Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/297

 GROVER CLEVELAND 247 city from ten cents to five cents for all hours in the day, was simply and solely because he considered the enactment illegal and a breach of the plighted faith of the state. The general railroad law of 1850 provides for an examination by state officers into the earnings of railroads before the rates of fare can be reduced, and as this imperative condi tion had not been complied with previous to the passage of the bill he vetoed it. He vetoed the Buffalo fire department bill because he believed its provisions would prevent the &quot;economical and effi cient administration of an important department in a large city,&quot; and subject it to partisan and per sonal influences. In the second year of his admin istration he approved the bill enacting important reforms in the appointment and administration of certain local offices in New York city. His state administration was only an expansion of the funda mental principles that controlled his official action while mayor of Buffalo. Its integrity, ability, and success made him a prominent candidate for presi dent. The democratic national convention met at Chi cago, July 8, 1884. Three days were devoted to organization, platform, and speeches in favor of candidates. In the evening of July 10 a vote was taken, in which, out of 820 votes, Grover Cleveland received 392. A two-thirds vote (557) was neces sary to a nomination. On the following morning,