Sparks Commentary: Grover Cleveland: Serving two non-consecutive presidential terms

At the time that I write this, Grover Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive presidential terms. That is, he was both the 22nd and 24th Presidents of the United States. Because of his rotundity, many have joked that he was also physically large enough to be counted twice for that reason. But there’s more to his story than meets the eye. He was one of only three presidents to win the popular vote in at least three different presidential elections. At that time, this had not happened since Andrew Jackson, and it would not happen again until Franklin Delano Roosevelt – nearly half a century later. Thus, an examination of his story might be in order here. I will show why the two Grover Cleveland presidencies were important, and also take a look at where this unknown guy came from.

Grover Cleveland

Early life as a lawyer and New York state politician, through the presidential elections of 1884

Stephen Grover Cleveland was born in 1837 in New Jersey. He was the fifth of what would eventually become nine children. Before Grover Cleveland was five years old, his family had moved to New York. Eventually, Mr. Cleveland read for the law, then the standard way of becoming a lawyer in the United States. That is, Mr. Cleveland was a legal apprentice who read law books on his own. This is the same way that Abraham Lincoln had become a lawyer in earlier years. Grover Cleveland was admitted to the New York state bar in 1859, and had some success as a lawyer. Mr. Cleveland was a lifelong Democrat. When the American Civil War broke out, the Congress eventually passed the “Conscription Act of 1863.” This act required all able-bodied men either to serve in the army if thus called upon, or to instead hire a substitute. Grover Cleveland instead chose to hire a substitute for $150, then a decent sum of money. The substitute actually survived the Civil War. Grover Cleveland then became the Sheriff of Erie County, and then the Mayor of Buffalo. He eventually became the Governor of New York, a position that he was still holding when he first ran for president in 1884. The incumbent president was Chester A. Arthur, who was a Republican. But President Arthur failed to secure his party’s nomination that year. Instead, the Republicans nominated James G. Blaine, a Maine man who had once served as President Arthur’s Secretary of State. On the Democratic side, Grover Cleveland handily won the nomination on the second ballot. But James G. Blaine was viewed as corrupt, and inadvertently alienated Catholic voters at the last minute. Thus, James G. Blaine got only 48.3% of the popular vote in 1884. Grover Cleveland got 48.8% of the popular vote in 1884 (thus winning the popular vote), and 54.6% of the electoral vote – thus winning this as well. Grover Cleveland had just been elected the 22nd President of the United States.

An early, undated photograph of Grover Cleveland

First term as president, his 1888 defeat by Benjamin Harrison, and gap between his two terms

Fifteen months into his presidential term, Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in 1886. This is the only woman to whom he was ever married, and he didn’t marry her until he was already president. His first term was marked by reforms, vetoes, and tariff reductions. Unlike many others of the era, Grover Cleveland opposed imperialism and interventionism in foreign policy. But he believed Reconstruction to be a failed experiment, and thus made very little progress on civil rights. Cleveland’s Secretary of State also negotiated an extension of the Chinese Exclusion Act, known as the “Scott Act.” However, Grover Cleveland was somewhat better on Native American policy. President Cleveland’s support for reducing tariffs would be unpopular in 1888. So was his opposition to Civil War pensions and inflated currency. In 1888, the Republicans nominated Benjamin Harrison as their presidential candidate. Benjamin Harrison won only 47.8% of the popular vote, while Grover Cleveland won 48.6%. Thus, Grover Cleveland had won the popular vote in 1888. But Grover Cleveland won only 41.9% of the electoral vote that year, while Benjamin Harrison won 58.1% of the electoral vote. Thus, Benjamin Harrison was then elected the 23rd President of the United States. 1888 was a painful defeat for Grover Cleveland, perhaps partially because he had won the popular vote – contributing to feelings of “injustice.” He joined a law firm at that time, and hoped that things would go better for him four years later … in 1892.

Benjamin Harrison

Rematch between Cleveland and Harrison, with Cleveland returning to the White House in 1892

In the presidential elections of 1892, Benjamin Harrison won his party’s nomination on the first ballot. On the Democratic side, there were challengers to Grover Cleveland, such as David B. Hill and Horace Boies. But Mr. Cleveland likewise defeated all of his challengers on the first ballot in that election. Thus, there was now a rematch between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. As Wikipedia puts it, “The campaign centered mainly on economic issues, especially the protectionist 1890 McKinley Tariff. Cleveland ran on a platform of lowering the tariff and opposed the Republicans' 1890 voting rights proposal. He was also a proponent of the gold standard, while the Republicans and Populists both supported bimetalism.” (Source: Their page on the “1892 United States presidential election”) This time, things would go better for Grover Cleveland. There was a third-party candidacy from James B. Weaver, who was from the “Populist Party.” Mr. Weaver won 8.5% of the popular vote, and also won 5% of the electoral vote. Benjamin Harrison won 43% of the popular vote, and 32.6% of the electoral vote – a dismal showing. By contrast, Grover Cleveland won 46% of the popular vote, and 63.2% of the electoral vote. Thus, Grover Cleveland had just been elected the 24th President of the United States. He had won his rematch with Benjamin Harrison, and Cleveland (again) is still the only president ever to serve two non-consecutive presidential terms. And, again, he was one of only three presidents to win the popular vote in at least three different presidential elections. His second term had finally come, even if it had come somewhat late.

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland’s second term as president, and his decision not to seek a third term in 1896

But the story of his second term would be different. As Wikipedia puts it, “As his second administration began, the Panic of 1893 sparked a severe national depression. Many voters blamed the Democrats, opening the way for a Republican landslide in 1894 and for the agrarian and silverite seizure of the Democratic Party in 1896. The result was a political realignment that started the Fourth Party System and the Progressive Era.[footnote] An anti-imperialist,[footnote] Cleveland opposed the push to annex Hawaii, launched an investigation into the 1893 coup against the Hawaiian queen, and called for her to be restored; the House of Representatives adopted a resolution against annexation.” (Source: Their page on “Grover Cleveland”) Wikipedia then continues: “Cleveland was a formidable policymaker, but also garnered criticism. He intervened in the 1894 Pullman Strike to keep the railroads moving, angering both Illinois Democrats and labor unions nationwide; his support of the gold standard and opposition to free silver alienated the agrarian wing of the Democratic Party.[footnote] Critics complained that Cleveland had little imagination and seemed overwhelmed by the nation’s economic disasters—depressions and strikes—in his second term.” (Source: Their page on “Grover Cleveland”) Perhaps partially because of these things, Grover Cleveland was a bit unpopular, even among Democrats. Thus, he did not seek a third term in 1896. The Democratic nomination instead went to William Jennings Bryan, a former United States Congressman. On the Republican side, the choice was William McKinley, the former Governor of Ohio. It was William McKinley who won the presidential elections of 1896, thus (eventually) succeeding Grover Cleveland as the 25th President of the United States.

Grover Cleveland

Post-presidency life, with a brief summation of his two presidencies

But Grover Cleveland’s reputation improved somewhat after the end of his second (and final) term. As Wikipedia puts it, after leaving the White House, “Cleveland lived in retirement at his estate, Westland Mansion, and served as a trustee of Princeton University. He continued to voice his political views, but fell seriously ill during the autumn of 1907. He died in 1908, aged 71. Today, Cleveland is praised for honesty, integrity, adherence to his morals, defying party boundaries, and effective leadership and is typically ranked in the middle to upper tier of U.S. presidents.” (Source: Their page on “Grover Cleveland”) I tend to agree with this standard verdict. His main claim to fame, though, is being the only president (so far, at least) to serve two non-consecutive terms. It is strange that he has become a mere footnote to American history.

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Part of a series about

The Presidents

1. George Washington
2. John Adams
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
6. John Quincy Adams
7. Andrew Jackson
8. Martin Van Buren

11. James K. Polk

12. Zachary Taylor

14. Franklin Pierce