David M Kennedy et al The American Pageant

David M. Kennedy, et al The American Pageant Chapter 23 : Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age 1869 -1896

I. The Gilded Age II. A. Name given by Mark Twain III. B. Time of prosperity (for some), corruption, and greed

II. III. Election of 1868 – Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horatio Seymour A. Republican Tactic – “waving the bloody shirt” to remind voters of the “traitorous” Democrats who started the Civil War IV. B. Close Election – votes of freed slaves V. C. “Ohio Plan” – debate over paper v. coined money VI. D. “Let us have peace. ” 15 th Amendment Ratified

IV. Political Machines A. Unofficial city organization designed to keep a particular party (mostly Democratic) or group in power B. Offered support (social) services to immigrant groups C. Corrupt – politics for profit Example: Tammany Hall in NYC – Run by Boss Tweed D. Thomas Nast – Influential cartoonist attacking political machines and other ‘corrupt’ influences William M. “Boss” Tweed

V. Grant Administration Controversy VI. A. Credit Mobilier Scandal VII. Railroad officials distributed valuable stock to several Congressman VIII. and Vice-President Colfax to prevent investigation. Future president IX. James Garfield denied all charges against him. X. Vice President Colfax XI. Rep. James Garfield

B. Whiskey Ring Scandal Treasury officials accepted bribes not to collect excise taxes from certain distillers. Grant implicated by the scandal when his personal secretary was names by prosecutors. After declaring, “Let no guilty man escape. ”, he provided written testimony that lead to the exoneration of his friend. C. Fisk – Gould Gold Scandal (my title) Grant’s association with a scheme to corner the gold market Jim Fisk Jay Gould D. Secretary of War William Belknap’s resignation for accepting bribes E. Grant’s ‘Court Packing’ Controversy and questions of legality of “folding money” issued from the civil war era

VI. Election of 1872 VII. A. Horace Greely – represented the Liberal Republicans (3 rd party) and the De VIII. B. Greely charged as “an atheist, a communist, a free-lover, a vegetarian, IX. a brown bread eater, and a cosigner of Jefferson Davis’ bail bond” X. C. Grant won by a comfortable margin

VII. Grant Economics A. Panic of 1873 1. Causes = over speculation and overproduction – more than the market could bear, little regulation and rapid growth 2. “Cheap Money” Agrarian & debtor groups more greenbacks & inflation V. “Hard Money” Creditors greenbacks out of circulation

B. Failure of Freedman’s Savings & Trust and other banks C. The “Crime of ’ 73” 1. Silver-mining states & debtors wanted the government to continue making silver coins – government was altering silver market by adhering to artificially low prices 2. Net Result = inflation D. Resumption Act of 1875 and other “hard money” victories – Greenbacks out of circulation and future exchangeability of paper currency for gold E. Bland-Allison Act of 1878 – the federal government would purchase silver supplies and coin silver currency in limited quantities F. Greenback Labor Party

G. Grant’s Third Term? H. Puck Cartoons I. H. Personal Memoirs

VIII. Republican in-fighting A. Stalwarts – supported the spoils system B. Half-Breeds – supported civil service reform (somewhat) IX. Election of 1876 A. Rutherford B Hayes (R) v. Samuel Tilden (D) B. 20 disputed electoral votes (LA, SC, FL, & OR; LA – main focus) C. Compromise of 1877 1. Hayes became president 2. Remaining federal troops would leave the South 3. Ended Reconstruction D. Supported Railroad interests to break strikes Samuel Tilden Rutherford B. Hayes

X. White supremacy returns to the South A. Voting restrictions – literacy tests, poll taxes & the grandfather clause B. Sharecropping and tenant farming – perpetual debt C. Jim Crow laws 1. Legal separation of whites and blacks 2. Supported by Plessy v. Ferguson Stated that “separate but equal” facilities were constitutional

XI. Election of 1880 – James Garfield (R) A. “Assassinated by the spoils system” shortly after taking office Charles Guiteau – disappointed office seeker B. Chester Arthur becomes president C. Public outcry for civil service reform D. Chinese Exclusion Act – 1882 XII. Pendleton Act A. Government jobs based on aptitude B. Civil Service Commission established C. Ended Spoils System

XIII. Election of 1884 – Grover Cleveland (D) A. Ma! Where’s my Pa? He’s gone to the White House, ha! “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion” B. 1 st Democratic President since Buchanan C. “Though the people support the government, the government should not support the people. ” D. Favored lowering the tariff – cost him the presidency

XIV. Election of 1888 – Benjamin Harrison (R) A. Corrupt campaign focused on tariff B. Helped pass the Mc. Kinley Tariff Act which put the protective tariff at 48. 4% on dutiable goods C. “Billion Dollar Congress”

XV. Election of 1892 – Grover Cleveland (D) – again A. The only president to serve non-consecutive terms B. Depression of 1893 1. Most severe depression of the 1800 s 2. Causes = overproduction, speculation, agricultural depression, silver monetary policy, and capitalist-labor conflict 3. Repealed Sherman Silver Purchase Act to halt draining of reserves C. Last of the “Forgettable Presidents” D. Executive priviledge

James B. Weaver XVI. Populist (People’s) Party A. Role of 3 rd party in American politics B. Base of Support – The Grange, Greenback Labor Party, and other farmer alliances C. Populist Party Platform 1. Australian (or Secret Ballot) – public voting in many areas which subjected some voters to pressure from landlords or employers Adopted by all states in 1900 s 2. Popular Election of U. S. Senators – believed that business lobbies had too much legislatures (Art. 1, Sect. 3) control over the state Became the 17 th Amendment in 1913 3. Direct Democracy – urged use of initiative, referendum and recall as a means of giving people a more direct voice in government Adopted my many states in 1900 s; still practiced extensively in western states

4. Banking Reform – felt the hardships of the working class caused by a national banking system 5. Populists lost this plank with the adoption of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. 5. Government Ownership of the Railroads, Telegraph, and Telephone – price abuse led this 6. belief critics charged Populists as being socialists No public support for government ownership, but regulation increased. 6. Graduated Income Tax After initial setbacks by Supreme Court, power to apply a graduated income tax granted by the 16 th Amendment in 1913. Populist Members of Nebraska Legislature - 1890

7. Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver – wanted inflationary measures to ease debts This idea will meet a natural death with increased prosperity and increased gold supply. 8. One Term Limit for President A Republican congress in 1951 will pass a two term limit in the 22 nd Amendment. 9. Shorter Work Day Unions will help accomplish this in the 1850 s with a 7 day work week. The 5 day, 40 hour work week will not come until 1948. 10. Immigrant Restrictions – gained support from western and mid-western states from the 11. influx of Chinese immigrants 12. A flood of European immigrants and growing prosperity kept severe restrictions at bay. William Jennings Bryan

XVII. A. B. C. D. E. F. Homestead Strike Andrew Carnegie instituted an across-the-board pay cut. Carnegie’s Homestead steel plant near Pittsburgh, PA 300 armed Pinkerton detectives sent in to break strike Strikers forced Pinkerton’s private police force to surrender. National Guard activated to restore order Strike and Union busted Andrew Carnegie Homestead Patrols