GROVER CLEVELAND. (1837- .)
Two terms, 1885-1889—1893-1897.
The city of Buffalo, N.Y., has the distinction of being the only one in the United States which has furnished two presidents of the country. Millard Fillmore hailed from Buffalo and Grover Cleveland went from that city to occupy the highest office in the gift of the American people. His native place, however, was Caldwell, New Jersey, where he was born, March 18, 1837. He was the son of a clergyman and received a fair education in the public schools, and became an instructor for a time in an institution for the blind at Clinton, N.Y. He removed to Buffalo in 1855, and, having engaged in the study of law, soon became prominent at the bar. He was appointed assistant district attorney in 1863, and in 1870 was elected sheriff of the county. His course gained the confidence of the community and led to his election as mayor of Buffalo, in 1881, though the city was naturally strongly Republican in politics.
Mr. Cleveland added to his popularity by his able administration and was nominated for governor of the State in the autumn of the following year. His success by the unprecedented majority of 192,854 attracted national attention and led the Democrats to believe he was their most available candidate for the presidency. His course as governor commended itself to his friends, who were so numerous that, when his name was presented at Chicago, he received 683 votes against 137 for all others.
It will be noted that Mr. Cleveland was the first Democratic President since the opening of the war. He assumed his office with the best wishes of the people, though it is worth noting in this place that the majority by which he was elected was much less than a glance at the returns would suggest. At a public reception of Mr. Blaine, during the canvass, a clergyman referred to the Democratic party as that of "Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion." This unfortunate expression drove away a number of votes from Mr. Blaine, who was defeated in New York by a few hundreds only; but they were sufficient to turn the thirty-six electoral votes to Mr. Cleveland and secure his election by the majority already named.
COMPLETION OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
For years preceding the Civil War, and for a long time afterward, the Washington monument was a source of reproach and jest among the people, because so long a period was allowed to pass before its completion. The corner-stone was laid July 4, 1848, at which time Robert C. Winthrop, Speaker of the House of Representatives, delivered the address. The occasion was made notable by the presence of Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and President Polk. The memorial to the greatest American orator that ever lived was allowed to stand uncompleted for thirty-seven years, its formal dedication taking place February 21st (the 22d fell on Sunday), 1885. The address of the venerable W.W. Corcoran, first vice-president of the Washington Monument Society, formed in 1833, was read by Dr. J.C. Welling, president of Columbia University, and the ceremonies were of an interesting character. The Masonic services were conducted by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, which used the gavel that Washington had employed in laying the corner-stone of the national capitol, September 18, 1793, while the Bible was the one upon which he took his vows when made a Mason. A second Bible was the one upon which he was sworn into office, April 30, 1789, when inaugurated President of the United States. This relic is now the property of St. John Lodge, No. 1, of New York City.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C.
President Arthur's address was as follows: