So he entered it confidently.
But a new issue had arisen--that of the protective tariff, which,
originally a war revenue measure, had been formally adopted as a
principle of Republicanism, which was hailed by its adherents as a new
and brilliant economic device for enriching everybody at nobody's
expense, and which had really enriched a few at the expense of the many.
The Democrats, with considerable hesitation and ambiguity, pronounced
against it, arraigned the Republican party for corruption, and named as
their nominee Grover Cleveland, of New York.
Cleveland was born in New Jersey in 1837, the son of a clergyman whose
early death threw him upon his own resources. He started west in search
of employment, stopped at Buffalo, and afterwards made it his home. He
studied law while working as a clerk and copyist, was admitted to the
bar in 1859, and in the late seventies was elected mayor of Buffalo on a
reform ticket. Almost at once, the country's eyes were fastened upon
him. Elected as a reform mayor, he continued to be one after his
induction into office. He actually seemed to think that the promises and
pledges made by him during his campaign were still binding upon him, and
astounded the politicians by proceeding to carry those promises out. So
scathing were the veto messages he sent in, one after another, to a
corrupt council, that they awakened admiration and respect even among
his opponents.
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