biography
| name: |
Cleveland, (Stephen) Grover
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1837–1908)
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| biography:
| US statesman and 22nd and 24th president (1885–9, 1893–7), born in Caldwell, New Jersey, USA. Basically self-educated, he was admitted to the bar in Buffalo, New York (1859) and began his climb up the political ladder as a Democrat, becoming a reformist mayor (1881) and New York governor (1882). His efficiency, honesty, and independence from the state political machine took him to the presidency in 1884. During his first term he pursued civil service reform and lowered a protective tariff that was damaging labour, but this action gained him the enmity of big-business interests who supported Benjamin Harrison, and he won the close election of 1888. Cleveland came back to beat the ineffectual Harrison in 1892, but his second term was troubled by economic problems and ensuing unrest, during which he alienated workers and most Democrats. Losing the nomination in 1896, he retired to pursue business interests, but he maintained his status as a respected statesman. |
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