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Changes In National Politics

Changes In National Politics. The National Government. Republican/Democrats- Were similar in ideas. Both managed to avoid major differences. National Leaders of both parties were concerned with office. Winning Elections Controlling patronage

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Changes In National Politics

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  1. Changes In National Politics

  2. The National Government • Republican/Democrats- • Were similar in ideas. • Both managed to avoid major differences. • National Leaders of both parties were concerned with office. • 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

  3. Presidents and Patronage • 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 Party • Threatened to split it!

  4. Presidents and Patronage • Stalwarts • Very Traditional • Professional machine politics • Half-Breeds • Favored reform • Neither group favored great change. • Both wanted larger piece of the pie. • President Hayes • Wanted to help both, but didn’t.

  5. 1880 Republican Presidential Convention • Convention Deadlock • James Garfield • Republican President • Chester A. Arthur • Vice President • First things first • 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

  6. The “New” Arthur • 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 office • Supported civil service reform. • 1883 • First civil service reform measure. • The Pendleton Act • Federal job be filled by written exams. • Rather than patronage. • 20th century- most of the jobs followed this procedure.

  7. The Return of the Democrats • 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

  8. The election of 1888 • 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.

  9. Trusts, Tariffs, and Railroads • July 1890 • Congress • 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.

  10. Election of 1892 • 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

  11. 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.

  12. The Agrarian Revolt • 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

  13. The grangers • 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

  14. Panic of 1893 • Within the panic beginning • 8,000 businesses • 156 railroads • 400 banks • ALL FAILED! • Low agricultural prices fell • 1 million workers lost their jobs. • 20% of the labor force. • Prosperity didn’t return until 1901

  15. The silver question • 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

  16. The Emergence of Bryan • 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.”

  17. 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

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