Grover Cleveland: Classic Liberal

Grover Cleveland, America's 22nd and 24th president, is best remembered as the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms (1885-1889 and 1893-1897).  This does Cleveland a injustice as he should be remembered as the last of the classic liberal presidents.  His dedication to honesty and a firm conviction to maintaining governmental accountability provide a sharp contrast to many of our current politicians.  Cleveland was driven by his dedication to the Constitution and took his oath to "preserve, defend, and protect" without reserve.  He was somewhat unique in his own time and ours, in that he possessed selfless courage in the face of electoral realities.  Cleveland did not compromise his core political values in order to garner votes in the effort to maintain his office.  Historian Allan Nevins described the president's character as thus, "[I]n Grover Cleveland, the greatness lies in the typical rather than 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."

Cleveland Clearing Out Corruption

Throughout his tenure in the White House Cleveland resisted what he considered bad policy or governmental overreach.  He firmly believed that government expenditure should be kept at a minimum (shocking!) and be used only to carry out essential constitutional functions. "When a man in office lays out a dollar in extravagance, he acts immorally by the people," stated Cleveland.  In order to fulfill his perceived duties under the Constitution, Cleveland made full use of his veto power.  He had used the veto extensively as Mayor of Buffalo and Governor of New York to curb legislative excesses and he would use the tool extensively as president.  Cleveland exercised his power of veto 584 times while in office (346 regular vetoes and 238 pocket vetoes in eight years - by comparison FDR had 372 vetoes in twelve years). 

His most interesting veto came on Feb. 16, 1887, when he vetoed the Texas Seed Bill (House Bill 10203).  A drought, which had started in 1883, had afflicted a number of counties in Texas.  Desperate Texas farmers had requested relief from their Congressmen who created legislation providing $10,000 (a small sum even for the late 19th century) to the Commissioner of Agriculture for purchase of seed grain for distribution to those who were suffering.  Cleveland could have easily supported the legislation and been lauded for it, but instead he chose to issue the following veto message:

"It is represented that a long-continued and extensive drought has existed in certain portions of the State of Texas, resulting in a failure of crops and consequent distress and destitution.

Though there has been some difference in statements concerning the extent of the people’s needs in the localities thus affected, there seems to be no doubt that there has existed a condition calling for relief; and I am willing to believe that, notwithstanding the aid already furnished, a donation of seed grain to the farmers located in this region, to enable them to put in new crops, would serve to avert a continuance or return of an unfortunate blight.

And yet I feel obliged to withhold my approval of the plan, as proposed by this bill, to indulge a benevolent and charitable sentiment through the appropriation of public funds for that purpose.

I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the General Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should, I think, be steadfastly resisted, to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that though the people support the Government the Government should not support the people.

The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow-citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.

It is within my personal knowledge that individual aid has to some extent already been extended to the sufferers mentioned in this bill. The failure of the proposed appropriation of $10,000 additional to meet their remaining wants will not necessarily result in continued distress if the emergency is fully made known to the people of the country.

It is here suggested that the Commissioner of Agriculture is annually directed to expend a large sum of money for the purchase, propagation, and distribution of seeds and other things of this description, two-thirds of which are, upon the request of Senators, Representatives, and Delegates in Congress, supplied to them for distribution among their constituents.

The appropriation of the current year for this purpose is $100,000, and it will probably be no less in the appropriation for the ensuing year. I understand that a large quantity of grain is furnished for such distribution, and it is supposed that this free apportionment among their neighbors is a privilege which may be waived by our Senators and Representatives.

If sufficient of them should request the Commissioner of Agriculture to send their shares of the grain thus allowed them to the suffering farmers of Texas, they might be enabled to sow their crops, the constituents for whom in theory this grain is intended could well bear the temporary deprivation, and the donors would experience the satisfaction attending deeds of charity."

This remarkable veto demonstrates Cleveland's willingness to forgo what was popular in a pursuit of higher principles - a dedication to the Constitution - as written.  His lessons are appropriate for the modern world and perhaps Washington politicians might at some point reclaim their sense of duty to the document they swore an oath to - hope springs eternal...  Thank you Grover Cleveland for providing a historical example on how to govern with the people's best interests in mind!