The honorable Grover Cleveland was devoted to his native family and friends. Indeed, he was loyal to a fault. A case in point comes from his first presidential campaign when he was accused of having a baby out of wedlock. He accepted financial responsibility for the child, but it appears that what he was really doing was covering for his dear friend Oscar Folsom. Apparently, Folsom fathered the child with a woman other than his wife. To spare Folsom the pain, ridicule, family discord, and financial consequences, bachelor Grover assumed responsibility knowing full well that it could end his political career and aspirations. If that selfless act is not evidence of Grover’s loyalty, I do not know what is. I should note that there remains controversy about this story, but my telling above seems to be the one that is most consistent with Cleveland’s past behavior and devoid of presidential politics, which has a tradition of being a blood sport. Anyway, while in his teens, Grover stopped his formal schooling, went to work (in Fayetteville, New York City, and Buffalo), and regularly sent money to support his widowed mother until her death.
As an adult, Grover came across to the average person as competent, empathetic, avuncular, and just a regular guy. This persona was a winner for him throughout his political career, though it did not carry him through his second term as president. In May 1893, just two months after his second inauguration, the country was hit with an economic depression. This was the so-called Panic of ‘93. There were bank runs, business closings, and bank failures. Every sector of the economy was affected.
In President Cleveland’s reaction to the Panic, he strongly abided by the Puritanical approach of working hard and believed in a Hamiltonian meritocracy. As a result, he expressed a “let them eat cake” and “pull oneself by one’s bootstraps” kind of attitude. He said, “Though the people support the government; the government should not support the people.” That is to say, that Grover Cleveland responded to a financial collapse just as Hoover did to the stock market crash in 1929. Ultimately, his lack or providing government support for the people (a Keynesian approach was not conceptualized for decades), i.e., his "tone-deaf" insensitivity to the plights of people during the Panic, hurt his public support and compromised accomplishments in his second term.
Despite his seriousness, Grover Cleveland never lost sight of his need to have fun. After laboring long in his office, he could switch modes from working Grover and become playful Grover. He brought the same energy to his play that he devoted to his work. He would carouse with buddies at a local pub, take off for a fishing stream, and later in his life, spend time with his wife and children. When Cleveland was sheriff and mayor, he was known for taking a bender or two, and as president, he would sneak off to fish and relax in Rock Creek Park.
I think Cleveland would agree with the playwright, Tom Stoppard who said, “If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.” This sentiment was expressed by Cleveland during his reminiscing when he visited his cherished Fayetteville in 1887 (a real trip that I fictionalized in High Bridge). A sense of fun ran through Cleveland’s life. The manner in which he pursued fun changed from Grover, the child (playing practical jokes) to Grover, the man (enjoying his wife and children). Despite that change, there were consistencies – sharing the good times with family and dear friends and fishing.
This entry is a continuation of blog post: https://michaelmillerbooks.com/grover-clevelands-work-ethic-and-childhood/
