Grover Cleveland

by Henry F. Graff

Book Overview

A fresh look at the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. Though often overlooked, Grover Cleveland was a significant figure in American presidential history. Having run for President three times and gaining the popular vote majority each time -- despite losing the electoral college in 1892 -- Cleveland was unique in the line of nineteenth-century Chief Executives. In this book, presidential historian Henry F. Graff revives Cleveland's fame,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805069232
• ISBN13: 9780805069235
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"

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Integrity

Grover Cleveland is best known as the only the president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. While this feat is remarkable, it leaves an unfortunate omission in the life of a remarkable man. In this concise biography, we are allowed a greater insight into this often forgotten president. In the original era of corrupt politics which included Tammany Hall, Cleveland's integrity and honesty were a welcome relief and made him a shining example as president. Cleveland experienced a meteoric rise to the White House, going from Buffalo's mayor to New York's governor to the Oval office in less than ten years. Decendent of a Presbyterian minister, Cleveland was never able to attend college. However, he was still able to initiate a successful law career. Cleveland's physical appearance would not have lend him to success in today's political landscape. A noted drinker and lover of food, Cleveland's frame is rumored to have hovered near 300 pounds at its peak. Cleveland was also known to avoid speaking engagements, knowing his time could be better spent at work. It reality, he was a quiet man. Yet his honesty spoke loudly for him in all situations. Having enjoyed other books in this presidential series, I would advise readers that this series is far from thorough. The authors do have the ability to make even the most dry presidencies seem readable. With only labor strife and silver coinage as the primary controversies of his presidency, this biography of Grover Cleveland is a very good read.

Reputation for honesty

Grover Cleveland, due to family responsibilities, never had the opportunity to earn a college degree but, was able to study with a lawyer and become admitted to the bar in the state of New York. He was elected mayor of the city of Buffalo and then, he became governor of the state of New York. Although New York was the state of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall, he developed a reputation for honesty. Since this series of short presidetial biographies is limited in space, most concentrate on the presidencies of their subject. Here, however, author Henry Graff gives lots of discussion to Cleveland's pepresidential years and it is halfway into the book before he assumes the presidency.I have read about a dozen of the biographies in this series and this one compares favorably with the others. When Cleveland was elected, he was a bachelor but, eveidentally, he had fathered a child out of wedlock leading to a campaign slogan by his opposition of, "Ma ma where's my pa? Off to Washington ha ha ha." Yes, negative campaigning has deep roots. Nonetheless, as to his conduct of the public offices he held, his reputation was that of scrupulous honesty. While in office, his bachelorhood ended as he married a woman nearly 27 years his junior. She was an active and popular first lady. When he lost his bid for re-election, his young wife Frances proved prophetic when she vowed that he would be elected yet again in four years. All three of his election campaigns were relatively close and when he lost his bid for re-election at the end of his first term to Benjamin Harrison, he actually carried the popular vote while losing the electoral vote. Cleveland was a relatively conservative president and despite several opportunities, he did not prove to be adventurous in foreign policy as Theodore Roosevelt later would be. One of the key domestic issues of the time was the issue of tariffs. Business interests were for them as they kept prices up but consumers and agricultural interests tended to be against them. To some extent Cleveland straddled a line in this issue but ultimately, protective tariffs were in effect during his two presidencies. This is a well written, interesting profile of the only Democrat elected president between James Buchanan and Woodrow Wilson. I highly recommend it.

Trying Hard to do Right

As the author, Henry Graff, notes in the book's epilogue "Cleveland lives in the national memory today almost exclusively as the president who had two nonconsecutive terms...."This brief work does much to change this erroneous impression. Upon death of his father, to support his mother and sisters, Cleveland traveled to Buffalo where he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1859 at age 22. During the Civil War, due to family obligations, he legally avoided the military draft by obtaining a substitute to take his place for $150. The author gives an interesting account of Cleveland' political career from assistant district attorney in 1863, to sheriff in 1870, to mayor of Buffalo in January 1882,and finally governor of New York in November 1882. "Old-time politicians were appalled at " Cleveland's being "such a stickler for honesty" as corruption was rife in both major parties. The public as a whole was full of esteem and wonder as Cleveland followed his motto "Good and pure government lies at the foundation of wealth and progress of every community." Graff writes Cleveland's reputation for integrity made him a national figure. Cleveland became the Democratic candidate for president in 1884. This was the era before candidates addressed nominating conventions nor did they openly campaign. While good political issues needed to be addressed neither party faced these issues. When Cleveland was accused in a paternity situation, he advised the Democratic Party to "Tell the truth." Three words that remain to this day the gold standard reply. The author gives a concise narration of Cleveland's first term. Cleveland addressed the issues of reform, labor problems, veterans' affairs and the critical issues of currency and the tariff. While Congress refused to lower tariffs that hurt the working class, Cleveland focused national attention on the tariff problem. Perhaps the most important bill passed during Cleveland's first term was the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. Cleveland, a bachelor president, in 1886 at the White House married Francis Folsom twenty-seven years his junior. In 1888 Cleveland was defeated for reelection. The author states that this was the closest election in American history with Cleveland winning the popular vote but losing the electoral vote. Cleveland's loss was characterized by "a disjointed campaign and lifeless leadership, including his own." In thirteen pages, the text covers Cleveland after the election. In 1892, the Democratic Party again nominated Cleveland for president. He was reelected on November 8 with the Democrats winning control of both houses of Congress. The author gives a brief account of Cleveland's second term that opened with the depression of 1893. Consequently the administration was faced with labor unrest and monetary problems as Congress refused to lower the tariff. To his credit, he stabilized the currency and stemmed the outflow of gold. Cleveland was battling elements that were changing the natio

A delightful work

Dr. Graff's treamtment of President Cleveland is illuminating and perfect for casual readers of history and presidential experts alike. His style is entertaining and informative and this book - and the series as a whole - is highly recommended.

Extremely solid, but limited by the subject matter

This is the fourth installment of an exciting new series in which major presidential scholars provide brief, critical biographies of all the American presidents. Arthur Schlesinger, who among many other things is famous for his overseeing the group of presidential scholars who rank all the American presidents, edits the series. In the most recent version of Schlesinger's list, Grover Cleveland is ranked 12th out of 39 presidents, at the top of the "Above Average" category and just missing the "Near Great" presidents. As Graff, the author of this volume, puts it, "Grover Cleveland is the best Unknown President." And that is the great virtue of this series: not in providing short biographies of figures like Abraham Lincoln and FDR, but less well known figures like Cleveland, and such future subjects as Martin Van Buren and James Buchanan.While Grover Cleveland emerges in this biography as an admirable, laudable, and highly capable president, he also strikes the reader today, as he did Americans in the late 19th century, as a terribly unexciting person. Of our better presidents, Cleveland was unquestionably the one with the least outgoing personality. Being respectful, one might describe him as "solid" rather than "dull." Although not someone possessed with a great deal of charisma, he was nonetheless impressive by his own great personal honesty and integrity, and the enormous amount of hard work he put into his job. After a series of presidents whose time in office was marred by corruption, Cleveland did a great deal to restore integrity and respect to the White House. Graff does a fine job within the confines of this biography to detail both the highpoints of Cleveland's relatively (for a president) uneventful life and of detailing many of the issues surrounding both his elections and his terms of office. Many of these issues will be familiar to students of American history, but when I have read of these before, it has been in the context of the country as a whole, and not from the viewpoint of a particular administration. Despite not being a terribly exciting individual, a number of aspects of Cleveland's life and presidency are of note. He is the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. He is the only president to be married in the White House. I found the section dealing with his highly secret surgery for cancer of the mouth to be fascinating. To keep his political opponents ignorant of his condition, he was transported to New York, placed in a yacht that was anchored near Bellevue Hospital, and operated on while on the boat. Because the surgery necessitated the removal of much of his jaw, he was fitted with a prosthetic jaw. Bizarrely, the public did not learn of any of this until a decade after his death.I can strongly recommend this slender volume to anyone who wants to know more about the life of one of our better yet least known presidents, and to get a better grasp of the political life of the United States near