Chapter 19 From Stalemate to Crisis

1. Chapter 19From Stalemate to Crisis “You Shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!” -William Jennings Bryan

2. Political Interests in the “Gilded Age” • Voter turnout extremely high for elections • Not because of interest in particular issues, but instead because of broad regional, ethnic or religious reasons. • Democrats: • Dominant in Southern states (triumph over Radical Reconstruction and white supremacy) • In many northern circles included Catholics, new immigrants, and poor workers. • Republicans: • Party of Lincoln, bulwark against slavery and treason • Appealed to Protestants, citizens of old stock conservative views, middle and upper-class citizens. • Party affiliations will continue for generations as offspring simply joined party of their parents.

3. Electoral Stability • The electorate remained fairly divided among the parties • House and Senate remained fairly evenly divided • Generally 16 states Republican and 14 states Democrat • Few states were ever truly in doubt, most notable were Ohio and New York • Voters generally decided national elections by simple turnout. • Republicans won every presidential election but 2 from 1860-1912. • Republicans often controlled the Senate, Democrats generally controlled the House of Representatives. • Party leaders were primarily concerned with winning offices, not policy. • Party bosses easily manipulated the system.

4. Patronage and Change • Often Presidents won elections with support from party bosses • Patronage system made it nearly impossible for new presidents to appoint new staff in short timespan without offending those who won them the office. • By 1870s dissention within the Republican party threatened the system. • Stalwarts: led by Roscoe Conklin of New York, favored traditional machine politics • Half-Breeds: led by James Blaine of Maine, favored reform • Neither of which actually offered much policy reform though • In Election of 1880 Republicans selected one of each for the ticket • James Garfield of Ohio: Half-Breed for President • Chester Arthur of New York: Stalwart henchman of Conklin for Vice-President • Garfield tried to defy Stalwarts with Civil Service reform, was assassinated four months after his election by a deranged Stalwart in a D.C. trainstation.

5. High Tariffs and Dissention • High protective tariffs had enabled many American industries to inflate prices, which resulted in multiple economic panics. • By the Election of 1884 the Republican Party was still divided and a group of disgruntled liberals called the “mugwumps” left the party to support the Democrats. • Democrats selected Grover Cleveland from New York, had a reputation for battling corruption and Tammany Hall. • Religious controversy during the campaign caused many New York Catholics to support Cleveland and he became the only Democrat of the era to win the Presidency.

6. Agrarian Movement • Midwestern rural communities began to experience unrest as issues generally favored the urban elite classes. • Isolated from the urban-industrial society that dominated national politics • Suffered from long economic decline • Growing sense of obsolescence created resentment • Growing sentiment for these groups to organize to instigate change. • Initial impact at state levels • Groups like the Grangers influenced state laws to regulate railroads and bring prices down. • Such laws were struck down, claiming they violated the federal gov’t. ability to regulate interstate commerce. • Became apparent that change would have to happen at the federal level.

7. The Grange • Initially formed as a social organization for self-help. • Bring farmers together to learn new scientific agricultural techniques • Create a sense of community among isolated farmers • Elaborate system of initiations and rituals made it seem like fraternal organization • Grange participation took off after financial panic of 1873, causing farmers to cling together for security. • Set up cooperative stores, creameries, elevators, warehouses, insurance companies, and factories to produce various goods, even forged lucrative relationships with existing businesses. • Ultimately, they failed because they couldn’t compete with existing businesses and were often dependent on the very middlemen they were challenging. • Overall too unstable, when agricultural prices rose by the late 1870s, they lost most of their collective power and membership declined.

8. Farmers’ Alliance • Fresh off the heals of the Granger movements • More regionally based, Southern Alliance for instance had considerable appeal. • Sought many of the same goals and even developed cooperatives similar to the Grangers • More emphasis on educating the masses on various political as well as social issues that led to wider appeal. • By the end of the 1880s the organizations were struggling because of more powerful opponents, similar to problems faced by Grangers. • Answer was the creation of a national political organization to drive change, the People’s Party (more commonly known as Populists)

9. Populists • 1890 Elections were an off year, but candidates supported by alliances won control of 12 states and 6 governors, 3 seats in U.S. Senate, and 50 U.S. Representatives. • Most were just Democrats with Alliance support • 1892 Officially formed the People’s Party and met in Omaha to select Presidential candidate. • Presidential candidate, James Weaver of Iowa – polled 8.5% of vote and 22 electoral votes, carried 6 mountain and plains states. • Still not as dominant as mainstream parties, the Populists forced them to consider their issues.

10. Populist Platform • System of “Subtreasuries” • Gov’t. established network of warehouses where farmers deposit crops. • Using crops as collateral, farmers could borrow money from the gov’t. at lower interest. • While storing their crops, they could wait for prices to rise before selling them. • Abolition of National Banks • Institutions of concentrated gov’t. power • Direct election of U.S. Senators • This would weaken the power of conservative state legislatures controlled by party groups. • Regulation • Gov’t. control and ownership of Railroads, telephones, telegraphs. • Graduated income taxes on wealthy, and inflation of currency.

11. Free Silver vs. Gold Standard • Value of U.S. currency today is heavily dependent on public confidence in American gov’t. and economy. • However, until 1900’s common belief dictated there must be a precious metal to support paper money (specie) • Theoretically, you could turn in your paper money to the bank in exchange for the metal. • The U.S. recognized silver and gold as such metals. • 1870s – value of silver was worth more sold on the markets than the gov’t. could offer to mint. Therefore the gov’t. turned to the Gold Standard: only gold. • But later in 1870s, value of silver once again dropped, created a surplus of silver that couldn’t be used by gov’t. because of the law. • Silver miners wanted the Gold Standard lifted so they could sell their surplus • Farmers wanted it lifted to increase the quantity of money, inflating prices of farm goods and easing payment of their debts.

12. Election of 1896 • Needing more support for upcoming election, Populists embraced the Free Silver movement and made it a major plank in their platform. • Republican selected William McKinley of Ohio • Conservative supported by party bosses, author of higher protective tariffs • Agreed to poll other commercial nations regarding support for free-silver (seemed highly unlikely this would change anything) • Democratic convention became wild scene as they debated how to handle the challenges from Populists.

13. Emergence of William Jennings Bryan • Congressman from Nebraska set the convention into a frenzy with his impassioned speech revolving around the Gold Standard and many Populist values. • Such a moving speech that the delegates selected him as their candidate. • At 36, still the youngest candidate for president in history. • Populists had a decision to make, Bryan had adopted many of their planks, most importantly Free Silver. • Pick another, weaker candidate, and pull votes away from Bryan • Pick Bryan as their candidate and risk losing appeal as a legitimate party. • In the end they chose Bryan as candidate for both Democrats and Populists.

14. Campaign of ‘96 • McKinley: traditional front porch campaign, let party bosses work for him. • Bryan: first modern campaign where he stumped around the country to gain support. • Many thought it was shameful and lost him support. • Ultimately, McKinley’s ties to party bosses in Ohio and slight improvement in economy before election won the slim margin. • Populist tie to Democratic candidate proved the demise of party as a whole. • Pg. 540 and how the Populists were probably right about Gold Standard.