The two terms of Grover Cleveland cause some level of confusion to this day. If anyone knows anything about the presidency of Grover Cleveland, it is that he is the only president with nonconsecutive terms. So he is considered the 22nd and 24th president. This throws the numbering off and during Obama’s inaugural address in 2009, he stated “Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.” He was wrong. He is the 44th president, but only the 43rd person to take the oath due to Cleveland’s nonconsecutive terms.
Grover Cleveland was born Stephen Grover Cleveland in New Jersey, the fifth of nine children. His father, Richard, died when Grover was 16 years old. He gave up plans for college and ended up moving to Buffalo, where his uncle owned a ranch. While in Buffalo he studied for and passed the bar in 1859. When the Civil War broke out Cleveland hired another man, George Benninsky, to take his place. This was legal under the Federal Conscription Act.
He practiced law on and off for the next 20 years, dabbling in politics along the way. He lost an election for District Attorney in 1865 and was elected sheriff of Erie County in 1870. His reputation was increasing and he was elected Mayor of Buffalo in 1881, where he earned the nickname “veto mayor”. Cleveland found that most of the city contracts were being awarded to a few connected people and started to expose the practice.
This era in New York politics was a battle between entrenched party machines like Roscoe Conklings, and the reformers who felt that contracts and government jobs should be based on merit. The battle was going on at the national level as well with James Garfield and, later, Chester Arthur fighting against the status quo. In this environment Cleveland easily won the 1882 race for Governor of New York as a reformer. In his first two months in office he vetoed eight bills. The first one that received attention was a bill to reduce the fare on New York City trains. The bill was popular in part because Jay Gould, who owned the trains, was unpopular. However, Cleveland believed that it was unfair, Gould had taken over the failing trains and made the system profitable again.
Cleveland had built a reputation as a reformer, so he was the front runner for the Democratic nomination for president in the election of 1884. James Blaine turned out to be his Republican opponent. There were many shortcomings to the Blaine candidacy, including close ties to the railroads and big business. In an age of reform these would be held against him. The only thing that seems to have caused a bump in the road was a minor scandal.
OK, maybe fathering an illegitimate child in 1874 isn’t a minor scandal. He did have relations with the woman, but apparently so did several other men. Cleveland took the high road and sent money to the woman to support the child. Even during the election he admitted fathering the child despite lack of proof that the child was his. It is believed that he did this because of all the men involved with her, he was the only bachelor.
Winning the election comfortably in the electoral college (219-182) Cleveland prepared to move to DC. During his first term he supported the rights of Native Americans. During the Arthur administration almost 500,000 acres of tribal land had been offered for sale. Much of this land was returned during Cleveland’s term. He was not, however, supportive of women’s rights. It was during this time that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton published the three volumes of The History of Women’s Suffrage and were pushing to get the right to vote. Cleveland’s sister, who served as his hostess since he wasn’t married, was a strong supporter of the suffrage movement. On a side note, The History of Women’s Suffrage is a free download on the Kindle!
During his first term he was faced with a budget surplus that members of Congress wanted to spend on pet projects in their districts. Cleveland believed that the surplus was due to high tariffs and favored lowering the tariffs to bring relief to consumers. The tariffs were supported by businesses because it made imported products more expensive. Congress did not support his view and the tariff question became an issue in the 1888 election.
Also during his first term he supported the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The ICC was originally created to regulate the railroads and ensure rates were fair. Over time the reach of this agency was increased to cover telegraphs, telephones, trucking, wireless carriers and busing. The ICC survived until 1995 when it was replaced by Surface Transportation Board. The telephone portion of the regulations were moved to the Federal Communications Commission in 1934. The ICC was the first independent agency created by the federal government.
In 1886 Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the White House. There was a 27 year difference in the newly married couples ages. Francis was the daughter of an old law partner of Cleveland’s. When Francis was born Grover bought the parents a baby carriage for her. In fact, when her father died, Grover even took over the upbringing of young Francis. The public was aware of all of the circumstances around the couple, but didn’t seem to mind.
The election of 1888 remains the one of the closest in history. In fact, Cleveland received 100,000 more popular votes than Harrison, but Harrison easily won the electoral count (233-168). Harrison’s home state of Indiana was a key state in 1888 and Harrison won that state due in part to an infamous fraud called the Blocks of Five. People essentially sold their votes.
Returning to his law practice, Cleveland continued to follow politics and voiced his opposition to bimetallism, which would allow silver to also be used to mint money. The Harrison administration signed the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 which raised taxes on imports. This was very unpopular with the public and in the 1892 election they elected Cleveland to his second term.
The beginning of his second term was made difficult due to a financial crisis. The financial crisis led to failed businesses, higher unemployment and labor unrest as the surviving companies looked to cut costs through wage and benefit cuts. The Pulman Strike in 1894 led to the shutdown of some of the railroad lines. Cleveland, feeling that because the railroads carried U.S. Mail, sent in troops to Chicago to break the strike.
He also had to deal with international issues citing the Monroe Doctrine to support Venezuela and Cuba as they fought against European powers. Viewing the attempted annexation of Hawaii by Harrison as American Imperialism he withdrew the treatise from congress only five days after taking office.
During his second term Cleveland faced a serious medical issue. A tumor had formed on the roof of his mouth. It was decided that the tumor would need to be removed. Because the financial markets were still agitated and the midterm elections were approaching Cleveland decided to have the operation in secret. The operation took place aboard a yacht (the Oneida) off Long Island. It involved removing a portion of his upper jaw that left him disfigured; a hard rubber prosthetic was created to disguise it.
By the end of his second term his popularity was low so the democrats selected William Jennings Bryan (who lost to William McKinley). He returned to private life, having two more children after leaving office and living until 1908.
Trivia:
- The city of Cleveland, Ohio is named for one of Grover Cleveland’s ancestors, General Moses Cleaveland. The village of Cleaveland was founded in 1796 and named for the leader of the group. A story is that in 1832 the local newspaper, The Cleveland Advertiser, dropped the ‘a’ because the full original spelling wouldn’t fit on the paper’s masthead. Another story states that the original surveying party misspelled it on the original map.
- Grover Cleveland is the only president to have a job as a hangman. He was once the sheriff of Erie County, New York and twice had to spring the trap at a hanging.
- Cleveland is on the $1,000 bill. The $1,000 bill is still used as legal tender, but is no longer being printed.
- Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty on October 26th, 1886
- Cleveland won the popular vote in 3 consecutive presidential elections. Only FDR exceeded that accomplishment.
- His second vice-president Adlai Stevenson I, is the grandfather of Adlai Stevenon III, the Democratic candidate for president in 1952 and 1956.
- When Cleveland won the presidential election in 1884 he was the first Democratic president in 24 years.
- Cleveland was the second of three presidents that were mayors at some point; A. Johnson (Greeneville, Tenn), Coolidge (Northampton, Mass)
- Because of the revelation about his fathering an illegitimate child Republicans would chant “Ma, Ma where’s my Pa” at campaign stops. Once he won the election his supporters added “Gone to the White House, ha ha ha”
- One of the other men that was thought to be the possible father of the illegitimate child was Richard Folsom, his law partner and his future wife’s father!
- As president he vetoed more bills than any of his predecessors.
- At 21, Francis remains the youngest first lady
- Francis and Jackie Kennedy are the only first ladies to remarry after the death of their husbands
- There is a new book about the secret surgery called “The President is a Sick Man”.
Vital Stats:
- Wife: Francis Folsom (1864-1947, m. 1886)
- Children: Oscar Folsom (1874-?, the illegitimate child), Ruth (1891-1904), Esther (1893-1980), Marion (1895-1977), Richard Folsom (1897-1974), Francis Grover (1903-1995)
- Party affiliation: Democratic Party
- Presidency: 1881-1885
- Born: March 18th, 1837 (Caldwell, New Jersey)
- Died: June 24th, 1908 (Princeton, New Jersey)
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