--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Grover Cleveland declined to participate…" description: "\"Grover Cleveland declined to participate in character attacks on Blaine . When presented with papers which purported to be extremely damaging to Blaine..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/grover-cleveland-6120_campaigns_grover-cleveland-declined-to-participate_1328547.jpg" --- # Grover Cleveland declined to participate in character… ![“Grover Cleveland declined to participate in character attacks on Blaine . When presented with papers which purported to be extremely damaging to Blaine, he grabbed them, tore them up, flung the shreds into the fire, and decreed, "The other side can have a monopoly of all the dirt in this campaign.” quote by Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/grover-cleveland-6120_campaigns_grover-cleveland-declined-to-participate_1328547.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/grover-cleveland-6120_campaigns_grover-cleveland-declined-to-participate_1328547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccc/grover-cleveland-6120_campaigns_grover-cleveland-declined-to-participate_1328547.jpg) > “Grover Cleveland declined to participate in character attacks on Blaine . When presented with papers which purported to be extremely damaging to Blaine, he grabbed them, tore them up, flung the shreds into the fire, and decreed, "The other side can have a monopoly of all the dirt in this campaign.” [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cleveland refused to use mudslinging, choosing to destroy damaging material and reject negative tactics. **In simple terms:** He rejected dirty political attacks. Key Takeaway Uphold integrity over winning by any means. Themes politics integrity honesty Mood principled strategic Type political historical When to use this quote - political debates - election campaigns - media scandals Key Concepts campaign ethics leadership public trust Questions to Reflect On - Is integrity more important than victory? - How can one stay ethical under pressure? A Different Perspective Such refusal may limit strategic advantage in hostile environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleveland/) [Dirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Monopoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopoly/) ## Related quotes > [Unskilled in sophistry and new to the darker ways of national politics, Grover Cleveland faced his accusers, his slanderers, and his judges, the sovereign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/unskilled-in-sophistry-and-new-to-the-darker-ways-of-national/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [What in the world had Grover Cleveland done? Will you tell me? You give it up? I have been looking for six weeks for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mckinley/what-in-the-world-had-grover-cleveland-done-will-you-tell-me-you-give/) [William McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mckinley/) > [The truth is that many powerful guys have fooled around while working for the people. Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Warren Harding to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-truth-is-that-many-powerful-guys-have-fooled-around-while-working/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [It was not until the Abraham Lincoln administration that an income tax was imposed on Americans. Its stated purpose was to finance the war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/it-was-not-until-the-abraham-lincoln-administration-that-an-income/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [NATO was a wonderful idea. It was formed in 1949. We are as far away from NATO as NATO was when it was done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/nato-was-a-wonderful-idea-it-was-formed-in-1949-we-are-as-far-away/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [He was a great president in his first term; in his second term, he wasn't the same Grover Cleveland he was to begin with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/he-was-a-great-president-in-his-first-term-in-his-second-term-he-wasn/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [What we have are good gray ballplayers, playing a good gray game and reading the good gray Wall Street Journal. They have been brainwashed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-veeck/what-we-have-are-good-gray-ballplayers-playing-a-good-gray-game-and/) [Bill Veeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-veeck/) > [I always thought Grover Cleveland was from Cleveland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-garcetti/i-always-thought-grover-cleveland-was-from-cleveland/) [Eric Garcetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-garcetti/) > [During Grover Cleveland's second term, in the 1890s, the White House deceived the public by dismissing allegations that surgeons had removed a cancerous growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/during-grover-cleveland-s-second-term-in-the-1890s-the-white-house/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [When the blood of thousands of Americans is shed, the impact lingers. 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It will please my family to the fourth generation and my family of friends and, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/i-am-glad-the-invitation-pleases-your-family-it-will-please-my-family/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“It was a twenty, but instead of Andrew Jackson on the face, I saw Grover Cleveland,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-was-a-twenty-but-instead-of-andrew-jackson-on-the-face-i-saw/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“I wonder what city Grover Cleveland is from. Probably Cincinnati.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wonder-what-city-grover-cleveland-is-from-probably-cincinnati/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More by Grover Cleveland > [I have considered the pension list of the republic a roll of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/i-have-considered-the-pension-list-of-the-republic-a-roll-of-honor/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [It is no credit to me to do right. I am never under any temptation to do wrong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/it-is-no-credit-to-me-to-do-right-i-am-never-under-any-temptation-to/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/i-can-find-no-warrant-for-such-an-appropriation-in-the-constitution/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [Communism is a hateful thing, and a menace to peace and organized government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/communism-is-a-hateful-thing-and-a-menace-to-peace-and-organized/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [A man of true honor protects the unwritten word which binds his conscience more scrupulously, if possible, than he does the bond a breach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/a-man-of-true-honor-protects-the-unwritten-word-which-binds-his/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [Some day I will be better remembered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/some-day-i-will-be-better-remembered/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [Under our scheme of government the waste of public money is a crime against the citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/under-our-scheme-of-government-the-waste-of-public-money-is-a-crime/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [If you are still in school, do not neglect your grades. Internships and other activities are fine, but when legal employers have to decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/if-you-are-still-in-school-do-not-neglect-your-grades-internships-and/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [A truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the fact that honor lies in honest toil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/a-truly-american-sentiment-recognizes-the-dignity-of-labor-and-the/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [I would rather the man who presents something for my consideration subject me to a zephyr of truth and a gentle breeze of responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/i-would-rather-the-man-who-presents-something-for-my-consideration/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [In calm water every ship has a good captain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/in-calm-water-every-ship-has-a-good-captain/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [No man has ever yet been hanged for breaking the spirit of a law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/no-man-has-ever-yet-been-hanged-for-breaking-the-spirit-of-a-law/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [He who takes the oath today to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States only assumes the solemn obligation which every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/he-who-takes-the-oath-today-to-preserve-protect-and-defend-the/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [The lessons of paternalism ought to be unlearned and the better lesson taught that while people should patriotically and cheerfully support their Government its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/the-lessons-of-paternalism-ought-to-be-unlearned-and-the-better/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) > [“Communism is a hateful thing and a menace to peace and organized government; but the communism of combined wealth and capital, the outgrowth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/communism-is-a-hateful-thing-and-a-menace-to-peace-and-organized-2/) [Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) [Explore all 100 Grover Cleveland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/) ## More Campaigns quotes > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [If you put everything, your heart and soul into a campaign, it might take you a while to come around to the realization that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/if-you-put-everything-your-heart-and-soul-into-a-campaign-it-might/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. 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I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I would like to have campaign spending limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-would-like-to-have-campaign-spending-limits/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) > [We need to be more precise in how we talk about these issues. 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