The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-07
CLEVELAND'S CAREER.
THE EVENTUAL LIFE OF THE MAN
OF DESTINY.
How He Begun in Poverty and Rose to
Eminenoe by Faithful Service in Of
fees OF Trust-The Principles He Has
Followed.

Grover Cleveland, twenty-second Presi-
dent OF the United States, was born in Cald-
well, Essex county, N. j., March Is, 1887
On the paternal side he il OF English
origin. Moses Cleveland emigrated from
Ipswich, county Of Suffolk, England, in
1885, and settled at Woburn, Mass, where
he died in 1901. His gandson was Aaron,
whose son, Aaron, was great great grand
father Of Grover. The second Aaron's
son, William, was n silvcrsmith and
matchmaker at Norwich, Conn., His son,
Richard Foley Cleveland, was graduated
at Yale in 1924, was ordained to the
Presbyterian ministry in 1929, and in the
same year married Annie Neal, daughter
OF Baltimore merchant OF Irish birth.
These two were the parents OF Grover
Cleveland. The Presbyterian parsonage
at Caldwell, where Mr.. Cleveland was
born, was 6rst occupied by the Rev.
Stephen Grover, in whose honor the boy
was named, but the iint name was
early dropped, and he has been
known rs Grover Cleveland. When he
was four years old his father nc ceptod a
call 10 Fayetteville, near Syracuse, n. V,
where the son had an academic schooling,
and aitcrward was clerk in country
store. The removal OF the family TO Gin
ton, Oneida county, gave Grover add
uonal educational advantages in the acad-
envy there. In his seventeenth year he
became n clerk and assistant teacher in the
| New York Institution for the Blind in New
York city, In which his elder brother,
| William, an alumnus Of Hamilton college,
now a Presbyterian clergyman at Forest
port, n. Y, was then n teacher. In 1856
Grover left Holland Patent, in Oneida
county, where his mother then resided
| 10 go 10 the west in search Of employment
On his way he stopped nj Black Rock, now
part OF Buffalo, and called on his uncle,
Lewis Il. Allen, who induced him TO re-
main and aid him in the compilation OF u
| volume Of the American Herd Book, rcceiy-
ing for six weeks service $50. lie after
ward assisted in the preparation OF
several other volumes OF this work and the
preface to the fifth volume 1861 Rcknowl-
edges his services. In August. 1855, he
secured place IN clerk and copyst for the
law firm of Rogers, Bowen q Rogers, in
Buffalo. llo began 10 read Blackstone
and in the autumn Of that year WIS re
cciving - a week for his work. lie was
admitted 10 the bar in 1859, but for three
years longer he remained with the firm
that first employed him, acting M manag-
| ing clerk, at n salary OF 5000, soon nd
yanccd Ia u ,OOO part OF which ho de-
voted 10 the support Of his widowed
mother who died in 1882 lie was APP
pointed assistant district attorney Of Erie
county, January I, 1863. aud held the Of
flee for three years. At this time strenu-
Gus Efforts were making 10 bring the civil
war 10 n close. Two Of Clcycands
brothers were in the army and his mother
and sisters were dependent largely upon
him for support. Unable 10 enlist, hc
borrowed money Ia send n substitute, and
Il was not till long after the war that he
was able 90 repay the loan. In 1855, Mt
the age Of twenty.cighi, he was the Demo
cratic candidate for district attorney, but
was defeated by the Republican candi-
date, his intimate friend, Lyman X.
liass. lie then became a law partner Of
Isaac V. Nandcrpool, aud In 1909 became
q member oi the firm Of lanning, Clcyc.
land 4 Folsom. lie continued success.
fu practice ill 1870 when he was elected
sheriff Of Eric county. AZ the expiration
of his three ycan' term, lac formed law
partnership with his personal friend aud
political antagonist, Lyman X. Bass, the
firm being lass, Cleveland Il Bifscll. and,
after the forced retirement from failing
health Of Mr.. lass, Cleveland x Bir-cll
The firm was prosperous aud Cleveland
attained high rank ~ II lawyer, noted
| for the simplicity and dlrvCtnCHs
Of his logic and expression and
| thorough mastery Of his cases. In tho
autumn II 1881, ho was nominated Demo-
cratic candidate for mayor Of Buffalo, and
was elected by majority Of $3.50, the
largest ever given 10 candidate In
that city. Ia the same election
the Republican State ticket WIS
carried in Buffalo hy an nycmg,,
majority Of 1900, but Cleveland had a
partial Republican, Independent and "Rc-
iorn' movement support. lie entered
upon the office January 1, lSs2, and the
following extract from this inaugural al.
drcss was the key note Of his adminisira-
ton: "lt seems 10 me that asucccsiul and
faithful administration Of the government
Of our city may be- accomplished by con.
siantly bearing In mind that We are the
trustees and agents Of our fellow citizcns,
holding their funds In sacred trust 20 be
expended for their benefit, that We should
at all times be- prepared 10 render an hon.
est account Of them, touching the manner
Of their expenditure, aud that the affairs
oi the city should be- conducted ~ Tar as
possible upon the same principles ~ n good
business man manages his private con.
Germs"
lie soon became known ~ the "yclu
mayor. using that pUrngatiyc icnrlvssly
in checking unwisc. illegal or cNtfayaglnt
expenditure Of the public money, and
enforcing strict compliance with the re-
quirnunis Of the state constitution
and the city charter. By vctoing cx,raya.
CANT appropriations hc saved the city nearly
sl,O1O,uu0 la the trsi six months oi his al.
minislration. During his mayonlty the
city celebrated the Hcmi.ccnicnary II ID,
cooperate existence. Ills admirable i'm.
partial administration during his cntiN
term Of Office Won tributes 10 his integrity
and ability from the prcss aud the people
irrespective Of party.
On the second day Of tho Democrat,
State convention at Syracuse, September
! 30, lSS2, ON the third ballot, by vote o
2ll out Of js2, Grover Cleveland was nom
mated Tor Governor, IN opposition {,
Charles j. Folgcr, then SECRETARY Of IN,
United States Treasury, nominated ior th,
same onicc thrro DAYS before by the Re
publican State convention nt Saratoga. In
the course Of bis letter oi acceptance
two weeks aitcrwarl, Mr.. Cleveland
wrOio. "Public officers aw the acfy
ants and agents oi the people {,
execute the laws which the people hay,
made, and within the limits II constitu
ton which they have established" IN
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