Presidential Biographies | Cleveland Administrations - Cleveland's Advisers

Cleveland's Advisers

Grover Cleveland had no kitchen cabinet or informal circle of advisers. He depended on his formally constituted cabinet for counsel. He listened carefully to each cabinet officer before making a decision on administration policy.

First Term Cabinet

Secretary of State Thomas Bayard was Cleveland's chief foreign policy adviser. He placed great emphasis on peaceful negotiations as the means to avoid confrontations with other nations. Under Bayard the State Department tried to settle disputes over fishing rights in the North Atlantic by Canadian and American fishermen. He negotiated the Bayard-Chamberlain Treaty of February 15, 1888, which allowed U.S. fishers more rights in Canadian waters if Congress removed tariffs on Canadian fish products. Republicans killed the bill in the Senate. However, Bayard was able to work out temporary...