A Man of Iron by Troy Senik
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A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland
by Troy Senik
Simon & Schuster 2022
In his first book, A Man Of Iron, former White House scriptwriter and think tank executive Troy Senik reanalyzes the life, times, and political career of a man all but consigned to oblivion in the minds of most modern readers. However, upon a closer inspection, the administration of the unlikely president might just be worth remembering after all.
The improbability of Grover Cleveland’s story stems from his lack of professional and political ambition. Having served as an attorney for several years in New York, Cleveland would most likely have been more than happy to remain in that career. However, he was “...repeatedly summoned to run for office by others who saw in his reputation for honesty, integrity, and fearlessness the makings of a statesman.” The first elected office he held was sheriff of Erie County, New York. From there, it was a short road to mayor, and not long after that, governor. The pinnacle of his career would find him not once, but twice, in the White House.
The only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, Cleveland was both the twenty-second and twenty-fourth president of the United States. While many modern readers may not find the events of the Cleveland administration to be particularly headline-worthy, given the scandals that would engulf future presidents, they were nevertheless marked with challenges.
The aim of Senik’s book is to reinstate Cleveland into the public consciousness. Not to prop him up among the likes of Lincoln, or FDR, but to simply give him the esteem that his achievements and service warrant.
“The Cleveland years did not lack drama, and the president himself did not lack for personality,” Senik writes. “All of the ingredients for a meaningful legacy are present. While there is no good case for Grover Cleveland to be on Mount Rushmore, there is likewise no good reason that he should be entirely absent from America's historical memory. Surely there is room for him in the ranks of presidents we regard as distinctive and significant even if they don’t rise to the transcendent greatness of a Washington or a Lincoln.”
While Cleveland was not a born politician, he had the ability to function as one. Much of his personality was what made him attractive to those looking to fill political positions. In an era steeped in political corruption, Cleveland was something of an oddity. Even once elected, political party loyalty didn’t mean much to him. Instead, he looked for solutions that would benefit the masses.
At the start of his administration as governor of New York he once stated, “Let me rise or fall, I am going to work for the interests of the people of the state, regardless of party or anything else.” It was with this same ironclad conviction that Cleveland entered into the Oval Office. He was only the second Democrat to be elected after the Civil War, but that didn’t mean he limited himself to one party line.
As a champion for fiscal conservatism and classical liberalism, Cleveland opposed Free Silver, and his subsequent support of the Gold Standard ostracized him from many members of the Democratic party. While Cleveland was a strong policymaker, he did not escape criticism for many of his decisions, such as those surrounding the 1894 Pullman Strike, in which he sided against Labor Unions to keep the railways open, or for his management of the “Panic of 1893” which until the stock market crash of 1929 was the worst economic depression that the country had faced.
While at the end of Cleveland’s second term his popularity had dropped severely both with Republicans and Democrats, having the benefit of time, the modern day observer is able to look back and see that throughout his career Grover Cleveland always strove to keep the presidency synonymous with the traits that came naturally to him: honesty, integrity, and fearlessness.
Senik paints a very favorable portrait of Cleveland as a man who would always take into consideration what would best benefit the “interests of the people” and not just his own party. While it is clear that Senik is quite admiring of Cleveland, he manages to tell a well-rounded narrative, without slipping into hagiography. He does shine a consistently positive light on his life and political career. Senik is an engaging and organized writer, using primary sources, newly uncovered information, and extensive footnotes throughout. It is clear that he has command over his subject matter. A Man Of Iron is at once detailed and readable, an excellent work of presidential biography that will appeal to both the casual and serious reader of history.
—Micah Cummins is a college student currently living in Greenville, South Carolina.