Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-06-27

a Statement That Death Was caus-
ed by Heart Failure and Organic
Intestinal Troubles.
Princeton, N. J.-GroVer Cleveland,
twice President of the United States,
died at $40 on the morning Of June "a,
at his home, "Westland," in this col
lege town, where he had lived since his
retirement as the nations chief exeeu-
tive, almost 12 years ago.
When the end came, which was sud
den, there were in the death chamber
on the second floor Of the Cleveland
home, Mrs. Cleveland, DR.. Joseph d.
Bryant of New York, Mr.. Cleveland's
family physician and personal friend;
DR.. George Lockwood, also of New
York, and DR.. John M. Carnochan OF
Princeton.
An official statement given out and
signed by the three physicians gave
heart trouble, superlnduced by stom-
ach and kidney ailments Of long stand
ing, as the cause of death.
While Mr.. Cleveland had been IN
poor health for two years, and had
lost hundred pounds in weight, his
death came unexpectedly.
So Unexpectedly did Mr.. Cleveland's
death occur that not one Of his four
children was at home They are at
the Cleveland summer home at Tam
worth, N. H., under the care OF Mrs.
Perrine, Mrs. Cleveland's mother. Word
was sent to them of their fathers
death. Esther and Richard will start
at once for Princeton. The children
are Esther, aged Ia; Marion, aged 12i
Richard, aged 10, and Francis Grover,
aged 5.
Ever since Mr.. Cleveland's arrival
here II years ago, he had been a con-
spicuous figure in Princeton. Although
his only official connections with
Princeton university were his lecture
ship, known as the Stafford Little lect-
ureship in public affairs, and his mem
bership in the board of trustees, he
was regarded as a strong friend of the
institution.
AS member of the board OF trus-
tees, his counsel was invaluable.
Stephen Grover Cleveland who was
always called Grover, and so wrote his
name, was born in the Presbyterian
parsonage at Caldwell, near Newark,
N. j., March 1S, 1887. He was the fifth
of nine children. All Of them grew to
earnest manhood and womanhood, in
cludlng in their little circle a literary
woman, Presbyterian minister, an
East Indian missionary and President
of the United States.
When Cleveland was little fellow
his father was moving from town to
town every few years, preaching and
raising a family at an average consid-
erably below $1,000 year.
At Fayetteville, Onondaga county, the
youthful Grover became a clerk in the
village store, selling calico, books and
shoes, shovels, plug tobacco and other
things such as might be found In vii
lage stores.
Soon after the family moved to Hol-
land Patent, q village In Oneida coun-
ty, IL miles from Utica, the father,
though only 49 years old, was now
worn out in the harness, and died af-
ter preaching three Sundays. Grover
had to go to work and help get money.
He was admitted to the bar 1853, but
continued with the same firm until
he was appointed assistant district at
torney in 1868. He held Office three
years.
When the war came kind Of fam
lily council was held, and two of Grow
er's brothers were sent to the army,
he being reserved as one of the pro-
viders.
In 1881 the Democratic nomination
for mayor OF the city of Buffalo was
seeking a man and found Grover Cleve-
land. He was elected by $500 majority
in a Republican city, and began thor
ough work in his inaugural message.
His vetoes, as we'll as his business
like administration Of the offiOe at
tracted attention to him throughout
the state and led to his nomination
and election as governor Of New York
state in 1852.
The most sensational Ieto Of tn
governors first year was the veto OF
the scent fare bill for the New York l.
roads. Briefly given, his reasons were
that the legislation by which the roads
were chartered were SO emphatic In
their guarantee Of adequate fares, and
of minimum considerably higher than
| the uniform rate here proposed, that
q contract existed in favor of the COM
pany, which was protected by that
clause of the constitution impairing the
obligations of contracts; and further
that capital was attracted to the rapid
transit projects by the prospects OF lib
eral fares, that even that attraction
barely snfIiced, and that capital was
now unavoidably committed to these
projects under these circumstances an
arbitrary reduction Of fares involved
a breach Of faith on the part Of the
state, and betrayal Of confidence
which the state had invited.
1t was a courageous act to write such
veto as this. Nothing was to be
gained by 1t, for q politician, since the
entire responsibility could be left to
the committee that had framed 1t or
to the courts that would interpret It. 1t
was hardly fair to expect the executive
to do the duty Of both, and to fy in the
face Of what seemed to a casual OBJ
server a very natural. II not reasonable
demand ON the part Of large part Of
the public, The natural consequence
was that his political foes raised an
anti-monopoly cry, which did not last.
The issue between the two great