Here is the president that filled the one term between Grover Cleveland’s two presidencies. Grandson to William Harrison – 9th president and president at the turn of the century. He was a successful officer in the northern army in the civil war and a lawyer in Indianapolis.
Here are some quotes that seem timely – except they come from the 1800’s:
His warning about the southern states – “just as wily, mean, impudent, and devilish as they ever were…Beaten by the sword, they will now fall back on the resources of statesmanship.” “they will steal away, in the halls of Congress, the fruits won from them at the glistening point of the bayonet.”
Regarding the panic of 1873 – “There is in this country perhaps too much haste to be rich.” He saw the panic as the “consequence of years of feverish speculation, whose promise of quick riches had lured too many people from notions of steady labor and virtuous habits.”
Regarding the laws for education – “He made the bold step of inserting a provision that would bar funding to any state that could not certify that it provided “free common schools for all of its children of school age, without distinction of race or color.” “Unless the black boy and girl in the south can share in the privileges of education then I am opposed to the bill.”
It is interesting to see the reversal of party roles. The Democrats blocking voting rights for blacks, against labor, etc. The parties start to reverse roles in the TR/Wilson era and finish it with the Dixiecrat abandonment of the DFL in 1948.
It is also informative to learn about little known, but crucial events. For example, I did not know that we almost went to war with German over Samoa in the late 1880’s. He appointed Frederick Douglas as a ambassador to Haiti and continued to fight for voting rights for African Americans, but the Democratic majority refused to back his effort. He wrote “the prejudices of generations are not like marks upon the blackboard, that can be rubbed out with a sponge. These are more like the deep glacial lines that the years have left in the rock; but the water, when that surface is exposed to its quiet, gentle, and perpetual influence, wears even these out, until the surface is smooth and uniform.” But it would take 70 years before the momentum finally caught in the US – much to our shame.
“…Harrison became the first president to attack lynchings. These versions of justice, he said, ‘shame our Christian civilization’ wherever the practice came under federal jurisdiction, but again held no hope for action by the Democrats [notice how the parties have traded positions].” “To my mind, said Frederick Douglass, “we never had a greater President.”
Another accomplishment of Harrison was the Forest Reserve Act that he pushed for. In the course of his administration he dedicated 13,000,000 acres as forest reserves.
Harrison suffered from having James Blaine (known as the plumed knight for reasons I do not know) who had been a previous nominee and remained the biggest opponent of Harrison. Blaine missed lots of time, sickness, indifference, obstinacy…he undermined the president and opposed him for nomination for a second term. Blaine was opposed to Harrison, his wife hated him, because Harrison refused to name their son assistant secretary of Navy and to promote their son in law to a Brigadier General.
Harrison’s wife died two weeks before the election. Harrison could not campaign while caring for her nor could he campaign as he mourned and the divided party did not rally for him which resulted in Grover Cleveland regaining the White House.
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