
 
 There was, moreover, a very general feeling that 
 some candidate must be named who could carry New 
 York at the next election ; and the fact that Gov 
 ernor Cleveland carried it in 1882 by 192,000 created 
 a strong belief that he could carry it again. Those 
 candidates who live in the most populous States 
 have a decided advantage over those who live in 
 small States. There is little doubt that Mr. Bayard 
 would have been nominated either this year or in 
 1880, if he had lived in a populous State of the 
 North. 
 
 There is one more circumstance that had great 
 weight in favor of Governor Cleveland, and that was 
 the relation of the Independents to him. For 
 tunately for him the Independents, immediately 
 after the nomination of Mr. Blaine, held three very 
 important meetings in New York, in Boston, and 
 in New Haven at which they declared against Mr. 
 Blaine and in one way and another made it pretty 
 evident that they would support Mr. Cleveland if 
 nominated at Chicago. These three meetings exerted 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. iS/ 
 
 a much greater influence than was proportionate to 
 the numbers present at them, because they were at 
 tended by an unusual number of men prominent in 
 the higher callings of life, of men favorably known 
 for their intelligence, culture and character, and 
 who had heretofore been active and representative 
 members of the Republican party. 
 
 Other Independents scattered over a wide extent 
 of country were encouraged by these three meetings 
 to await the action of the Democratic Convention. 
 
 All reasonable Democrats at once recognized the 
 expediency of nominating a candidate who would 
 draw this Independent vote, and, what was equally 
 important, would gain their influence and assistance 
 in the approaching campaign. From that day the 
 probability grew stronger that either Governor Cleve 
 land or Senator Bayard would be nominated. 
 
 The nomination of Mr. Elaine immediately ren 
 dered all differences in the Democratic party as to 
 the tariff and some other questions secondary ; it 
 was evident that the issue was to be one of Reform 
 against " machine " methods of government, or Re 
 form against the spoils system, provided the Demo 
 crats would put forth a progressive, pure man as 
 their standard bearer. 
 
 Thus various circumstances conspired, as it were, 
 to raise the whole Democratic party to the level 
 sometime occupied by its best men. 
 
 There is no doubt that public sentiment has been 
 
1 88 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 educated up to certain important measures without 
 the active co-operation and even with the opposition 
 of many of the leaders of the two parties. The 
 cause of Civil Service Reform has been opposed, 
 ridiculed and snubbed by many of them. But that 
 it has taken a deep hold on many of the more pro 
 gressive and intelligent men in both parties, and 
 thereby on public opinion, is clearly shown by Mr. 
 Elaine s circuitous expressions of sympathy with the 
 movement, as given in his Letter of Acceptance. 
 
 When a man so thoroughly identified with the 
 spoils system as Mr. Elaine has been finds it neces 
 sary to throw such a sop to Cerberus, it is a clear in 
 dication that public opinion is ready for this Reform 
 if pressed prudently and by the proper men. 
 
 Upon the whole the Democratic Convention could 
 not have been held at a time better calculated to 
 give the guidance in important matters to the pro 
 gressive elements of the party, and better calculated 
 to bring about the nomination of a good man. 
 
 The convention met in Chicago July 8, and was 
 organized by the selection of Gov. Hubbard of 
 Texas as Temporary Chairman and Col. Vilas of 
 Wisconsin as Permanent Chairman. 
 
 While the convention was waiting for the Com 
 mittee on Platform to finish its work, the following 
 different candidates were put in nomination : Sena 
 tor Eayard of Delaware, ex-Senator Thurman of 
 Ohio, ex-Senator McDonald of Indiana, Hon. John 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 189 
 
 G. Carlisle of Kentucky, Governor Cleveland of New 
 York, Governor Hoadly of Ohio, and Hon. Samuel 
 Randall of Pennsylvania. 
 
 When the State of New York was reached Mr. 
 Manning arose and said that his State presented the - 
 name of Grover Cleveland, and desired to be heard \ I 
 through Hon. D. N. Lockwood of Buffalo. Mr. 
 Lockwood is the gentleman who nominated Mr. 
 Cleveland for Sheriff of Erie County in iS/o, for 
 Mayor of Buffalo in iSSi, and for Governor of New 
 York in 1882. Probably no other case has occurred 
 in our history of a man s being nominated four 
 different times for four different offices by the same 
 man. I gave Mr. Lockwood s Syracuse speech in 
 the preceding chapter; the following was the speech 
 at Chicago : 
 
 MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVEN 
 TION : It is with no ordinary feeling of responsibility that 
 I appear before this Convention as the representative of 
 the Democracy of the State of New York [applause] for 
 the purpose of placing in nomination a gentleman from 
 the State of New York as a candidate for the Presidency 
 of the United States. This responsibility is made greater 
 when I remember that the richest pages of American his 
 tory have been made up from the records of Democratic 
 administration. [Applause.] This responsibility is made 
 still greater when I remember that the only -blot in the 
 political history done at Washington, an outrage upon the 
 rights of the American people, was in 1876, and that that 
 
LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 outrage and that injury to justice is still unavenged [ap 
 plause], and this responsibility is not lessened when I re 
 call the fact that the gentleman whose name I shall pre 
 sent to you has been my political associate from my youth. 
 Side by side have we marched to the tune of Democratic 
 music ; side by side have we studied the principles of 
 Jefferson and Jackson, and we love the faith in which we 
 believe ; and during all this time he has occupied a posi 
 tion comparatively as a private citizen, yet always true and 
 always faitftful to Democratic principle. No man has 
 greater respect or admiration for the honored names 
 which have been presented to the convention than 
 myself ; but, gentlemen, the world is moving, and moving 
 rapidly. From the North to the South new men men 
 who have acted but little in politics are coming to the 
 front [applause], and to-day there are hundreds and thou 
 sands of young men in this country, men who are to cast 
 their first vote, who are independent in politics, and they 
 are looking to this convention, praying silently that there 
 shall be no mistake made here. They want to drive the 
 Republican party from power. They want to cast their 
 vote for a Democrat in whom they believe. [Applause.] 
 These people know from the record of the gentleman 
 whose name I shall present that Democracy with him 
 means honest government, pure government and protec 
 tion of the rights of the people of every class and every 
 condition. 
 
 A little more than three years ago I had the honor at 
 the city of Buffalo to present the name of this same gentle 
 man for the office of Mayor of that city. It was presented 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. IQI 
 
 then for the same reason, for the same causes, that we 
 present it now ; it was because the government of that 
 city had become corrupt and had become debauched, and 
 political integrity sat not in high places. The people 
 looked for a man who would represent the contrary, and 
 without any hesitation they named Grover Cleveland as 
 the man. 
 
 At this point there was a wild burst of applause. 
 Some of the New York delegation, practically the 
 entire Wisconsin delegation and some few scattering 
 delegates, stood" up and made all the demonstrations 
 possible in Cleveland s favor. As soon as the uproar 
 subsided and comparative order was regained Mr. 
 Lockwood continued : 
 
 The result of that election and his holding that office 
 was that in less than nine months the State of New York 
 found herself in a position to want just such a candidate 
 and for such a purpose, and when at the Convention of 
 1882 his name was placed in nomination for the office of 
 Governor of the State of New York, the same people, the 
 same class of people, knew that that meant honest govern 
 ment ; it meant pure government, it meant Democratic 
 government, and it was ratified by the people. [Cheers.] 
 And, gentlemen, now, after ^ighteen months service there 
 the Democracy of the State of New York come to you and 
 ask you to give to the country, to give to the independent 
 and Democratic voters of the country, to give the 
 young men of the country the new blood of the country 
 and present the name of Grover Cleveland as their stand- 
 
IQ2 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 ard-bearer for the next four years. I shall indulge in no 
 eulogy of Mr. Cleveland. I shall not attempt any further 
 description of his political career. It is known. His 
 Democracy is known. His statesmanship is known 
 throughout the length and breadth of the land, and all I 
 ask of this convention is to let no passion, no prejudice, 
 influence the duty which it owes to the people of this 
 country. Be not deceived. Grover Cleveland can give 
 the Democratic party the thirty-six electoral votes of the 
 State of New York on election day. He can, by his purity 
 of character, by his purity of administration, by his fear 
 less and undaunted courage to do right, bring to you more 
 votes than can anybody else. Gentlemen of the Conven 
 tion, but one word more. Mr. Cleveland s candidacy be 
 fore this convention is offered upon the ground of his 
 honor, his integrity, his wisdom, and his Democracy. 
 [Cheers.] Upon that ground we ask it, believing that if 
 ratified by this convention he can be elected and take his 
 seat at Washington as a Democratic President of the 
 United States. 
 
 After the different nominations had been made 
 and seconded by various speakers, which occupied 
 the convention July Qth, and a part of the loth, they 
 adjourned till 8 P.M., at which time the platform 
 would be ready. At this hour it was presented to 
 the convention by Col. W. R. Morrison of Illinois. 
 
 THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. 
 
 The Democratic party of the Union, through its repre 
 sentatives in National Convention assembled, recognizes 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 1 93 
 
 that, as the nation grows older, new issues are born of 
 time and progress, and old issues perish. But the funda 
 mental principles of the Democracy, approved by the 
 united voice of the people, remain and will ever remain as 
 the best and only security for the continuance of free gov 
 ernment. The preservation of personal rights ; the equal 
 ity of all citizens before the law ; the reserved rights of 
 the States, and the supremacy of the Federal Govern 
 ment within the limits of the Constitution will ever form 
 the true basis of our liberties, and can never be surren 
 dered without destroying that balance of rights and 
 powers which enables a continent to be developed in 
 peace, and social order to be maintained by means of 
 local self-government. 
 
 BENEFIT OF CHANGE. 
 
 But it is indispensable for the practical application and 
 enforcement of these fundamental principles that the Gov 
 ernment should not always be controlled by one political 
 party. Frequent change of administration is as necessary 
 as constant recurrence to the popular will. Otherwise, 
 abuses grow, and the Government, instead of being carried 
 on for the general welfare, becomes an instrumentality for 
 imposing heavy burdens on the many who are governed, 
 for the benefit of the few who govern. Public servants 
 thus become arbitrary rulers. This is now the condition 
 of the country ; hence a change is demanded. 
 
 REPUBLICAN SHORTCOMINGS. 
 
 The Republican party, so far as principle is concerned, 
 is a reminiscence. In practice it is an organization for 
 
IQ4 LIFE OF GROVE R CLEVELAND. 
 
 enriching those who control its machinery. The frauds 
 and jobbery which have been brought to light in every 
 department of the Government are sufficient to have called 
 for reform within the Republican party, yet those in 
 authority, made reckless by the long possession of power, 
 have succumbed to its corrupting influence and have 
 placed in nomination a ticket against which the indepen 
 dent portion of the party are in open revolt. Therefore, 
 a change is demanded. Such a change was alike neces 
 sary in 1876, but the will of the people was then defeated 
 by a fraud which can never be forgotten nor condoned. 
 Again, in 1880, the change demanded by the people was 
 defeated by the lavish use of money contributed by un 
 scrupulous contractors and shameless jobbers, who had 
 bargained for unlawful profits or high office. The Repub 
 lican party, during its legal, its stolen, and its bought 
 tenures of power, has steadily decayed in moral character 
 and political capacity. Its platform promises are now a 
 list of its past failures. It demands the restoration of our 
 navy it has squandered hundreds of millions to create a 
 navy that does not exist. It calls upon Congress to re 
 move the burdens under which American shipping has 
 been depressed it imposed and has continued those bur 
 dens. It professes the policy of reserving the public lands 
 for small holdings by actual settlers it has given away 
 the people s heritage till now a few railroads and non-resi 
 dent aliens, individual and corporate, possess a larger area 
 than that of all our farms between the two seas. It pro 
 fesses a preference for free institutions it organized and 
 tried to legalize a control of State elections by Federal 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 1 95 
 
 troops. It professes a desire to elevate labor it has sub 
 jected American workingmen to the competition of con 
 vict and imported contract labor. It professes gratitude 
 to all who were disabled or died in the war, leaving widows 
 and orphans it left to a Democratic House of Repre 
 sentatives the first effort to equalize both bounties and 
 pensions. It proffers a pledge to correct the irregularities 
 of our tariff it created and has continued them. Its 
 own tariff commission confessed the need of more than 
 20 per cent, reduction its Congress gave a reduction of 
 less than 4 per cent. It professes the protection of Ameri 
 can manufactures it has subjected them to an increasing 
 flood of manufactured goods and a hopeless competition 
 with manufacturing nations, not one of which taxes raw 
 materials. It professes to protect all American industries 
 it has impoverished many to subsidize a few. It pro 
 fesses the protection of American labor it has depleted 
 the returns of American agriculture, an industry followed 
 by half our people. It professes the equality of all men 
 before the law attempting to fix the status of colored citi 
 zens the acts of its Congress were overset by the de 
 cisions of its courts. It " accepts anew the duty of lead 
 ing in the work of progress and reform" its caught 
 criminals are permitted to escape through contrived de 
 lays or actual connivance in the prosecution. Honey 
 combed with corruption, outbreaking exposures no longer 
 shock its moral sense. Its honest members, its indepen 
 dent journals, no longer maintain a successful contest for 
 authority in its counsels or a veto upon bad nominations. 
 That change is necessary is proved by an existing surplus 
 
196 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 of more than $100,000,000, which has yearly been col 
 lected from a suffering people. Unnecessary taxation is 
 unjust taxation. We denounce the Republican party for 
 having failed to relieve the people from crushing war taxes, 
 which have paralyzed business, crippled industry, and de 
 prived labor of employment and of just reward. 
 
 DEMOCRATIC PLEDGES. 
 
 The Democracy pledges itself to purify the Administra 
 tion from corruption, to restore economy, to revive re 
 spect for law, and to reduce taxation to the lowest limit 
 consistent with due regard to the preservation of the faith 
 of the nation to its creditors and pensioners. 
 
 TARIFF AND TAXATION. 
 
 Knowing full well, however, that legislation affecting 
 the operations of the people should be cautious and con 
 servative in method, not in advance of public opinion, 
 but responsive to its demands, the Democratic party is 
 pledged to revise the tariff in a spirit of fairness to all in 
 terests. But, in making reduction in taxes, it is not pro 
 posed to injure any domestic industries, but rather to pro 
 mote their healthy growth. From the foundation of this 
 Government taxes collected at the Custom House have 
 been the chief source of Federal revenue. Such they 
 must continue to be. Moreover many industries have 
 come to rely upon legislation for successful continuance, 
 so that any change of law must be at every step regardful 
 of the labor and capital thus involved. The process of 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. IQ/ 
 
 the reform must be subject in the execution to this plain 
 dictate 6f justice. All taxation shall be limited to the re 
 quirements of economical government. The necessary re 
 duction in taxation can and must be effected without 
 depriving American labor of the ability to compete suc 
 cessfully with foreign labor, and without imposing lower 
 rates of duty than will be ample to cover any increased 
 cost of production which may exist in consequence of the 
 higher rate of wages prevailing in this country. Sufficient 
 revenue to pay all the expenses of the Federal Govern 
 ment economically administered, including pensions, in 
 terest, and principal of the public debt, can be got under 
 our present system of taxation from Custom House taxes 
 on fewer imported articles, bearing heaviest on articles of 
 luxury, and bearing lightest on articles of necessity. We, 
 therefore, denounce the abuses of the existing tariff ; and 
 subject to the preceding limitations, we demand that Fed 
 eral taxation shall be exclusively for public purposes, and 
 shall not exceed the needs of the Government economi 
 cally administered. 
 
 The system of direct taxation known as the " internal 
 revenue " is a war tax, and so long as the law continues 
 the money derived therefrom should be sacredly devoted 
 to the relief of the people from the remaining burdens of 
 the war, and be made a fund to defray the expense of the 
 care and comfort of worthy soldiers disabled in line of 
 duty in the wars of the Republic, and for the payment of 
 such pensions as Congress may from time to time grant to 
 such soldiers, a like fund for the sailors having been al 
 ready provided, and any surplus should be paid into the 
 Treasury. 
 
198 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. 
 
 We favor an American continental policy based upon 
 more intimate commercial and political relations with the 
 fifteen sister republics of North, Central, and South 
 America, but entangling alliances with none. 
 
 We believe in honest money, the gold and silver coin 
 age of the Constitution, and a circulating medium con 
 vertible into such money without loss. 
 
 Asserting the equality of all men before the law, we 
 hold that it is the duty of the Government in its dealings 
 with the people to mete out equal and exact justice to all 
 citizens of whatever nativity, race, color, or persuasion, 
 religious or political. 
 
 We believe in a free ballot and a fair count, and we re 
 call to the memory of the people the noble struggle of the 
 Democrats in the Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth Congresses, 
 by which a reluctant Republican opposition was compelled 
 to assent to legislation making everywhere illegal the 
 presence of troops at the polls as the conclusive proof 
 that a Democratic Administration will preserve liberty 
 with order. 
 
 The selection of Federal officers for the Territories 
 should be restricted to citizens previously resident therein. 
 
 We oppose sumptuary laws which vex the citizen and 
 interfere with individual liberty. 
 
 We favor honest civil service reform and the compensa 
 tion of all United States officers by fixed salaries; the sep 
 aration of Church and State, and the diffusion of free edu 
 cation by common schools, so that every child in the land 
 may be taught the rights and duties of citizenship. 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 1 99 
 
 While we favor all legislation which will tend to the 
 equitable distribution of property, to the prevention of 
 monopoly, and to the strict enforcement of individual 
 rights against corporate abuses, we hold that the welfare 
 of society depends upon a scrupulous regard for the rights 
 of property as defined by law. 
 
 PROTECTION TO LABOR. 
 
 We believe that labor is best rewarded where it is freest 
 and most enlightened. It should therefore be fostered and 
 cherished. We favor the repeal of all laws restricting the 
 free action of labor, and the enactment of laws by which 
 labor organizations may be incorporated, and of all such 
 legislation as will tend to enlighten the people as to the 
 true relations of capital and labor. 
 
 PUBLIC LANDS. 
 
 We believe that the public lands ought, as far as possi 
 ble, to be kept as homesteads for actual settlers ; that all 
 unearned lands heretofore improvidently granted to rail 
 road corporations by the action of the Republican party 
 should be restored to the public domain, and that no more 
 grants of land shall be made to corporations -or be allowed 
 to fall into the ownership of alien absentees. 
 
 We are opposed to all propositions which, upon any 
 pretext, would convert the generaj Government into a 
 machine for collecting taxes to be distributed among the 
 States or the citizens thereof. 
 
200 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 IMPORTED PAUPER LABOR. 
 
 In reaffirming the declaration of the Democratic plat 
 form of 1856 that the liberal principles embodied by 
 Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, and sanc 
 tioned in the Constitution, which make ours the land of 
 liberty and the asylum of the oppressed of every nation, 
 have ever been cardinal principles in the Democratic 
 faith, we nevertheless do not sanction the importation of 
 foreign labor or the admission of servile races, unfitted by 
 habits, training, religion, or kindred, for absorption into 
 the great body of our people, or for the citizenship which 
 our laws confer. American civilization demands that 
 against the immigration or importation of Mongolians to 
 these shores our gates be closed. 
 
 PROTECTION TO CITIZENS. 
 
 The Democratic party insists that it is the duty of this 
 Government to protect with equal fidelity and vigilance 
 the rights of its citizens, native and naturalized, at home 
 and abroad, and to the end that this protection may be as 
 sured, United States papers of naturalization issued by 
 courts of competent jurisdiction must be respected by the 
 Executive and Legislative departments of our own 
 Government and by all foreign powers. It is an imperative 
 duty of this Government to efficiently protect all the 
 rights of persons and property of every American citizen 
 in foreign lands, and demand and enforce full reparation 
 for any invasion thereof. An American citizen is only re 
 sponsible to his own Government for any act done in his 
 own country or under her flag, and can only be tried 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2OI 
 
 therefor on her own soil and according to her laws ; and 
 no power exists in this Government to expatriate an Ameri 
 can citizen to be tried in any foreign land for any such 
 act. 
 
 DEMOCRATIC FOREIGN POLICY. 
 
 This country has never had a \vell-defined and executed 
 foreign policy save under Democratic administration. 
 That policy has ever been in regard to foreign nations, so 
 long as they do no act detrimental to the interests of the 
 country or hurtful to our citizens, to let them alone ; that 
 as a result of this policy we recall the acquisition of Louis 
 iana, Florida, California, and of the adjacent Mexican ter 
 ritory by purchase alone, and contrast these grand acquisi 
 tions of Democratic statesmanship with the purchase of 
 Alaska, the sole fruit of a Republican administration of 
 nearly a quarter of a century. 
 
 WATERWAYS. 
 
 The Federal Government should care for and improve 
 the Mississippi River and other great waterways of the 
 Republic, so as to secure for the interior States easy and 
 cheap transportation to tide-water. 
 
 MERCHANT MARINE. 
 
 Under a long period of Democratic rule and policy our 
 merchant marine was fast overtaking and on the point of 
 outstripping that of Great Britain. 
 
 Under twenty years of Republican rule and policy our 
 commerce has been left to British bottoms, and almost has 
 the American flag been swept off the high seas. 
 
202 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 Instead of the Republican party s British policy we de 
 mand for the people of the United States an American 
 policy. 
 
 Under Democratic rule and policy our merchants and 
 sailors, flying the Stars and Stripes in every port, success 
 fully searched out a market for the varied products of 
 American industry. 
 
 Under a quarter of a century of Republican rule and 
 policy, despite our manifest advantage over all other na 
 tions in high paid labor, favorable climates and teeming 
 soils ; despite freedom of trade among all these United 
 States ; despite their population by the foremost races of 
 men, and an annual immigration of the young, thrifty and 
 adventurous of all nations ; despite our freedom here from 
 the inherited burdens of life and industry in Old World 
 monarchies their costly war navies, their vast tax-con 
 suming, non-producing standing armies ; despite their 
 twenty years of peace that Republican rule and policy 
 have managed to surrender to Great Britain, along with 
 our commerce, the control of the markets of the world. 
 
 Instead of the Republican party s British policy, we de 
 mand, in behalf of the American Democracy, an American 
 policy. 
 
 Instead of the republican party s discredited scheme and 
 false pretence of friendship for American labor, expressed 
 by imposing taxes, we demand, in behalf of theDemocracy, 
 freedom for American labor by reducing taxes, to the end 
 that these United States may compete with unhindered 
 powers for the primacy among nations in all the arts of 
 peace and fruits of liberty. 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2O3 
 A TRIBUTE TO SAMUEL J. TILDEN. 
 
 With profound regret \ve have been apprised by the 
 venerable statesman through whose person was struck that 
 blow at the vital principle of republics (acquiescence in 
 the will of the majority), that he cannot permit us again to 
 place in his hands the leadership of the Democratic hosts, 
 for the reason that the achievement of reform in the ad 
 ministration of the Federal Government is an undertaking 
 now too heavy for his age and failing strength. 
 
 Rejoicing that his life has been prolonged until the gen 
 eral judgment of our fellow-countrymen is united in the 
 wish that that wrong were righted in his person, for the 
 Democracy of the United States we offer to him in his 
 withdrawal from public cares not only our respectful sym 
 pathy and esteem, but also that best homage of freemen, 
 the pledge of our devotion to the principles and the cause 
 now inseparable in the history of this Republic from the 
 labors and the name of Samuel J. Tilden. 
 
 THE ISSUE REFORM. 
 
 With this statement of the hopes, principles and pur 
 poses of the Democratic party, the great issue of reform 
 and change in administration is submitted to the people 
 in calm confidence that the popular voice will pronounce 
 in favor of new men, and new and more favorable condi 
 tions for the growth of industry, the extension of trade, 
 the employment and due reward of labor and of capital, 
 and the general welfare of the whole country. 
 
 By the time that the platform was read and 
 
204 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 adopted it lacked only a few minutes of midnight. 
 But the friends of the different candidates, after 
 three days of suspense and anxiety, were mostly de 
 sirous of taking at least one ballot before adjourn 
 ing. This first ballot is a mere form, used by the 
 different States to compliment their " favorite sons/ 
 Nevertheless the friends of Mr. Cleveland stood at 
 that late hour around the bulletin-boards in every 
 city of the United States till the result was an 
 nounced. After one ballot was taken the conven 
 tion adjourned. 
 
 On meeting the next day, Friday, July 11, the 
 friends of Governor Cleveland, encouraged by the re 
 sult of last night, predicted his nomination on the 
 third ballot. But before the second ballot was 
 finished the States began to change in his favor, so 
 that at the end of this ballot he had far more than 
 the necessary two-thirds. 
 
 The following is the ballot by States taken by the 
 convention late Thursday night : 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2O$ 
 
 
 LAND 
 
 Q 
 
 Q 
 
 2 
 
 < 
 
 d 
 
 > 
 
 ^. 
 3 
 
 g 
 
 
 . 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 
 
 w 
 
 < 
 > 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 2 
 
 ^ 
 " 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 is 
 P 
 
 z 
 J 
 
 - 
 . 
 
 | 
 
 
 U 
 
 - 
 
 5 
 
 H 
 
 p2 
 
 
 u 
 
 ^. 
 
 H 
 
 = 
 
 H 
 
 
 
 14. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2O 
 
 
 14. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f> 
 
 Florida, 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 10 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. 
 
 
 28 
 
 2 
 
 u 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 44 
 
 
 
 
 2Q 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30 
 
 Iowa. 
 
 2"? 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ?6 
 
 
 U 
 
 c 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 "6 
 
 
 
 
 ?6 
 
 
 !3 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 T 
 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 Maryland . . 
 
 6 
 
 IO 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 5 
 
 21 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ?R 
 
 
 14. 
 
 I 
 
 
 II 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ?6 
 
 Minnesota 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 M isMssippi * . 
 
 
 15 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 T8 
 
 Missouri 
 
 15 
 
 IO 
 
 I 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 32 
 
 Nebraska 
 
 - 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 IO 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 New Hampshire . . 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 4 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 II 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 T8 
 
 New York 
 
 72 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 72 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 Ohio 
 
 21 
 
 
 
 2^ 
 
 
 " 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 6 
 
 
 2 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 C 
 
 
 
 
 err 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 60 
 
 Rhode Island 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 8 
 
 IO 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 Tennessee 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 3 
 
 q 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 T 
 
 
 24 
 
 Texas . 
 
 II 
 
 IO 
 
 i 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 06 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 i -i 
 
 q 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24 
 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 \Visconsin 
 
 12 
 
 I 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
206 
 
 OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 
 d 
 
 z 
 
 
 a 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 + 
 
 
 TERRITORIES. 
 
 CLEVELJI 
 
 BAYARD. 
 
 u 
 
 THURMA 
 
 RANDAL 
 
 HOADLY 
 
 CARLISL 
 
 FLOWER 
 
 TILDEN. 
 
 HENDRIC 
 
 TOTAL. 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Dakota 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Arizona 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Idaho ... . ... 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Montana 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Wyoming 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 New Mexico 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Utah 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Dist. of Columbia. . 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Total 
 
 CJQ2 
 
 I7O 
 
 c6 
 
 88 
 
 78 
 
 ~ 
 
 27 
 
 
 y 
 
 T 
 
 82O 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 THE SECOND BALLOT. 
 
 STATES. 
 
 CANDIDATES. 
 
 J 
 
 < 
 
 CLEVELAND. 
 
 i McDONALD. 
 
 Q 
 
 ;RMAN. 
 
 s DRICKS. 
 
 Q 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 h 
 
 i 
 
 E 
 
 < 
 
 & 
 
 O 
 
 H 
 
 20 
 14 
 
 16 
 6 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 24 
 44 
 30 
 26 
 18 
 26 
 
 
 5 
 14 
 16 
 6 
 
 I 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 21 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 22 
 
 43 
 30 
 26 
 17 
 4 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2O/ 
 
 
 
 ( 
 
 CANDID 
 
 \TES 
 
 
 
 
 STATES. 
 
 CLEVELAND. 
 
 McDoNALD. 
 
 BAYARD. 
 
 THURMAN. 
 
 HENDRICKS. 
 
 RANDALL. 
 
 1 
 
 Louisiana 
 
 1C 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 Maine 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 Maryland . . .... 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 8 
 
 
 7* 
 
 
 12* 
 
 
 28 
 
 
 27 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 26 
 
 Minnesota 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 1 
 
 Mississippi 
 
 2 
 
 
 14 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 18 
 
 
 ^2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 32 
 
 Nebraska 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 IO 
 
 Nevada . . . . 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 e 
 
 
 6 
 
 New Hampshire 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 New Jersey 
 
 c 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 n 
 
 
 18 
 
 New Vork 
 
 72 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 72 
 
 North Carolina . . . 
 
 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 Ohio 
 
 46 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 46 
 
 Oregon 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Pennsylvania . 
 
 4.2 
 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 II 
 
 A 
 
 60 
 
 Rhode Island 
 
 7 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 IO 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 Tennessee 
 
 24 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24 
 
 Texas 
 
 26 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26 
 
 Vermont 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 Virginia 
 
 OT 
 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 01 
 
 \Vest Virginia . . . 
 
 IO 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 Wisconsin 
 
 22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 Territories. 
 Arizona 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Dakota 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Idaho 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Montana 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 New Mexico 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Utah 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 \Vashington ... 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Wyoming 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 Dist of Columbia 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 683 
 
 2 
 
 Si* 
 
 4. 
 
 4S* 
 
 
 82O 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2O8 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 The nomination was in a manner foreseen, and 
 gave great and general satisfaction. 
 
 The people of Albany were especially enthusiastic, 
 and the night of the nomination gathered by thou 
 sands before the Governor s mansion, and he briefly 
 addressed them as follows: 
 
 " FELLOW-CITIZENS : I cannot but be gratified 
 with this kindly greeting. I find that I am fast 
 reaching the point where I shall count the people of 
 Albany not merely as fellow-citizens, but as towns 
 men and neighbors. 
 
 " On this occasion I am, of course, aware that you 
 pay no compliment to a citizen, and present no per 
 sonal tribute, but that you have come to demon 
 strate your loyalty and devotion to a cause in which 
 you are heartily enlisted. 
 
 " The American people are about to exercise, in 
 its highest sense, their power and right of sove 
 reignty. They are to call in review before them 
 their public servants and the representatives of 
 political parties, and demand of them an account of 
 their stewardship. 
 
 " Parties may be so long in power, and may be 
 come so arrogant and careless of the interests of the 
 people as to grow heedless of their responsibility to 
 their masters. But the time comes as certainly as 
 death, when the people weigh them in the balance. 
 
 "The issues to be adjudicated by the nation s 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2OO, 
 
 great assize are made up and are about to be sub 
 mitted. 
 
 " We believe that the people are not receiving at 
 the hands of the party, which for nearly twenty-four 
 years has directed the affairs of the nation, the full 
 benefits to which they are entitled, of a pure, just 
 and economical rule ; and we believe that the ascend 
 ancy of genuine Democratic principles will insure a 
 better government, and greater happiness and pros 
 perity to all the people. 
 
 " To reach the sober thought of the nation, and 
 to dislodge an enemy intrenched behind spoils and 
 patronage, involve a struggle, which, if we under 
 estimate, we invite defeat. I am profoundly im 
 pressed with the responsibility of the part assigned 
 to me in this contest. My heart, I know, is in the 
 cause, and I pledge you that no effort of mine shall 
 be wanting to secure the victory which I believe to 
 be within the achievement of the Democratic hosts. 
 
 " Let us, then, enter upon the campaign now fairly 
 opened, each one appreciating well the part he has 
 to perform, ready, with solid front, to do battle for 
 better government, confidently, courageously, always 
 honorably, and with a firm reliance upon the intelli 
 gence and patriotism of the American people." 
 
 Telegrams of congratulation rapidly came in from 
 every State ; no less than one thousand had arrived 
 by midnight. Not the least amusing and agreeable 
 14 
 
2IO LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 to the Governor was one from Virginia announcing 
 " the safe arrival there of Frank Grover Cleveland 
 
 J , weight ten pounds." 
 
 Governor Cleveland received the formal notifica 
 tion of his nomination July 29, when he was ad 
 dressed by Col. Vilas on behalf of the Committee of 
 Notification. To this the Governor replied in the 
 following speech, which is the best public utter 
 ance that the present campaign has so far brought 
 forth : 
 
 " MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COM 
 MITTEE : Your formal announcement does not, of 
 course, convey to me the first information of the 
 result of the convention lately held by the Democ 
 racy of the nation, and yet when, as I listen to your 
 message, I see about me representatives from all parts 
 of the land of the great party which, claiming to be 
 the party of the people, asks them to intrust to it the 
 administration of their Government, and when I con 
 sider, under the influence of the stern reality which 
 the present surroundings create, that I have been 
 chosen to represent the plans, purposes, and the policy 
 of the Democratic party, I am profoundly impressed 
 by the solemnity of the occasion and by the responsi 
 bility of my position. Though I gratefully appre 
 ciate it, I do not at this moment congratulate myself 
 upon the distinguished honor which has been con 
 ferred upon me, because my mind is full of an anxious 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 211 
 
 desire to perform well the part which has been as 
 signed to me. 
 
 " Nor do I at this moment forget that the rights 
 and interests of more than fifty millions of my fellow- 
 citizens are involved in our efforts to gain Democratic 
 supremacy. This reflection presents to my mind the 
 consideration which more than all others gives to the 
 action of my party in convention assembled its most 
 sober and serious aspect. The party and its repre 
 sentatives which ask to be intrusted at the hands of 
 the people with the keeping of all that concerns their 
 welfare and their safety should only ask it with the 
 full appreciation of the sacredness of the trust and 
 with a firm resolve to administer it faithfully and well. 
 I am a Democrat because I believe that this truth 
 lies at the foundation of true Democracy. I have 
 kept the faith because I believe, if rightly and fairly 
 administered and applied, Democratic doctrines and 
 measures will insure the happiness, contentment and 
 prosperity of the people. If in the contest upon 
 which we now enter we steadfastly hold to the 
 underlying principles of our party creed, and at all 
 times keep in view the people s good, we shall be 
 strong because we are true to ourselves, and because 
 the plain and independent voters of the land will 
 seek by their suffrages to compass their release from 
 party tyranny where there should be submission to 
 the popular will, and their protection from party 
 corruption where there should be devotion to the 
 
212 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 people s interests. These thoughts lend a consecra 
 tion to our cause, and we go forth not merely to 
 gain a partisan advantage, but pledged to give to 
 those who trust us the utmost benefits of a pure and 
 honest administration of national affairs. No higher 
 purpose or motive can stimulate us to supreme effort 
 or urge us to continuous and earnest labor and 
 effective party organization. Let us not fail in this, 
 and we may confidently hope to reap the full reward 
 of patriotic services well performed. I have thus 
 called to mind some simple truths, and, trite though 
 they are, it seems to me we do well to dwell upon 
 them at this time. I shall soon, I hope, signify in 
 the usual formal manner my acceptance of the nom 
 ination which has been tendered to me. In the 
 meantime I gladly greet you all as co-workmen in 
 a noble cause." 
 
 The reader now has before him the record of Mr. 
 Cleveland s most important public acts, together 
 with many of the papers pertaining thereto ; and I 
 think these will be found fully to bear out the char 
 acter given him in the preceding chapters. His acts 
 have gained for him many high tributes from 
 Republicans as well as Democrats. A Republican 
 journal of Buffalo said, when Mr. Cleveland was 
 chosen Governor: " Buffalo has lost the best Mayor 
 she ever had." 
 
 A prominent Republican of the same city, Mr. 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 21$ 
 
 Sherman S. Rogers, said two years ago : " He is a 
 man of absolute integrity, that directs him to con 
 clusions which are almost invariably just. He will 
 make one of the best governors the State has ever 
 had. He is honest, courageous, and firm, almost to 
 obstinacy. He will take no action except after 
 thorough consideration, and he will execute his de 
 cision in spite of cavil or outside pressure." This 
 was a high compliment and contained a bold predic 
 tion, but Mr. Cleveland has proved it true to the 
 letter. 
 
 He probably rests under fewer obligations to 
 his own party than any other prominent man in it ; 
 as President he will therefore be able to follow out 
 thoroughly the principles of reform in selecting his 
 Cabinet, in making appointments to office, and in 
 outlining his policy. 
 
 Though a genial man with a touch of humor in his 
 nature, he takes an earnest view of life, and espe 
 cially of public life. He has a practical, methodical 
 mind, that never allowed him, when at the bar, to 
 enter the court-house without having thoroughly 
 prepared his case. These close business habits he 
 has carried into public life ; and they, ynited with 
 great bodily vigor, enable him to accomplish a pro 
 digious amount of work. Few men properly ap 
 preciate what a large part of the duties of the execu 
 tive of a State or of the United States is of an 
 ordinary business nature. 
 
214 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 Furthermore, it will be no trifling advantage to 
 the country to have a man for President who will be 
 satisfied to be simply an executive officer within the 
 meaning of the Constitution ; one who will leave 
 legislation to Congress and be content to execute 
 the laws as interpreted by the Supreme Court. 
 
 We have also in him a man v/ho has in various 
 ways made it perfectly clear that he regards official 
 position as one of public trust and great responsi 
 bility ; while Mr. Elaine has made it equally clear 
 that he has " the art of turning public trusts to very 
 private ends." 
 
 From the careers of these two men there is to be 
 learned a lesson valuable to all, but especially so to 
 young men just entering active life. 
 
 The fact that Mr. Elaine, in spite of the well- 
 grounded charges against his character for common 
 honesty and faithfulness, has for so many years re 
 tained his popularity and finally obtained the nomi 
 nation of his party for the Presidency, shows that 
 he is a man of " magnetic " and perhaps brilliant 
 qualities. There was nothing which could have pre 
 vented him from being President of the United 
 States before the present campaign, if he had pre 
 served an unblemished character. The moral of his 
 life is patent to all. 
 
 On the other hand, I have not claimed for Mr. 
 Cleveland the inheritance of genius or the possession 
 of exceptionally brilliant qualities. The traits of 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 21$ 
 
 character and mind that made him Mayor, and later 
 Governor, and which have brought, without any 
 seeking on his part, the nomination for the Presi 
 dency these traits are to a great extent within the 
 reach of all who will assiduously pursue them. It 
 should likewise be borne in mind that they are con 
 stantly in demand in every department of human 
 activity. 
 
 At a time when many good and able men are 
 complaining of our moral decadence as a nation, 
 there is something encouraging and stimulating in 
 seeing a man brought boldly and quickly to the 
 front by his simple strength in the old-fashioned 
 virtues. 
 
 It is but natural that such a man as Mr. Cleve 
 land, who has always been a Democrat, should sat 
 isfy the best aspirations of his own party ; but this 
 is not all : his character and ability are such that he 
 also satisfies a large element in the Republican party, 
 and that the element most difficult to satisfy an ele 
 ment, it is no exaggeration to say, truly remarkable 
 for the intelligence and moral character of its mem 
 bers. They feel that Mr. Cleveland stands above the 
 level of either party. And besides these men who 
 will vote for Mr. Cleveland, there are hundreds of 
 thousands who will vote for Mr. Elaine with the feel 
 ing that they will not have cause for regret if Mr. 
 Cleveland be elected. 
 
 Several journals which oppose his election are 
 
2l6 LIFE OF G ROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 now occupied in trying to discredit his prominent 
 supporters among the Independents by contrasting 
 their present attitude with the hard things they 
 have heretofore said of the Democrats. But in call 
 ing attention to this contrast they only pay a high 
 tribute to Mr. Cleveland ; because the more opposed 
 these men have been to Democratic policy, the 
 higher must be the standing of the Democrat who 
 is able to obtain their support. 
 
 This Independent movement in behalf of a higher 
 standard of public morality is the most striking feat 
 ure of the present campaign ; in this it differs from 
 all other campaigns that we have had since the Civil 
 War. There is something extremely novel and in 
 teresting in seeing the Democratic candidate for 
 President of the United States receiving the sup 
 port of the Nation, of Harper s Weekly, Puck, the 
 New York Times, the New York Herald, the Spring 
 field Republican, the Boston Herald, the Boston Ad 
 vertiser, the Boston Transcript, and so many other 
 representative Republican and Independent journals. 
 For the first time since the war the Republican candi 
 date has the ablest journals in the country against him. 
 
 And as to the Independent Republicans, it would 
 make a list entirely too long to mention those in 
 public life, the clergymen, the authors, the profes 
 sors, the prominent business men, the prominent 
 physicians and lawyers, who are supporting Mr. 
 Cleveland. 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2I/ 
 
 The growth of the Independent movement is one 
 of great interest and one weli deserving a permanent 
 and special history ; but I can only allude to it here 
 in outline. The movement well merits the attention 
 of the public, because it has become so well organized 
 that it is likely to play an important part in our 
 politics for many years to come. It has sprung 
 mostly from the Republican party, because that 
 party has been so long in power. If the Democratic 
 party should remain twenty-four successive years 
 in power, it is highly probable that there would 
 arise an Independent wing within that party. It 
 has made comparatively small progress west of the 
 Alleghanies or south of the Potomac; but still 
 there are many men in the South and West, es 
 pecially among the educated young men, clergy 
 men, lawyers, teachers, scholars, who are in hearty 
 sympathy with the cause, and who are doing good 
 work for it in a quiet way. 
 
 It is not creditable to the Republican party that 
 the Independents, embracing as they do so much 
 talent in proportion to their numbers, have met with 
 such an amount of ridicule among the ordinary pol 
 iticians and party journals. But it is highly cred 
 itable to Mr. Cleveland that he has from his first 
 entrance into public life duly recognized the impor 
 tance of the movement. It seems to me that the 
 strict party man, who is in such thorough sympathy 
 with a set of principles that he feels that he can 
 
218 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 always do his duty within party limits, should, never 
 theless, recognize the merits of independence. That 
 it has merits must be confessed by every one who 
 will take an impartial survey of parties and journals. 
 I think it is clear that the Independent journals give 
 the political news in a less distorted fashion, have 
 a somewhat clearer vision, and consequently take a 
 broader view of public questions, than the partisan 
 journals. 
 
 The politicians, who regard the Independents as a 
 set of croakers and as grumblers by nature, are wide 
 of the mark. Equally erroneous is the idea that 
 these men are Independents in order to attain posi 
 tion or to further selfish private ends. Does any one 
 doubt that such men as Mr. Curtis and Mr. Schurz 
 could have office at any time, if they desired it, pro 
 vided they would walk steadily within the party 
 traces? It is high time that the politicians and 
 partisan journals recognized that the talk of the 
 Independents is not cant, but the sober, earnest 
 thought of men of high standing and ability. I feel 
 very confident that the result of this movement will 
 be a great public benefit. 
 
 The people of the North have never been able to 
 appreciate the bitter disappointment the South 
 underwent in 1872 from the defeat of Mr. Greeley. 
 The predominant feeling in the South was : We ac 
 cepted one of their most bitter opponents of slavery, 
 and they would not meet us half-way. Even thor- 
 
REFORM CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. 2IQ 
 
 oughly loyal Southern men feel that since the war 
 they have been treated a little like strangers ; how 
 far they are correct in this I do not here inquire. 
 
 But at length, for the first time in twenty-five 
 years, what is best in the South finds itself in 
 thorough accord with much of what is most en 
 lightened, most liberal and most worthy among the 
 Republicans of the North. It will be a great gain 
 for the whole country if the South can be brought 
 to understand, what a few have long known, namely, 
 that there is far less hostility to the South among 
 the best people of the North than they think. 
 
 Even when we think that their judgment is wrong, 
 let us at least confess that they are working for what 
 they honestly believe to be right and for the good of 
 the nation as a whole. And it ought to do much to 
 remedy Southern provincialism to be able to read 
 with satisfaction and sympathy the best journals of 
 the North. And after these journals resume their 
 positions within an improved and reformed Repub 
 lican party, shall we of the South not hereafter 
 receive their chastening with a little more patience 
 and liberality, for the sake of the present era of 
 good feeling? 
 
 Yes, the effects of this Independent work in politics 
 will be important and good, whatever be the result of 
 the coming election. But if Mr. Cleveland should be 
 chosen President, there will be in Washington City on 
 the 4th of March next such a gathering of the clans 
 
220 LIFE OF GROVER CLEVELAND. 
 
 from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, as was never 
 seen before in our history. The " rebel yell " will at 
 length be heard on the heights of the Capital of 
 the United States, but only in expression of patriot 
 ism and the heart-felt joy of prodigal sons, who, after 
 twenty-five years of political exile, realize at last their 
 full restoration to the Union. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ADMISSION OF THE STATES INTO THE UNION, AND 
 THEIR PRESENT ELECTORAL VOTE. 
 
 
 
 ELECTORAL 
 VOTES. 
 
 
 i Delaware 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 ^O 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 Georgia 
 
 12 
 
 rt 
 
 
 6 
 
 in 
 
 
 Id 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 _ 
 
 rt 
 
 8 South Carolina 
 
 
 C 
 
 
 
 tJO 
 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 II Ne\v Vork .... . . . . 
 
 36 
 
 
 1 2 North Carolina 
 
 II 
 
 
 L 13 Rhode Island 
 
 4 
 
 
 14 Kentucky I7Q 
 
 I"? 
 
 
 ic Vermont I7QI 
 
 4" 
 
 
 16. Tennessee 1796 
 
 12 
 
 
 17 Ohio 1802 . . 
 
 OT 
 
 
 18 Louisiana 1812 . 
 
 8 
 
 
 19 Indiana 1816 
 
 je 
 
 
 20. Mississippi 1817 
 
 
 
 21. Illinois, 1818 
 
 22 
 
 
 22. Alabama 1819 
 
 IO 
 
 
 23. Maine, 1820 
 
 6 
 
 
 24. Missouri, 1821 
 
 16 
 
 
 25 Arkansas 1836 . 
 
 
 
 26. Michigan, 1837 
 
 T-3 
 
 
 27. Florida, 1845 
 
 
 
 28 Texas 1845 
 
 Il 
 
 
 29. Iowa 1846 
 
 1^ 
 
 
 30. Wisconsin, 1848 
 
 II 
 
 
 31 California 1850 
 
 8 
 
 
 32. Minnesota, 1858 
 
 
 
 33. Oregon, 1859 
 
 a 
 
 
 34. Kansas 1861 
 
 
 
 35. West Virginia, 1863 
 
 6 
 
 
 36. Nevada 1864. . . . 
 
 
 
 37. Nebraska, 1867 
 
 e 
 
 
 38. Colorado 1876 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 401 
 
222 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 ELECT. 
 VOTE. 
 
 O f O^O O rj- to r** N I^-O ^ w co O^O 
 O co co r^ ID IN o u~j c*" 
 
 M 
 
 XDM N cocomrtN N 
 
 *M 
 
 M 
 
 
 5 
 
 E 
 
 2 
 
 B 
 
 m d 
 
 M 
 
 H 
 
 < 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 ili;l|!liiijg|!s 
 
 l^.ili! 
 
 Q 
 
 C <f* KH ^ KH ^ ^ Q-* ^" ^* ^ 1"* ^f* 1-1 ^ 
 
 *^ O ^j |^ j_ "O tl j^ G 
 
 Q 
 2 
 < 
 U 
 
 lll llllllllllll 
 
 isit^idtu 
 
 
 h-,^ 
 
 c^ "^U U 
 
 PARTY. 
 
 *j c *: c ^ c 
 
 ^ o ^ u ^ o 
 
 >- ^ _Q - *- O 1-" _Q 
 <U g (U 3 D ^ 
 
 "5 a *^ c^-a o. 
 
 r 0) r (U Vr V <U 
 HH p/ UH f P* f 
 
 Republican. 
 
 Federalist. 
 < 
 
 Republican. 
 Federalist. 
 
 j 
 
 
 CO O 
 
 r^ co co 
 
 eo r- 
 
 M M 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 Sjj 
 
 O in o 
 
 o t^ 
 
 o < 
 
 
 M M 
 
 >=fe 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 Hi M >- M HI 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 223 
 
 R 
 
 N t-i N r^ w r^ N oco o o r^. o) o coco O M -f- 
 
 r^woocococ^Cceo -f. w-> M o m rro O O rj- 
 
 eocONr>MO tr > - - *n O Or~xOe*OcOi-iir> 
 
 inu-J-for-^or^Oco M" o" u-> eo~ r-^ rC c> of O~ O* 
 
 ^nO^^TOcococo >O co *-c* co OO O ex 
 
 MM ou-)O*o t>. r^ oj>~ too* coc< 
 
 \n M t^o co 
 
 Ocococou->CT i >nt> >-t M uit->N M H-I c>r^ 
 
 c >~. 
 
 o w 
 
 S.S^E.S 
 
 cc5c:C ( ua a ; c - 
 
 .j^lSfii^ 
 
 o . 
 
 ou 
 
 
 rfl 
 
 .n-pl 
 
 ig-ss-sa^ws^ ts 
 
 ^Stso<|ild|il5|l 
 
 f c j^>^|so A^5 u Ao A ^^| 
 
 > . o c4 ^_i ^i ^_- ^ 
 
 c . ^ 
 J.-S 
 
 II 
 
 ^11*1-3 
 
 
 
 
 S c " 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 1 = 
 
 *j C 4-J C 4^ C 
 v> cS -f. rt n rt 
 S a ^r ^>^; o 
 
 SI11 
 
 ? g-3 1? 1 
 
 fe c2^^^f2 
 
 | 
 
 2j ; - 
 
 1 
 C4 
 
 O o f4> 
 
 2| 2| S 
 8|SU 
 
 C 1> S W ^* 
 C -x S ^ .J^ 
 
 Z-S^<3 
 
 Democrat, 
 Whig. 
 
 tx 2 f* 2 
 
 .M^M 
 
 i 
 
 Democrat, 
 
 
 
 
 rt ci "* 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 c^ 
 
 co co co co 
 
 co p 
 
 & 
 
 I 
 
224 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 co r^ "-* r^ n -i c"j o O^ 
 Omcoocir^Mr^ r*>. 
 
 i -^ M 10 o r^ O O o O 
 
 O xr> O d c^s 
 vnco -TCI i- , 
 oco r-> in O 
 
 M M o O co i- -to 
 OOCO inco-tt^O 
 c\i o c^ 1-1 co coco coco 
 
 
 of M" en ci 
 
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 jii~i. A IE 
 
 18U 62RC 
 
 FE3 6 1 
 
 
 
 
 MOV on 
 
 - 
 
 V & 1345 
 
 IflNF, 1962 
 
 
 
 MAfl ar. - ~ 
 
 nEC l513G577 
 
 
 Ut-v 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
 JUN 8 1948 
 
 . ^w w -^ 
 
 , -5hnS?CWr 
 
 nFr 2 0*65 -10 AW 
 
 1 19Dec^U 
 
 ULU *" V 
 
 ? IOMar52CF - 
 
 nn 1 A idC 4 ^V 
 
 ~^J1 
 
 JN 1 "vo ^ ^ 
 
 31Mar52LU 
 
 jL21 < 669?RC9 
 
 
 
 21 Mi 5C IT 
 
 
 W*R ^ 1956 
 
 
YB 37948 
 
 
 LIBRARY USE 
 
 RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED 
 
 LOAN DEPT. 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DUE BEFORE CLOSING TIME 
 ON LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW 
 
 LIBRARY USE 
 
 2 9 64 
 
 LD 
 
 tt 
 
 5PM 
 
 General Library