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The Cleveland Era; a chronicle of the new order in politics by Henry Jones Ford
page 36 of 161 (22%)
In his career as governor Cleveland displayed the same stanch
characteristics as before, and he was fearless and aggressive in
maintaining his principles. The most striking characteristic of
his veto messages is the utter absence of partisan or personal
designs. Some of the bills he vetoed purported to benefit labor
interests, and politicians are usually fearful of any appearance
of opposition to such interests: His veto of the bill
establishing a five cent fare for the New York elevated railways
was an action of a kind to make him a target for calumny and
misrepresentation. Examination of the record reveals no instance
in which Cleveland flinched from doing his duty or faltered in
the full performance of it. He acted throughout in his avowed
capacity of a public trustee, and he conducted the office of
governor with the same laborious fidelity which he had displayed
as sheriff and as mayor. And now, as before, he antagonized
elements of his own party who sought only the opportunities of
office and cared little for its responsibilities. He did not
unite suavity of manner with vigor of action, and at times he
allowed himself to reflect upon the motives of opponents and to
use language that was personally offensive. He told the
Legislature in one veto message that "of all the defective and
shabby legislation which has been presented to me, this is the
worst and most inexcusable." He once sent a scolding message to
the State Senate, in which he said that "the money of the State
is apparently expended with no regard to economy," and that
"barefaced jobbery has been permitted." The Senate having refused
to confirm a certain appointee, he declared that the opposition
had "its rise in an overwhelming greed for the patronage which
may attach to the place," and that the practical effect of such
opposition was to perpetuate "the practice of unblushing
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