As sheriff of Erie County, New York, one of Grover Cleveland's duties was to be in charge of public hangings. From this, he acquired the macabre nickname "Hangman of Buffalo."
He was a champion of civil service reform, awarding government jobs to only the most qualified. Though a Democrat, he won election to the Presidency with the help of Republican defectors, known as "mugwumps."
The publisher Joseph Pulitzer gave four reasons for endorsing Cleveland - "1. He is an honest man; 2. he is an honest man; 3. he is an honest man; and 4. he is an honest man."
Later in life, when asked what accomplishments should be inscribed on a monument to his memory, he reflected, "not for anything I have done, but for the foolishness I have put a stop to."