Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-26
GROVER CLEVELAND DEAD.
Greatest Private Citizen In the World
Passes Away.

Greatest Private Citizen In the World
Passes Away.
Grover Cleveland, twice president of
the Cnited States, died at his home in
Princeton, N. j., last Wednesday morn
ing at $40 o'clock.
Mr.. Cleveland had been in bad health
for more than two years, during which
time he lost a hundred pounds in
weight. The principal troubles were
disordered stomach and kidneys, and
while it was reasonably certain that
the end was near. his death, which was
sudden, was unexpected at this time.
1t came as more of shock to his fam
ily and close friends, than to the Amer
lean people.
Grover Cleveland was born in Cald-
we'll, N. j., in 1887. His father was
Stephen f. Cleveland, a Presbyterian
preacher. Most of his early life was
spent in the city of Buffalo, N. Y. He
was drafted for service in the war.
Two of his brothers had already been
drafted, and being the only remaining
support of his mother and sister. he
hired a substitute. In 1881, he became
mayor Of Buffalo. The next year the
Democrats elected him governor OF
New York, and in 1884 he became
president of the United States. He
had made a reputation as veto" may
or. This because he governed his con-
duct in accordance with standards OF
right rather than policy. He pursued
the same course as governor, and was
the same man as president. He was
the first real president that the coun-
try had had since the war. Others had
left the government Of the country
principally to the leaders of the house
and senate Cleveland stood for prin-
ciples rather than policies and quickly
alienated the support of powerful par
ty leaders. Toward the close OF his
first term he startled the country with
bombShell message on the tarif queS-
ton. At that time the tariff was hard
ly an issue 1t was pitched along un-
just and inequitable lines, it is true;
and powerful interests were benefitting
from it at the expense of millions. But
the politicians had agreed upon
truce, and nobody expected any dis
turbance. The message dealt with the
question, fully and frankly, and almost
instantly politics were in a turmoil.
The message was published just before
the nominating convention of 1888. A
tremendous effort was made to defeat
Mr.. Cleveland for denomination. He
was nominated but in the following
election was defeated by Benjamin
Harrison. Long before the end Of Mr..
Harrison's term the country began to
appreciate the righteousness Of Mr.
Cleveland's position, and in 1892 he was
renominated and elected. During Mr..
Cleveland's second term, he had to
stand against his party to prevent the
enactment Of law providing for the
free coinage of silver. He believed
that free coinage meant ruin and al
though an overwhelming majority of
the Democrats stood for it, he held
out to the end and triumphed. He liv-
ed to see the country endorse the wis
dom of his course. 1t was during his
second administration that he called
Great Britain down in the Venezuela
case. Great Britain was about to COB
bic Venezuelan territory. Although
utterly unprepared for war, President
Cleveland quietly gave the best armed,
best equipped and most powerful ma
ton on earth to understand that 1t
must submit the matter in dispute to
arbitration or fight. 1t looked like war
for a while; but Great Britain finally
yielded, and the United States without
a drop of blood, from that time took
uGI pOSlllOIl dS Tic IllpSl pO"Sllul
ton Of the earth. 1t was Mr.. Cleve-
land, too, who put in motion the forces
that resulted in the Spanish war, free
Cuba, etc.
Upon his retirement from office in
March, 1897, Mr. Cleveland went to
Princeton, built a home and devoted
himself to the duties of private life.
Many of the politicians continued to
hold bitterness against him; but he
paid no attention to them. He was
introduced at st. Louis in 1903 as the
greatest private citizen in the world"
and since that time the majority of the
people of this country, at least have
been willing to cOncede that the intro
duction was truly descriptive of the
fact.
Upon the announcement of the death
of Mr. Cleveland, the flags on the pub
lie buildings at Washington and
throughout the country were lowered
to half mast, and during the day the
Cleveland residence was flooded with
messages from prominent people
throughout the United States and the
world.