An Honest President

An Honest President: The Life and Presidencies of Grover Cleveland
by H.Paul Jeffers



I have to admit that when I started this book I knew little about Grover Cleveland. In fact all I could really claim to know was that he was the only president elected to two non-consecutive terms. I also knew that he was only one of four men who won the popular vote, but lost in the electoral college. That would make him the only man besides Franklin Roosevelt to win the popular vote three times. That is all I knew about him.

Jeffers has presented us with a fascinating character. He was a serious minded man who also enjoyed spending his down time with friends. His favorite meal was beer, sausages, and sauerkraut. Born the son of a Presbyterian minister he never joined a church, and yet always maintained a belief in God. He is considered by many to be one of the most honest men to ever serve in the White House.

The author brings a well balanced look at this man. Cleveland was a man who believed in limited government. He constantly vetoed bills that he called raids on the Treasury. He sought to lower the tariff, a move that was unpopular with large businesses and the magnates who controlled them. He sought where possible to help the conditions of labor without crushing the freedom of business. He was known to read every bill that came before him. Nothing passed by his critical eye. He vetoed more bills than any previous president. One of his better known statements was “That though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people.” He also believed that “Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters.”

The book does not spend a lot of time with the larger historical context. It does give the reader a glimpse into the era though so no one will be completely lost. The greatest danger in writing a biography of an important figure is either adding to much contextual information that the narrative is lost, or adding to little context and then the reader who is not well read in the period is lost. Jeffers has avoided this to large extent.

The book is well written, if a bit dry at times. The author makes the occasional lapse into academic speak, but comes out quickly. The average reader should be able to read it without difficulty. After reading this book I was glad to have learned more about a man whose last words were “I tried so hard to do right.” In today’s political environment I believe that all of our leaders should strive to look past their own ideologies and partisan wrangling to emulate this Honest President.

Recommended to anyone interested in the history of the United States.

Four of Five Stars.

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