Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-24
The Matiuu's Ghuife.
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
SKETCH OF THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
FOR THE PRESIDENCY.

Stephen Grover Cleveland's political ca
reer disproves precOnceived idea that
new men have no chance in National poll
tics. When the last Presidential election
was held this man was a plain citizen OF
Buffalo, New York, unknown, either as
professional man or a politician one hun
dred miles from that city. But rapid
course of events brought him rapidly to the
front, and each advancement proved that
he had the ability and character to adapt
himself to all the requirements of his new
surroundings. His career, like that OF the
eminent statesman of whom it may be said
he is the "residuary legatee,' the illustrious
Samuel J. Tilden, proves that men of strong
sense, who have always maintained an in
telligent and active interest in politics,
may safely be entrusted with great respon-
sibilities without previous experience IN
holding Office, if they are thoroughly ground
ed in honesty.
The obvious result of making politics and
public Office purely business enterprises is
that the public derives the advantage of all
the business experience and common sense
of the person so engaged. Thus something
of surprise is expressed when men of Gov
ernor Clevelands stamp spring up with ap-
parent spontaneity and prove successful in
politics. They are taken up without effort
on their own part. Many times they are
forced to positions of honor and responsible
ity by events over which they have slight
control. Public or party exigencies, the op-
portunity to make striking record, the
manifestation Of strong reserve power,
enable them to seize and use the occasion
for their own and the public benefit. This
is the secret of Governor Cleveland's rapid
rise over the heads of men grown gray in
party and public service.
Governor Cleveland's family was of New
England origin, from the neighborhood of
Haddam, Connecticut, and for many gene
rations have not failed, after the old-time
New England style, to produce Congrega-
tional minister. The Governors father was
graduated from Yale College in 1924, re-
moving soon after to Baltimore, where he
married and entered the Presbyterian min
istry. He removed soon after to Caldwell,
Essex county, New Jersey, where he labor
ed for several years. Here the son, Grover
Cleveland, was born, March 18, 1887.
He has only the most shadowy recollec-
tions of it, for when he was three years of
age his father, with large family and a
small salary, moved to Fayetteville, in the
creased income and larger field OF work.
Fayetteville was them the most struggling
of country villages-about five miles from
Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour
was born. Here the boy Grover Cleveland,
first went to school, in the good old fashioned
way and presumably distinguished himself,
after the manner of all village boys, in doing
all the things that he ought not to do. One
thing appears to be indisputable. He, at
the age of fourteen, had outgroWn the Ca
pacity of the village school and expressed a
most emphatic desire to be sent to an acade-
my. TO this his father as emphatically OBJ
jected. Academies, in those days, cost
money. Besides, the elder Cleveland wanted
quickest possible road The quickest posi-
Bile road in Fayetteville was the country
store, where the pastor with large family
had considerable personal influence. Fifty
dollars was to be paid the boy the first year,
and if he proved trustworthy he was to
receive 500 the second year.
There is a tradition comes from Fayette-
vile, not at all ill-defned, that young Cleve-
land in two years proved himself SO trust
worthy that his employers used all their ell
oquence to get him to stay on indefinitely.
The removal of the elder Cleveland to Clin-
ton, however, gave Grover the long wished
for opportunity to attend high school, and
he pursued his studies industriously until
the family moved upon the Black River,
fifteen miles north of Utica. The elder
nh b,f tbran S1nIaxyS n
this place, when he suddenly died. This
event produced the usual breakup Of the
family, and we next hear Of young Grover
setting. out for New York City to accept, at
small salary, the position of under teacher
in an asylum for the blind. He stayed there
two years, and it has been found possible to
discover the same indellible record of hard
work, faithfully performed and well re-
membered by those who were cogniZant of
it, and who are still alive. From tending
country store to teaching the blind is long
way on the road Of self-discipline. But to
teach he did not believe was his mission,
and consequently at the expiration of two
years he abandoned it and literally started
out to seek his fortune-only reversing the
usual order, and instead of going to a great
city, he left it. His first idea was to go to
Cleveland, but his uncle, Lewis +. Allan a
noted stock breeder, lived at Buffalo, and he
went straightto him for advice and guidance.
The uncle did not speak enthusiastically.
"What is it you want to do, my boy ?" he
asked.
"Well, sir, I want to study law"
"GoOd gracious" remarked the old gentle
man. "Do you indeed? What ever put
that into your head? How much money
have you got 2"
TO tell the truth he hadn't got any.
"See here" said the uncle, after long
consultation, 81 want somebody to get up
my herd-book this year. You come and
stay with me and help me and 1'll give you
$50 for the years work and you can look
round"
Here it is that we find the American boy
now annotating short horns out at Black
Rock, quite two miles from Buffalo. But he
kept his eye out for chance to enter a law
Office while he was editing the stock book,
and one day he walked boldly into the
rooms of Messrs. Rogers, Bowen Il Rogers,
and told what he wanted. There were a
number of young men in the place already.
But young Cleveland's persistency won,
and he was finally permitted to come as an
office boy and have the use of the law libra
ry. For this he received the nominal sum
of So or 81 a week, out of which he had to
pay his board and washing. The walk to
and from his uncles was long and at that
time rugged one. The first winter was
memorably severe one, and his shoes were
broken, and he had no overcoat. But he
never intermitted day. 1t began to be
noticed that he was the most punctual and
regular Of the lads in the office. Often at
night he was compelled to stand by the
warm chimney in the loft where he slept
and dry his feet after tramping the two
miles through the snow.
This uneVentful period of Grover Cleve-
lands life, so devoid of adventure and bar
rem of romance, was the period at which all
the forces of his later life were gestating.