Like most presidencies, there is good and bad to focus on. In this short synopsis, I am going to provide examples why Cleveland deserves the respect of conservatives and lovers of the Constitution. Was he perfect? No, but he was better than average. Not exactly a ringing endorsement when you consider how bad even the average President has been. Just another President better than the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama cabal? He deserves a little more credit than that though.
I have previously written about one of my favorite underappreciated presidents, Chester Arthur, and how he attacked government corruption. President Cleveland continued this battle. His demand for continued Civil Service reform emphasized merit not favor for government jobs and advancement. At the same time, he reduced government jobs during his two terms! Yes, you read that right.
President Cleveland is most known for serving two non consecutive terms. He should be equally known for respecting the Constitution and tackling spending. He vetoed a whopping 584 bills during his two terms for either one of two reasons: it was unconstitutional or it was excessive spending. Often, a bill was both. Only seven of these 584 vetoes were overturned. Yes, this Democrat reduced government jobs and vetoed a record number of bills for being unconstitutional and/or for containing too much spending. If a Republican did this, he would rightfully be hailed as a hero.
His military policy focused on strengthening the country's defenses and modernizing the navy. State of the art warships and naval guns were developed at his request. President Cleveland was also focused on being a non interventionist. He made sure the country was prepared for the worst and made sure not to go looking for the worst.
Cleveland is regarded as the last classic liberal, more of a modern conservative in a lot of ways. With the possible exceptions of Truman and Kennedy, he is the last Democrat president with more redeeming qualities than not.
Socially, he was all over the place. He strongly opposed discrimination against Chinese immigrants in the West. Like a good Democrat, however, he opposed equality for black Americans. He also opposed woman's voting rights. Toward the end of his 2nd term, Cleveland began decrying the increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Although not altogether inaccurate, it was a sign of the class warfare garbage to come from the party of slavery.
But overall, Cleveland's presidency was better than average. His respect for the Constitution, stance against corruption, and foreign/defense policies are all solid. He was a net positive for the country, which is enough to put him just outside the top 10 of presidents. "Honesty" and "Integrity" were two words commonly used to describe him by those who knew him best.
His dying words indicate his desire to be a positive force: "I have tried so hard to do right." He definitely tried, and mostly succeeded.
I have previously written about one of my favorite underappreciated presidents, Chester Arthur, and how he attacked government corruption. President Cleveland continued this battle. His demand for continued Civil Service reform emphasized merit not favor for government jobs and advancement. At the same time, he reduced government jobs during his two terms! Yes, you read that right.
President Cleveland is most known for serving two non consecutive terms. He should be equally known for respecting the Constitution and tackling spending. He vetoed a whopping 584 bills during his two terms for either one of two reasons: it was unconstitutional or it was excessive spending. Often, a bill was both. Only seven of these 584 vetoes were overturned. Yes, this Democrat reduced government jobs and vetoed a record number of bills for being unconstitutional and/or for containing too much spending. If a Republican did this, he would rightfully be hailed as a hero.
His military policy focused on strengthening the country's defenses and modernizing the navy. State of the art warships and naval guns were developed at his request. President Cleveland was also focused on being a non interventionist. He made sure the country was prepared for the worst and made sure not to go looking for the worst.
Cleveland is regarded as the last classic liberal, more of a modern conservative in a lot of ways. With the possible exceptions of Truman and Kennedy, he is the last Democrat president with more redeeming qualities than not.
Socially, he was all over the place. He strongly opposed discrimination against Chinese immigrants in the West. Like a good Democrat, however, he opposed equality for black Americans. He also opposed woman's voting rights. Toward the end of his 2nd term, Cleveland began decrying the increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Although not altogether inaccurate, it was a sign of the class warfare garbage to come from the party of slavery.
But overall, Cleveland's presidency was better than average. His respect for the Constitution, stance against corruption, and foreign/defense policies are all solid. He was a net positive for the country, which is enough to put him just outside the top 10 of presidents. "Honesty" and "Integrity" were two words commonly used to describe him by those who knew him best.
His dying words indicate his desire to be a positive force: "I have tried so hard to do right." He definitely tried, and mostly succeeded.
