CHANGES IN NATIONAL POLITICS

Republican/Democrats- Were similar in ideas. Both managed to avoid major differences.

National Leaders of both parties were concerned with offi ce. Winning Elections Controlling patronage

Both parties dominated by powerful bosses and machines. They controlled jobs- dispensing them.

Democrats: Relied on big city organizations Tammany Hall- mobilized the voting power of immigrants.

Republicans: Depend on statewide organizations Led by Party Bosses

THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Power of the Party Bosses Major effect on the Presidency

New President Job: Distribute Government appointments 100,000 appointments Had very little latitude Trying to avoid offending various factions within their own

parties.President Hayes

Impossible job Stalwarts- led by Roscoe Half-Breeds- led by James Blaine

Competing for control of the Republican PartyThreatened to split it!

PRESIDENTS AND PATRONAGE

StalwartsVery TraditionalProfessional machine politics

Half-BreedsFavored reform

Neither group favored great change.Both wanted larger piece of the pie.President Hayes

Wanted to help both, but didn’t.

PRESIDENTS AND PATRONAGE

Convention Deadlock James Garfield

Republican President Chester A. Arthur

Vice President

First things fi rst Defy Conkling/Stalwarts in appointments

Showed support for civil service reform Quarreling in public came after.

July 2, 1881 Four months after his inauguration

Shot twice Shooter: “I am a Stalwart and Arthur is president now” Lingered for three months after and finally died Poor medical treatment

1880 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTION

Arthur He was an devoted spoils man Close ally with Conkling Tried to promote reform Garfield’s assassination

Discredited the traditional spoils system Kept most of Garfield’s appointees in offi ce Supported civil service reform.

1883 First civil service reform measure.

The Pendleton Act Federal job be filled by written exams. Rather than patronage.

20 th century- most of the jobs followed this procedure.

THE “NEW” ARTHUR

Election of 1884 Republicans

Chose James Blaine Bypassed Arthur

Independent Reform Faction Mugwumps- left the Republican party and support honest

Democrats. Democrats

Chose New York Governor: Grover Cleveland Reformer An enemy to corruption Very stern and righteous Nickname: Veto Governor

Cleveland Won with 219 votes Blaine had 182 votes

THE RETURN OF THE DEMOCRATS

Democrats Re-nominated Cleveland Supported tariff reductions

Republicans Benjamin Harrison Respectable Supported keeping the tariff where its at

This campaign: Was the closest Was the most corrupt in U.S history

Harrison (Bush) Won an electoral majority Cleveland (Gore) won the popular majority. This is one of three elections that ended with the loser

of the popular vote winning the election.

THE ELECTION OF 1888

July 1890Congress

Curb the power of the trusts. Sherman Antitrust Act

Declared illegal every contract trust Restrained trade or commerce Gave Justice Department authority to take actions

The Law was weak Was not specific in what kinds of combinations it

was forbidding Weakness was intentional

Congress saw the measure as symbolic.

TRUSTS, TARIFFS, AND RAILROADS

Election of 1892 Republicans/Harrison

Supported high tariff ’s Democrats/Cleveland opposing it.

New Party Populists Party

Nominated James B. Weaver Serious advocate of economic reform Build warehouses

Store their food Crops could be used as collateral to borrow money. Lower interests rates Direct election of senators Government ownership of railroads, telephones, and telegraphs Inflation of currency Demonetization of silver

ELECTION OF 1892

Weaver Received 1 million votes 22 electoral votes Five populists were elected to the Senate Ten to the House

Cleveland Won Democrats won control of both houses of Congress

Cleveland 2nd term

Devoted to minimal government Hostile to state measures to deal with social and economic

problems.

ELECTION OF 1892

The Grangers First major farm organization Appeared in the 1960’s First it was a self-help association

Depression hits in 1873 Turns into a political group.

1867 Oliver H. Kelley

Founded the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry Hope to create a sense of unity.

Depression of 1873 Membership increased rapidly 1875- 800,000 members Strongest in the South and Midwest

THE AGRARIAN REVOLT

Local Chapters Organize marketing to get around the middlemen. Use lawful and peaceful means to free themselves Free from monopolies.

Grangers Set up stores, creameries, elevators, warehouses, insurance

companies, and factories. Produced: machines, stoves, other items.

Montgomery Ward Corporation rose to meet the needs of grangers

Most of the Grange enterprise will fail. At its height

Managed to gain control of the legislatures in mid-western states. Purpose: was to subject the railroads to government controls. Courts destroyed much of the laws regulating the railroad. 1880- 100,000 members

THE GRANGERS

Within the panic beginning8,000 businesses156 railroads400 banks

ALL FAILED!Low agricultural prices fell1 million workers lost their jobs.20% of the labor force.Prosperity didn’t return until 1901

PANIC OF 1893

Panic weakened the government’s monetary system. Debates:

What the national currency should be? Gold and silver- were the basis for the dollar

Bimetallism Ration of silver to gold was 16-1 The Mint stopped coining silver 1873

Congress discontinued the coinage of silver 1870’s value of silver fell. Called it the “Crime of 73”.

1896 Election Free coinage silver was a major issue. “Free Silver” supporters considered the gold standard Silver- is the people’s money

THE SILVER QUESTION

Republicans Confident of success in the election of 1896

Mark Hanna Swayed them to pick William McKinley

Ohio governor Supported the gold standard

Democrats Divided on free silver issue Bryan addressed the convention

“If they dare to come out in the open and defend the gold standard as a good thing, we will fight them to the uttermost. Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests and the toilers everywhere, we will answer their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

THE EMERGENCE OF BRYAN

Convention Voted to adopt the pro-silver platform. Bryan

Following day was nominated for president. Youngest ever nominated to the President. Established this modern form of presidential politics.

McKinley Received 271 electoral votes

Bryan’s Received 176 electoral votes

THE EMERGENCE OF BRYAN