that the lady of the President's choice had not been found in that city, and curiosity was very eager to ascertain who she might be. The secret, however, was carefully kept, and it was only a few weeks before the 2nd June that the engagement with Miss Frances Folsom became publicly known.

This young lady was the daughter of Mr. Oscar Folsom, who has been already mentioned as one of Mr. Cleveland's associates in the profession of the law. A young man of generous temperament and great abilities, he was a partner in the firm of Vanderpoel and Laning, but had been killed in an accident, shortly after his friend Cleveland, on the expiration of his term of office as Sheriff of Erie county, had joined the firm subsequently known as Cleveland and Bissel. His daughter was born in Buffalo, in July, 1864, and under the supervision of her mother spent some years at the central school in that city. Her docility and mental power attracted the sympathy and admiration of her teachers. From the central school she passed on to Wells College; and it was here that the flowers sent her from the Governor's garden at Albany first set the friends of the maiden student dreaming of the possible future in store for her. These speculations became more active as each success of the intellectual girl was marked by fresh tributes, no longer from Albany, but from Washington. In June, 1885, she completed with distinction her graduate course, and went to reside for some months in a neighbouring county of New York, with her grandfather, Colonel John B. Folsom, of Folsomdale. As autumn came round she started with her mother for a tour in Europe, a course

of travel which was prolonged until she arrived at New York, on the 27th May in the following year, to receive the greetings of her future sister-in-law, Miss Cleveland.

The good taste of the two families had hitherto baffled the indefatigable activity of the American pressman, but now he was to be indulged with a wedding at the White House. There had been many marryings at this historic mansion before, but they had been of the sons and grandsons, or the daughters and granddaughters of Presidents or their friends. This was the first occasion on which the Chief Magistrate of the Union celebrated his wedding during his term of office. For the decorations of the Blue Room, of the Green Parlour and the East Parlour, and for the dresses of the company who attended the ceremony at seven o'clock in the evening of the 2nd June, I must refer my readers to the newspapers of the day, or to Mr. Hensel. In deference to Republican theory there was no State ceremonial The Diplomatic Corps were not invited, the guests including only the Cabinet and the immediate friends of both families.

The honeymoon was brief; and on June 15th, the tall graceful girl, who was not yet twenty, entered upon her important duties as the colleague of the President in social functions. In spite of Jeffersonian theories, Washington has become one of the great society centres of the world; and it is no intrusion into the private life of the President to say that the gracious bearing and feminine tact of his youthful spouse have largely contributed to spread that respect for, and sympathy with, the personality of the President, which have extended his political influence throughout the Union.

The masses of his fellow citizens, always inclined to treat reserve as a sign of exclusiveness, savouring of aristocracy and other European vices, were much disposed to claim the President's wife as a sort of national property; and even when he was out of office, the birth of his daughter Ethel in 1891 was celebrated all over the country as an augury of triumph for the Democratic party at the next election. "Baby Cleveland" was almost as popular a cry at the election of 1892 as "Tippecanoe" had been in the days of General Taylor, and "Forty four, forty, or fight," in the canvass of President Polk.

Whilst Mr. Cleveland, however, submitted to these expressions of cordiality from "a plain people,” he discouraged the tendency to connect personal rank with the members of the President's household. Towards the end of his first administration, Mrs. Cleveland was asked to preside over a popular ceremonial which the President was unable to attend owing to the state of public business, and the invitation was declined on the ground that the President's wife could not discharge any public function apart from her husband. She was his helpmate at the White House and his companion at many social gatherings; but, unless accompanied by the President, she had no public precedence over any other lady who might attend the proposed celebration.

CHAPTER VII.

THE TARIFF MESSAGE, 1887.

Mercantilism and Democracy-Slavery-Silver-Protective Duties— Democrats favourable to Protection on National Grounds-From 1820 Advocates of Reduced Tariff-The "Tariff of Abominations " -The "Compromise" Tariff-Return to Protection on Lincoln's Election-High Duties during the War-Reduction of DebtEnormous Surpluses--Cleveland's Attack on the Tariff System.

HE first great work of Mr. Cleveland in higher

THE

politics was the recall of the Democratic party to a full share of activity in public life. The second was the revival of their struggle against high tariff. Since the War, they had not distinctly resumed their position on this question until Mr. Cleveland brought it to the front in 1887.

Whilst the last session of the forty-ninth Congress dragged on, the President made up his mind to promulgate a distinct policy at the opening of the next Congress in December, 1887. There was no more probability of loyal co-operation from that body than from the preceding one. The second Congress of the quadrennial term is generally occupied in observation of the chances. of the Presidential election which occurs in the November between its first and second session. The first session

is a kind of tournament, sometimes prolonged through the whole eleven months, each party or section of a party seeking to win popular favour by sallies in one direction or another. Mr. Cleveland determined to take advantage of this spirit of enterprise, in order to revive the old policy of the Democratic party, the reduction of duties. The election for this fiftieth Congress had shown a great decline in party strength. The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives was reduced by nearly one half, whilst the Republicans still retained command of the Senate. But if legislation was impossible, the formal demand for it might focus public attention on one at least of the two great objects for which he had in vain asked the help of the previous Congress.

Casting aside the old practice, which makes the annual message a digest of the State papers of the year, he devoted the whole of the message of December, 1887, to an appeal for a reduction of tariff.

In

This document will probably remain the most famous of Mr. Cleveland's State papers; but before examining it in detail, it is necessary to glance at the previous history of tariff legislation. The English controversies about Protection and Free Trade bear only in a very remote degree upon the questions of tariff policy which have divided American parties since 1820. order to understand the significance of the struggle against high duties, we must keep in mind the nature of their government and the trading instinct of the inhabitants. With a young nation engaged in the pursuits of industry, the predominance given to popular influence by their institutions has made their political