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By JAMES D. RICHARDSON
A Representative from the State of Tennessee
1897
Prefatory Note
This volume comprises the Garfield-Arthur term of four years and thefirst term of Cleveland. The period covered is from March 4, 1881, toMarch 4, 1889. The death of President Garfield at the hand of anassassin early in his Administration created a vacancy in the office ofthe Chief Executive, and for the fourth time in our history theVice-President succeeded to that office. The intense excitementthroughout the land brought about by the tragic death of the President,and the succession of the Vice-President, caused no dangerous strainupon our institutions, and once more proof was given, if, indeed,further evidence was required, that our Government was strong enough toquietly and peacefully endure a sudden change of rulers and ofadministration, no matter how distressing and odious the cause.
During the Administration of President Arthur a treaty between theUnited States and the Republic of Nicaragua was signed, providing for aninteroceanic canal across the territory of that State. An able andlearned discussion of this proposition will be found among his papers.This treaty was pending when he retired from office, and was promptlywithdrawn by President Cleveland. The act to regulate and improve thecivil service of the United States was approved by President Arthur, andhe put into operation rules and regulations wide in their scope andfar-reaching for the enforcement of the measure. In his papers will befound frequent and interesting discussions of this question. His vetoesof "An act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese"and of "An act making appropriations for the construction, repair, andpreservation of certain works on rivers and harbors, and for otherpurposes," are interesting and effective papers.
The latter half of the period comprised in this volume, as alreadystated, covers the Administration of Cleveland. His accession to thePresidency marked the return of the Democratic party to power. NoDemocrat who had been chosen by his party had held the office since theretirement of Buchanan, in 1861. President Cleveland's papers fill 558pages of this volume, occupying more space than any other ChiefMagistrate, Andrew Johnson being next with 457 pages. At an early dateafter Mr. Cleveland's inauguration he became involved in an importantand rather acrimonious discussion with the Senate on the subject ofsuspensions from office. The Senate demanded of him and of the heads ofsome of the Executive Departments the reasons for the suspension ofcertain officials and the papers and correspondence incident thereto. Inan exhaustive and interesting paper he declined to comply with thedemand. His annual message of December, 1887, was devoted exclusively toa discussion of the tariff. It is conceded by all to be an abledocument, and is the only instance where a President in his annualmessage made reference to only one question. His vetoes are morenumerous than those of any other Chief Executive, amounting within thefour years to over three hundred, or more than twice the number in theaggregate of all his predecessors. These vetoes relate to almost allsubjects of legislation, but mainly to pension cases and bills providingfor the erection of public buildings throughout the country.
James D. Richardson.
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