had earned by her own exertions to buy | then regarded as a good lawyer, with a bread. She refused him, when he struck good practice, but he became the candi date and not only helped Williams, but by a hundred votes he defeated his opponent, to the surprise of both parties. her to the floor. At the time she was cutting a loaf of bread for his supper As she struggled to her feet she said to him, "You had better kill your mother and be done with it." As she uttered the words he grasped the knife from her hands and with the words, "I will kill you then," buried large and the income from it gave him it in her breast. The horror of the matricide made people of the city shudder, and the jury by which he was tried lost no time in bringing in a verdict of murder in the first degree. Morrissey was sentenced to hang on the 6th day of September Prominent among the witnesses on that famous trial was Albert Haight, now a Supreme Court Judge. The execution took place on the day named in the warrant, and the present Governor was the executioner " His Habits as Sheriff. His Financial Start. The fees of the Sheriff's office were his first financial start. He then made money at the law and saved something. His reputation is not that of a money-getter and money-saver Had he been ambitious in this direction he could and would have been a rich man. His Return to the Bar. At the expiration of his official term as Sheriff in 1873, he became a member of the firm of Messrs. Bass, Cleveland & Bissell, with Lyman K. Bass and Wilson S. Bissell as associates. This was a strong and popular firm, and commanded a large and lucrative practice. At the close of Mr. Bass's Congressional career his failing health induced him to seek a residence in Colorado, resulting in a dissolution of the copartnership and the formation of another under the name of Cleveland & Bissell. In December, 1881, Mr. George J. Sicard was admitted as a partner in the firm, which was then styled Cleveland, Bissell & Sicard, and thus continues to the present time. Legal Distinction. Whilst holding this important office, Grover Cleveland's habits of life seem to have been as simple as the general conduct of the man has been-unassuming. He dwelt in a quiet boarding house, and when its mistress got a well-to-do son-inlaw and quit business he used to take his Sunday morning breakfast at the Terrapin Lunch, a plain restaurant, where probably a terrapin was never seen. Old Major Randall, of the Lake Shore Railroad, was his intimate friend and companion. He died soon after Cleveland was made Governor. It was his oft-expressed ambition to live to see "Grove," as he called him, President. He was made Sheriff of this county by an accident. In fact, he never had an office that he was not forced into. In 1869 David Williams, superintendent of the Lake Shore Railroad, wanted to run for Congress. This district was close and he wouldn't make the effort with any of the aspirants for the Sheriffalty It was the most important office to be filled and there was a bitter contest for it. The leaders got together and decided that Cleveland must run to help Williams. There wasn't much chance of an election, and to all appearances his defeat seemed a foregone conclusion, but they insisted that he must make the sacrifice for the party He was reform leader. It was while thus associated that Grover Cleveland achieved his distinction as a lawyer second to few in the western part of the State for legal acumen and intellectual honesty. His jury and bench trials were distinguished by clear views, direct, simple logic and a thorough mastery of all the intricacies of the cases, and his invariable avoidance of extrinsic issues and purely technical devices secured for him the respect of his own profession and the admiration of the public. These qualities, combined with the fidelity and independence of his official action while in office, brought him prominently before the public of Buffalo when that city, unable to extricate itself from a municipal octopus, was casting about for a stanch Mr Cleveland has had four or five law | he had yet been an actor There was a partnerships with the strong men of this popular revolt against the administration city and all say he was a valuable busi- of the municipal affairs of the city of Bufness companion. His career as a lawyer falo, and in the disquieted condition of is well defined in this region and his re-affairs the old party lines were somewhat putation well established. It seems queer broken. It had been badly ruled by a that the general agreement has not re- combination or ring of Republican manaflected itself outside of Western New gers, and many of its voters rebelled York. Mr Milburn a bright young man, against an extension of this fraud and now a partner in the law firm where the mismanagement. Buffalo was not a great present Governor studied, writes as follows: city, but in the matter of municipal corIt amuses me to hear this talk about ruption and combinations it could have Mr Cleveland's lack of ability. He is the given points to others with many times strongest character I ever knew without a its number of people. It was ring-ridden. national reputation. He is a fine lawyer. Its revenues were stolen or wasted and no He is incapable of wilful wrong and no- Mayor had been found for many years thing on earth could sweep him from his who had at once the ability and the boldconviction of duty That he is thoroughly ness necessary to attack these abuses. honest cannot be questioned and without being what might be called a brilliant man he has always been regarded as an able and safe one in every relation of life.” His Standing at Home. This terse summing up of the nominee's position at home is simply duplicated by the Judges and lawyers with whom he has mingled. Among the laymen he seems to stand equally high. Republicans and Democrats alike speak of him as a man of the strongest character and highest attainments. Mr James N Matthews who edits the Express, the leading Republican paper of the City by the Lake, speaks forth this sentiment as follows: I know of no Democrat better equipped for the position for which he has been named than Grover Cleveland. He is an able, honest and incorruptible man. He is self-reliant and has excellent judgment. I shall do all I can honestly and honorably to defeat his election, for I am earnestly for Mr Blaine, But when people speak of him as an obscure man it is but fair to say that he has long stood in the front rank with the very leaders of thought and action in this part of New York." As Mayor. While in private life he gave his whole attention to the practice of his profession, and kept out of the political arena until 1881. At that period circumstances were shaping themselves so as to draw Mr. Cleveland into a wider sphere of life than They Found their Man. To find such an individual was no easy task. There were many who were profuse in their promises, but such pledges had been so often broken, that the people intended that no one should be promoted to the place, who could not give good security by means of an unsullied reputation, and a good record. They selected Grover Cleveland, and seeing their opportunity, called him out from his retirement from politics to be their candidate for Mayor of the city Buffalo is usually Republican by from 2,000 to 5,000 majority, and Mr. Cleveland's election on the Democratic ticket by a majority of 5,000 was simply a tribute to his personal integrity As in the Sheriff's Office, here again the office sought the man, and the man they selected proved worthy of the confidence they reposed in him. Grover Cleveland's election on a Democratic and reform ticket in November, 1881, suddenly lifted him from local into national prominence. The incidents of that election and subsequent administration are familiar throughout the country. The election itself was an almost unparalleled triumph, seeing that it was secured by the largest majority ever known, thus demonstrating the unbounded confidence which the people had in the special fitness of their candidate to carry out the reform and in his unassailable integrity His Mother's Advice. Grover Cleveland was avowedly and After Grover was elected Mayor of Buf-defiantly the gage of battle thrown down falo the mother wrote him rather disap- by reform. There were only two points proving his entering public life. After to be determined-did the people want resaying what her ambitions were for him and expressing a natural tinge of gratification at his election, she concluded her epistle by saying: "But now that you have taken upon yourself the burthens of public office do right, act honestly, impartially and fearlessly" The injunction was obeyed and his courage has won him a phenomenal success. It would appear from a close study of this man's conduct and general traits of character from boyhood up, right here, where his early days were spent, and in Buffalo, where his latter life has been an open book to its people, that his hard struggle for a place in the world has ever given him supreme self-reliance. He was about seven teen when he left Holland Patent and went to New York to help teach the blind. He had early established the reputation of being a nervy, manly sort of a young fellow, somewhat diffident, but not afraid to face any emergency which might confront him. He seems to have assumed more than any other member of the family the care of his mother and sisters. The Candidate of Reform. form? that is did they wish their business conducted honestly, and would the man they had selected for the experiment so conduct it? So vitally important were these two questions that vaster and intenser themes were for the moment forgotten by the country, and it turned aside momentarily to watch this contest in Buffalo. The people answered one question and Grover Cleveland answered the other. The reply in one case was with votes, in the other with acts. An Honest Mayor. Whatever else may have been searched for, it is pretty well settled that they had found an honest man, and, what is of more consequence, the honest man was brave enough to carry his private convictions into his public duties with no regard to partisanship on the one hand or the influence and threats of political scoundrels on the other. There was no uncer tain sound in his inaugural message. It rang clear and simple. We hold," said he, "the money of the people in our hands, to be used for their purposes and to further their interests as It is strictly true that Mayor Cleveland members of the municipality, and it is was swept into office on one of those tidal quite apparent that, when any part of the waves of popular protest against ring rule funds which the taxpayers have thus inthat are as restless as they are sudden. trusted us are diverted to other purposes, But it was after all a local contest, and or when, by design or neglect, we allow a one has yet to account for the national greater sum to be applied to any municiimportance which the Buffalo election as- pal purpose that is necessary, we have, to sumed and the widespread interest that that extent, violated our duty There was felt in the new champion. There is surely is no difference in his duties and only one way in which to explain this. obligations, whether a person is intrusted Mr. Cleveland had not yet attracted atten- with the money of one man or many. tion outside of his metropolitan field. But And yet it sometimes appears as though there was one issue that in a sense was the the office-holder assumes that a different issue of the hour everywhere, and that rule of fidelity prevails between him and was whether it was any longer possible to the taxpayers than that which should secure by a popular election that kind of regulate his conduct when, as an indiviintegrity and sagacity that would adminis- dual, he holds the money of his neighter the people's affairs with the honesty bor." and discretion that was necessary to good The First Move. government. The Buffalo canvass for He passed the first few weeks of his the Mayoralty defined that issue in the term of office in attentively studying the sharpest manner. The nomination of details of every department of the city Opposed to All Jobs. His veto of the street-cleaning job is regarded as the real beginning of his public career. An Example of His Work. administration. His previous experiences | ever formed in the council and rebuked as Assistant District Attorney and as the conspirators in terms that brought the Sheriff taught him what to look for and blush of shame to the most brazen of Alwhere to look for it. He found the ordi- dermen. His veto messages have become nary municipal abuses, sanctioned by long municipal classics. habit and immunity, flourishing as usual. One morning he surprised the city by issuing an order that all the officials should! keep strict business hours, like the employés of private firms. Before the officeholders had recovered from this shock, he began a series of vetoes which equally When Mr. Cleveland entered upon the astonished the Common Council. This office of Mayor the Common Council had Board had a Republican majority, and determined to build an intercepting sewer attempted to override the vetoes, but and had advertised for proposals. The Mayor Cleveland's terse, logical, business- lowest bid for the work was $1,568,000. like messages were published, and public Mr Cleveland thought the sewer could be opinion was too strong for the opposition built cheaper if a committee of citizens had Councilmen. They attempted to entrap charge of its construction. Through his him by passing a resolution apportioning efforts, though opposed in the Council, a for the celebration of Decoration Day a law was passed allowing a commission to sum of money reserved by the charter be appointed. This commission, comfor other purposes, believing that Mayor posed of representative citizens, conferred Cleveland would not dare to interfere with the most eminent sewer engineers of with Decoration Day, or that he would become unpopular if he did. Down came the veto as promptly as ever, and in his me-sage the Mayor thoroughly exposed the trick, that his popularity, instead of diminishing, rap.dly increased. so Hi Popularity. the country, and on their advice have adopted a plan that will meet all requirements at an estimated cost of $764,370. The plan has been accepted by the Council and the sewer will be constructed accordingly The saving to the city on this item alone is $803,630. On June 19 the Council voted to award the street-cleaning contract for five years, to George Talbot at his bid of $422,500. There were several lower bids, by thoroughly responsible men. Mayor Cleveland vetoed the award, severely condemning the attempted waste of the people's money tract was subsequently awarded to the lowest bidder-Capt. Thomas Maytham— The con His administration of the office fully justified the partiality of the friends who insisted upon nominating him, and vindicated the good judgment of the people who so powerfully insisted upon electing him. It is not too much to say that in the first half of the first year he almost revolutionized Buffalo's municipal government. With no more power than his predecessors at $313,500. The saving to the city by had, he inaugurated reforms before only hoped for, and corrected abuses which had become almost venerable. Accounts against the city were thoroughly audited, since he pointed out what is required of an officer whose duty is to audit. The wholesome rule of competition was adopted for important work that used to be given out in the form of a political patronage. So far as one man can see, he saw to it that the city got the full value for its money He knew his power and was not afraid to use it. He conquered the most corrupt combinations saved in this way. this veto was $109,000. The amount saved on these two items during the first six months of Mayor Cleveland's administration was nearly $1,000,000. In many other cases Mayor Cleveland had interposed the veto power to prevent misuse of public funds. He has refused to permit expenditure for livery for the Street Commissioner and other city officials, and has brought about order and economy in all departments of the city government. Many thousands of dollars have been I The Secret of His Success. But he succeeded where other men had This," said the veto, "is a time | portant office of Sheriff of the county for plain speech, and my objection to eleven years before. your action shall be plainly stated. regard it as the culmination of a most barefaced, impudent and shameless scheme to betray the interests of the people and to worse than squander the public money. We are fast gaining positions in the grades of public stewardship. There is no middle ground. Those who are not for the people, either in or out of your honorable body, are against them and should be treated accordingly " It would take a good many columns to reproduce here all those simple and straightforward messages of his which, coming from Buffalo and dealing only with local matters, have nevertheless been reproduced all over the country by the press and made the political text and the new hope of the party of reform. His Name Grew with the People. These acts brought him into prominence and started him towards his present place. It was on account of his fearless fight in spite of large odds against public fight in spite of large odds against public plunderers that he was pushed and elected Governor by these people. It is because they know him to be perfectly honest and incorruptible that to-day all men, regardless of differing political affiliations, are rejoicing over his successes. Though his law office and his bachelor quarters over there are silent, both are saluted as the abode of a man who has done well on a small beginning. If the record of his life is soon told, his own people point to it with pride and give bond to the country that he will do even better in the future. This is the tenor of all the speeches and the talk of the people. faltered or failed. And what was the secret His Retirement from the Office. He went out of the office with more friends and stronger friends than he had when he went in, and he had also made some enemies, but they were of that kind which are more to a man's honor than to his discredit. In the fifteen years that he Grover Cleveland, elevated to this posi- had been practicing law he had come to tion by a majority of 5,000, entered cheer- have a mind thoroughly disciplined and fully and earnestly upon his work. He thoroughly well-adapted to the exigencies had not sought the position. He had that might arise in the administration of not been an active political worker in the accepted sense of that word. He knew nothing about the manipulation of caucuses and conventions. He was connected with no halls or other organizations for extorting public plunder from the officers chosen by the popular voice, and his political experience had been confined to a single term in the comparatively unim the affairs of a large city He was his |