the cleveland era-第7章

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the　Senate　was　evenly　balanced　in　party　strength；　each　party　having　37　avowed　adherents；　but　there　were　two　Independents。


In　state　politics；　the　polling　showed　that　both　parties　were　disgusted　with　their　leadership　and　that　there　was　a　public　indifference　to　issues　which　kept　people　away　from　the　polls。　A　comparison　of　the　total　vote　cast　in　state　elections　in　1882　with　that　cast　in　the　presidential　election　of　1880；　showed　a　decline　of　over　eight　hundred　thousand　in　the　Republican　vote　and　of　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　in　the　Democratic　vote。　The　most　violent　of　the　party　changes　that　took　place　during　this　period　occurred　in　the　election　of　1882；　in　New　York　State；　when　the　Republican　vote　showed　a　decline　of　over　two　hundred　thousand　and　the　Democratic　candidate　for　Governor　was　elected　by　a　plurality　of　nearly　that　amount。　It　was　this　election　which　brought　Grover　Cleveland　into　national　prominence。



CHAPTER　III。　THE　ADVENT　OF　CLEVELAND

Popular　dissatisfaction　with　the　behavior　of　public　authority　had　not　up　to　this　time　extended　to　the　formal　Constitution。　Schemes　of　radical　rearrangement　of　the　political　institutions　of　the　country　had　not　yet　been　agitated。　New　party　movements　were　devoted　to　particular　measures　such　as　fresh　greenback　issues　or　the　prohibition　of　liquor　traffic。　Popular　reverence　for　the　Constitution　was　deep　and　strong；　and　it　was　the　habit　of　the　American　people　to　impute　practical　defects　not　to　the　governmental　system　itself　but　to　the　character　of　those　acting　in　it。　Burke；　as　long　ago　as　1770；　remarked　truly　that　〃where　there　is　a　regular　scheme　of　operations　carried　on；　it　is　the　system　and　not　any　individual　person　who　acts　in　it　that　is　truly　dangerous。〃　But　it　is　an　inveterate　habit　of　public　opinion　to　mistake　results　for　causes　and　to　vent　its　resentment　upon　persons　when　misgovernment　occurs。　That　disposition　was　bitterly　intense　at　this　period。　〃Turn　the　rascals　out〃　was　the　ordinary　campaign　slogan　of　an　opposition　party；　and　calumny　formed　the　staple　of　its　argument。　Of　course　no　party　could　establish　exclusive　proprietorship　to　such　tactics；　and　whichever　party　might　be　in　power　in　a　particular　locality　was　cast　for　the　villain's　part　in　the　political　drama。　But　as　changes　of　party　control　took　place；　experience　taught　that　the　only　practical　result　was　to　introduce　new　players　into　the　same　old　game。　Such　experience　spread　among　the　people　a　despairing　feeling　that　American　politics　were　hopelessly　depraved；　and　at　the　same　time　it　gave　them　a　deep　yearning　for　some　strong　deliverer。　To　this　messianic　hope　of　politics　may　be　ascribed　what　is　in　some　respects　the　most　remarkable　career　in　the　political　history　of　the　United　States。　The　rapid　and　fortuitous　rise　of　Grover　Cleveland　to　political　eminence　is　without　a　parallel　in　the　records　of　American　statesmanship；　notwithstanding　many　instances　of　public　distinction　attained　from　humble　beginnings。

The　antecedents　of　Cleveland　were　Americans　of　the　best　type。　He　was　descended　from　a　colonial　stock　which　had　settled　in　the　Connecticut　Valley。　His　earliest　ancestor　of　whom　there　is　any　exact　knowledge　was　Aaron　Cleveland；　an　Episcopal　clergyman；　who　died　at　East　Haddam；　Connecticut；　in　1757；　after　founding　a　family　which　in　every　generation　furnished　recruits　to　the　ministry。　It　argues　a　hereditary　disposition　for　independent　judgment　that　among　these　there　was　a　marked　variation　in　denominational　choice。　Aaron　Cleveland　was　so　strong　in　his　attachment　to　the　Anglican　church　that　to　be　ordained　he　went　to　Englandunder　the　conditions　of　travel　in　those　days　a　hard；　serious　undertaking。　His　son；　also　named　Aaron；　became　a　Congregational　minister。　Two　of　the　sons　of　the　younger　Aaron　became　ministers；　one　of　them　an　Episcopalian　like　his　grandfather。　Another　son；　William；　who　became　a　prosperous　silversmith；　was　for　many　years　a　deacon　in　the　church　in　which　his　father　preached。　William　sent　his　second　son；　Richard；　to　Yale；　where　he　graduated　with　honors　at　the　age　of　nineteen。　He　turned　to　the　Presbyterian　church；　studied　theology　at　Princeton；　and　upon　receiving　ordination　began　a　ministerial　career　which　like　that　of　many　preachers　was　carried　on　in　many　pastorates。　He　was　settled　at　Caldwell；　New　Jersey；　in　his　third　pastorate；　and　there　Stephen　Grover　Cleveland　was　born；　on　March　18；　1837；　the　fifth　in　a　family　of　children　that　eventually　increased　to　nine。　He　was　named　after　the　Presbyterian　minister　who　was　his　father's　predecessor。　The　first　name　soon　dropped　out　of　use；　and　from　childhood　he　went　by　his　middle　name；　a　practice　of　which　the　Clevelands　supply　so　many　instances　that　it　seems　to　be　quite　a　family　trait。

In　campaign　literature；　so　much　has　been　made　of　the　humble　circumstances　in　which　Grover　made　his　start　in　life　that　the　unwary　reader　might　easily　imagine　that　the　future　President　was　almost　a　waif。　Nothing　could　be　farther　from　the　truth。　He　really　belonged　to　the　most　authentic　aristocracy　that　any　state　of　society　can　producethat　which　maintains　its　standards　and　principles　from　generation　to　generation　by　the　integrity　of　the　stock　without　any　endowment　of　wealth。　The　Clevelands　were　people　who　reared　large　families　and　sustained　themselves　with　dignity　and　credit　on　narrow　means。　It　was　a　settled　tradition　with　such　republican　aristocrats　that　a　son　destined　for　a　learned　professionusually　the　ministryshould　be　sent　to　college；　and　for　that　purpose　heroic　economies　were　practiced　in　the　family。　The　opportunities　which　wealth　can　confer　are　really　trivial　in　comparison　with　the　advantage　of　being　born　and　reared　in　such　bracing　conditions　as　those　which　surrounded　Grover　Cleveland。　As　a　boy　he　was　a　clerk　in　a　country　store；　but　his　education　was　not　neglected　and　at　the　age　of　fifteen　he　was　studying；　with　a　view　to　entering　college。　His　father's　death　ended　that　prospect　and　forced　him　to　go　to　work　again　to　help　support　the　family。　Some　two　years　later；　when　the　family　circumstances　were　sufficiently　eased　so　that　he　could　strike　out　for　himself；　he　set　off　westward；　intending　to　reach　Cleveland。　Arriving　at　Buffalo；　he　called　upon　a　married　aunt；　who；　on　learning　that　he　was　planning　to　get　work　at　Cleveland　with　the　idea　of　becoming　a　lawyer；　advised　him　to　stay　in　Buffalo　where　opportunities　were　better。　Young　Cleveland　was　taken　into　her　home　virtually　as　private　secretary　to　her　husband；　Lewis　F。　Allen；　a　man　of　means；　culture；　and　public　spirit。　Allen　occupied　a　large　house　with　spacious　grounds　in　a　suburb　of　the　city；　and　owned　a　farm　on　which　he　bred　fine　cattle。　He　issued　the　〃American　Short…Horn　Herd　Book；〃　a　standard　authority　for　pedigree　stock；　and　the　fifth　edition；　published　in　1861；　made　a　public　acknowledgment　of　〃the　kindness；　industry；　and　ability〃　with　which　Grover　Cleveland　had　assisted　the　editor　〃in　correcting　and　arranging　the　pedigrees　for　publication。〃

With　his　uncle's　friendship　to　back　him；　Cleveland　had；　of　course；　no　difficulty　in　getting　into　a　reputable　law　office　as　a　student；　and　thereafter　his　affairs　moved　steadily　along　the　road　by　which　innumerable　young　Americans　of　diligence　and　industry　have　advanced　to　success　in　the　legal　profession。　Cleveland's　career　as　a　lawyer　was　marked　by　those　steady；　solid　gains　in　reputation　which　result　from　care　and　thoroughness　rather　than　from　brilliancy；　and　in　these　respects　it　finds　many　parallels　among　lawyers　of　the　trustee　type。　What　is　exceptional　and　peculiar　in　Cleveland's　career　is　the　way　in　which　political　situations　formed　about　him　without　any　contrivance　on　his　part；　and　as　it　were　projected　him　from　office　to　office　until　he　arrived　in　the　White　House。

At　the　outset　nothing　could　have　seemed　more　unlikely　than　such　a　career。　Cleveland's　ambitions　were　bound　up　in　his　profession　and　his　politics　were　opposed　to　those　of　the　powers　holding　local　control。　But　the　one　circumstance　did　not　shut　him　out　of　political　vocation　and　the　other　became　a　positive　advantage。　He　entered　public　life　in　1863　through　an　unsought　appointment　as　assistant　district　attorney　for　Erie　County。　The　incumbent　of　the　office　was　in　poor　health　and　needed　an　assistant　on　whom　he　could　rely　to　do　the　work。　Hence　Cleveland　was　cal