The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-31
A Sketch Of Grorer Cleveland.

England Stock his OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES aaron
Cleveland, was born in 1744, at one of the
Haddams that dot the Connecticut River just
above its mouth. He was a man of great lit
erary talents, and his incIinations led him in
10 the ministry. His charges were in Yer
mont and Connecticut, where he died in ISIS.
One of his sons was Father Cleveland, the
city missionary of Boston, who died in lSl2 at
the age of one hundred years A daug inter
married DR.. Samuel III. Coke, whose son. DR..
a. c. Coke, is the Episcopal Bishop of W estern
New York The second son. William. was the
grandfather of Grover Cleveland. \ son of
William. nSmed Richard. was the father OF
the present Governor of New York. Richard
Cleveland was born at Norwich, Connecticut,
in 1904 and graduated at Yale College in 1S4.
Many OF his classmates still survive. After
teaching school and studying theology at
Princeton he was ordained Presbyterian
minister in 1928. His first charge was at
Windham, Connecticut. In ls29 he married a
daughter of Abner Neall, of Baltimore. Then
he had charge of churches in Portsmouth,
Virginia, and, Caldwell. New \ ork. after which
he went TO Fayetteville. near syracuse, New
York. Thence he went to Holland Patent,
near Utica, New York. where he died in 1853.
His wife dled at the same place in lSS2, aged
seyenty-eight, few months before the dis
tinguished triumph of her son Grover at the
polls in November of the same year. She had
nine children, the fifth of wnom-Stephen
Grover-was born at Caldwell, \. Y, March
18th, 1857. He was named for his fathers
predecessor in the pastorate, but dropped the
''Stephen'' because everybody called him
'GrovSr."
When his father died Grover was fifteen
years old. In the course of few months he
became the assistant OF his brother who had
charge of a blind asylum. Then, in 1855, he
set out for the West in company with one OF
his young friends who also wished to grow
up with the country. Both of the young men
were attracted by the city OF Cleyeland-on
account of the name. But friends in Buffalo
persuaded the young men to stop i'll that city
and Grover Cleveland entered the law Office
of Rogers Bowen u Rogers as a student A
liberal salary was soon allowed him because
he earned it-and, in 49,. he was admitted to
which had acted as his precepters. For three
years he held the position or Assistant Dis
trict-Attorney of Erie County (Bufalo). n. Y.
He was then nominated by the Democrats. in
1866, for District-Attorney, but he was defeat
ed. His first law partnership was with the
late l.. V. Vanderpool. This continued till
August, 1850. Since that date he has be longed
to the following firms, all in the City or bur
falo: Laning, Cleveland & FoIsom; Bass,
Cleveland s. Bissell; Cleveland & Bissell, and
Cleveland, BisSell & Sicard. The latter firm
continued TO the time of his election as Gov
ernor of New York. In 1870 Mr.. Cleveland
was elected Sheriff of Erie County by large
majority. Eleven years later he was tine Dem
ocratic candidate for Mayor of the CITY OF
Buffalo and was elected by decisive MAORI
ty. His administration was SO satisfactory
and his course so fair and bipartisan that
better things were expected for him. There
FORE when the Democratic State convention
met at Syracuse in September, 1882. all eyes
were turned toward him as one of the leading
candidates for Governor. He was elected by
1E,,. So votes over Charles j. Folger, the Re
publican nominee. and took possession OF the
Office January /. 1888.
Governor Cleve!and's thorough legal tTsin-
ing has served him well in the Executive
chair. 1t is some years since thorough law
yer-Mr. TIlden-laSt held the office. His
practice has been to scan all the bills sent TO
him and not to seek the advice OF lawyers, as
some Governors have done. He makes thor
ough work of this inspection, and his yetoes
carry conviction with them. There could be
no other outcome after his application OF a
strictly legal analysis to the mass of misceE
laneous legislation that reaches him. In spite
of the amendment TO the State Constitution
forbidding special legislation, many bills OF
that sort have entered his chamber only TO De
killed. The same care and painStaking were
observable when more general interests were
at stake. Last year he vetoed the Five cent
Elevated Railway Fare bill in justice TO the
corporations, although he knew IL was an I'M
popular thing to do. Then he vetoed a gem
eral Street Railroad bill because the rights OF
the people were so loosely guarded. HIS veto
of the Buffalo Fire Department bill was
against the interests of certain party man.
ayers in his home city; but he vetoed II Tor
that very reason and because twas not in the
interest of the people at large The same
care of the public led him to veto bill which
removed many of the present restrictions and
allowed the trustees of savings banks TO IN
vest in wildcat securities. His veto of the
Prison Commission bill was because ne
thought it ought to report sooner than next
January. He has steadily put his foot on all
measures to exempt from taxation. HIS DIS
approval of two or three of the New York Re
form bills was because they were so loosely
drawn. The remainder of these bills had been
already signed.
toes will show how tersely and yet how fairly
he disposes of the various matters that come
before him:
Authorizing New York City to contribute
$50 900 for the Bartholdi Statue fund. Uncon'
stitution1
To amead tn. charter of the City of Albany.
1.-THE present charter of the City OF Albany
provides for the designation by the Common
Council of three official papers, which shall
publish all ordinances and other matters re
qured by law to be published. The amend.
mentproposed by this bill provides that Il
of the political parties shall not be represent
ed, the Common Council may designate q
fourth official paper, in order that such party
may be represented. should like 10 approve
bill providing for one official paper for the
City of Albany. If two are deemed neceS
sary, it should, perhaps, tee provided that they
shall be papers representing the views oil
each of the great parties; put any bill per
hitting the designation of four Ofhc!al papers
in the City of Albany appears to me to be en-
tirely unnecessary and q useless eXpendl
ture.
Relative to the Cohoes water supply. "Af
ter very fun hearing, a little more than a
year ago, i approved chapter 429 OF the laws
of 1888. One of the principal arguments used
for its passage was that the water furnished
by the COhoes Water Company was impure
That law contemplated the furnishing OF q
new supply of water, etc. Nothing has beer
done under that law, and it is now proposed
To repeal all of il that permits new works to
be erected and authorizes putting down new
pipes, which will enforce the continuation OF
the present supply. This purports to be bill
to amend the law of 1SS}, but there are two
sections of it which amend that law in
terms. The rest is an Independent act, and
confusion is sure to arise, / think, between
ha tVO 1
scheme of the act of 1888 is to be abandoned
it should be repealed and another law sub
stituted, or the sections of the old act should
be amended in such way that the existing
law would be clear
Notably do the vetoes of Governor Cleve
land show that they have been dictated by
sound common sense. But brief glance al
his positive acts will show that he has also
been of service to the State of New y DIRK in
signing pills. By this it should not be under
| stool that to veto bills is merely a negativ,
service. for it is usually a service OF the mos
positive kind when a Governor stops the
| enactment of bad laws that have been passed
| by the Legislature and that have come TO mir;
! for approval. Among the chief measures ina
| have been signed by Governor Cleveland are
| two or three that have changed the order q
! things that prevailed hitherto by placing the
| completion of the new Capitol on SOUND
| business basis and by maintain ng the com
| pleted portion upon correct and econOmlca
| principles. Various bills of great interest Il
| the several localities in the State have alsC
been approved. The bill requiring telegraph
| and other wires to be placed underground II
| the cities of New York and Brooklyn has be
! come a law. as has also bill guarding the in
| terests of the people while making less com
! plicated the machinery for organizing stree
| railways in cities.
| The official life of Governor Cleveland il
| very mOnotonous and very irksome. He IS a
| his desk from early in the morning till late a
nj yht, and his hours of rest are few when tn
| Legislature is in session. His callers arr
| many and they are not always considerate q
| his time. Yet he never loses his temper. III
| is truly democratic and he is very readily ap
| preached. An hour is taken from his desi
| Tor lunch, and rather more than one for hi
| dinner.
| Governor Cleveland resides in the Executive
| Mansion which has been occupied by all tn
| Governors, from Tiden down. He keeps N
| horses, his preferences being to walk. In per
l hl, L. lar-cra md hnaNrv His face IL