Celebrating March Birthdays: Grover Cleveland who rose to greatness from Buffalo, NY

An oil painting of Grover Cleveland by

Swedish painter Anders Zorn, 1899

I admire Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837-June 24, 1908) for several reasons--not the least of which was visiting his birthplace in Caldwell New Jersey-- a National Historic Site.

He rose to become President of the United States by first becoming Mayor of Buffalo in 1881 and then Governor of New York State. He is the only President to be elected to the highest office on two non-consecutive terms: the first one in 1885-1889 and the second in 1893-1897.

He was scrupulously honest and diligently fought against "political corruption, patronage and bossism." (wiki) Biographer Allan Nevins wrote, "in Grover Cleveland the greatness lies in typical rather then unusual qualities. He had no endowments that thousands of men do not have. He possessed honesty, courage, firmness, independence and common sense. But he possessed them to a degree other men do not."

I would go a step farther: he not only possessed sterling qualities--he expressed them consistently, unwaveringly, unfailingly.

He acted on and acted out his principles, which won him the attention of party leaders in an age of rampant corruption, graft and dishonesty.

Here are a few of his quotes.

"It is better to be defeated standing for a high principle than to run by
committing subterfuge."

"A truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the
fact that honor lies in honest toil."