XXV. ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND ( 1885-89) . Cabinet.—Secretory of State, Thomas F. Bayard, Delaware, March 6, ISS5. Secretary of the Treasury, Daniel Manning, New York, March 6, 1885; Charles S. Fairchild, New York, April 1, 1887. Secretary of War, William C. En dicott, Massachusetts, March 6, 1335. Secretary of the Nary, William C. Whitney, New York, Starch 6, 1385. Secretary of the Interior, Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Mississippi, March 6, 18S5; Wil liam F. Vilas, Wisconsin, January 16, 1883. At torney-General, Augustus II. Garland, Arkansas, March 6, 1885. Postmaster-General, William F. Vitas, March 6, 1885; Don Si. Dickin son, Michigan, January 16, 1888.
Cleveland was the first Democratic President to be chosen after the election of 1856. His ad miniidration from the outset was marked by a general application to the public service of the principles so long advocated by the friends of civil-service reform. the President applying the principles of the Pendleton Bill (see CIVIL-SER VICE REFORM) to many offices not specifically covered by the act. For the first time in half a no sweeping changes were made in the public service on the accession to power of a new party.
In 1886 a bill passed Congress to regulate the succession to the Presidential office—a question that assumed some special importance on the death of Vice-President Hendricks. Among the important Congressional acts of this Administra tion were the new Anti-Polygamy or the Ed munds-Tucker Act (1887) di.5solving the Mormon Church as a corporate body, and confiscating all the property of that Church in excess of $50,000; the Tnterstate Commerce Act (q.v.) of 1887; and an act (18SS) absolutely prohibiting further im of the Chinese. With respect to legis lation President Cleveland's administration was characterized by an unprecedented number of Presidential vetoes. the number aggregating more
than 300, mostly of pension bills.
In December, 1887, President Cleveland sent to Congress a message devoted to the single ques tion of the tariff. After stating that the esti mated surplus in the Treasury in June. 1888, would be fully $140,000,000, he declared the ex isting tariff laws to be the source of unnecessary taxation, and asked for a reduction of the duties on raw materials, especially on wool. Tn accord ance with this recommendation, the so-called Mills Bill was introduced and passed the House. It removed duties aggregating $50,000,000 per annum, but failed to pass the Senate, which was Republican. At this session of Congres,s the hug est appropriation for rivers and harbors ever known was made. It amounted to $22,227,000, and became law without the President's signa ture.
At the Democratic Convention of NSA, Cleve land was nominated for President, with Allen G. Thurman, of Ohio, as the candidate for Vice President. The Republicans nominated Benja min Harrison, of Indiana. and Levi P. Morton, of New York. The Prohibition Party put for ward as its candidates Clinton B. Fisk. of New Jersey. and John A. Brooks, of Missouri. The campaign was fought out largely on the tariff questions raised by Cleveland's message of 1887, and resulted in the choice of the Republican can didates, who received 233 electoral votes, as against 16S east for the Democratic nominees. the popular vote for Cleveland, however (5,540, 329), exceeding that of Harrison (5,439,853). 'The Prohibition ticket received 249.406 votes, and the Union Labor candidate, Alson J. Streeter, 146,935 votes.