Chief JusticeMorrison Waite administered the presidential oath of office, and Cleveland held a Bible given to him at age 15 by his mother as he recited it.[1] Cleveland's second inauguration took place eight years after the first, as his two terms in office were not consecutive. He is the only U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms.[2]
In the presidential election of 1885, Cleveland won New York by only 1,500 votes out of over a million cast (Statistics taken from Miller Center). He was the first Democrat to win since the Civil War. In his first speech as president, he emphasized the importance of healing partisan divisions and encouraged citizens to scrutinize the government. At the time, there was a lot of political fighting between different parties, which Cleveland wanted to change. Additionally, he urged the American people to uphold the Declaration of Independence and not be afraid to overthrow a tyrannical government, should the need arise.