Politics in the Gilded Age

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Chapter 23 Politics in the Gilded Age
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Grant Presidency 1869-1877

• Scandal ridden
• Black Friday- Gould Fisk scheme on the gold
  market done w/bribes
• Credit Mobilier- Railroad stock bribes to
  Congress
• Whiskey Ring- millions in excise taxes stolen
• Sec. of War Belnap- resigns for taking bribes

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Gilded Age Politics

• A. Political See-Saw
• 1. Close elections, frequent turnovers in House
  makeup
• a) majority party switched six times in 11
  session between 1869-1891
• b) divided government (H, S, and White House)
• c) discourages bold stands by politicians

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Gilded Age Politics

• B. Political Parties
• a) little difference between the Dems and the
  Reps on major issues tariffs, currency, civil
  service reform
• b) ferocious competition
• c) motivate their constituents at election time
  (voter turnout 80 from 1860s-90s)

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Gilded Age Politics

• C. Characteristics of the Parties
• 1. cultural ideological differences
• a. Republicans Puritan religious roots, native
  born, support gov't involvement in economy and
  society
• b. Democrats numbers include Roman Catholics
  and Lutherans, less stern, opposed gov't attempts
  to impose a single moral standard on society.

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Gilded Age Politics

• 2. geographical centers of party loyalty
• a. Democrats South (but not among freedmen),
  Northern industrial cities (immigrants and
  political machines)
• b. Republicans Midwest, Northeast, and freedmen

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Gilded Age Politics

• 3. use of patronage and spoils system
• a. use of spoils to gain support common
• b. Sen. Roscoe Conkling (R-NY) and the
  "Stalwarts" v. Rep. James G. Blaine (R-ME) and
  the Half-Breeds stalemate the GOP over the issue
  of civil service reform

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The Emergence of Political Machines

• The Political Machine
• Political machine organized group that controls
  city political party
• The Machine gives services to voters and
  businesses for political, financial support
• Provided much needed welfare services to the
  cities (sanitation, water, libraries, parks)
• After Civil War, political machines gain control
  of major cities
• Control of? money, elections, projects

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Political Machine Organization
The Goal? Use money and influence to control the
citys politics and economics
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The Emergence of Political Machines

• The Role of Political Bosses
• Whether or not city boss serves as mayor, he
• Controls access to city jobs, business licenses
• Influences courts, municipal agencies
• Arranges building projects, community services
• Bosses paid by businesses, get voters loyalty,
  extend influence
• Immigrants and the Machine
• Many captains, bosses 1st or 2nd generation
  Americans
• Machines help immigrants with naturalization
  (getting citizenship), jobs, housing

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Municipal Graft and Scandal

• Election Fraud and Graft
• Machines use electoral fraud (cheating) to win
  elections
• Graft illegal use of political influence for
  personal gain
• Machines take kickbacks (), bribes to allow
  legal illegal activities

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Municipal Graft and Scandal

• The Tweed Ring Scandal
• 1868 William M. Tweed (Boss Tweed) heads Tammany
  Hall in NYC
• Leads Tweed Ring, defrauds (steals) city of
  millions of dollars
• Cartoonist Thomas Nast helps arouse public
  outrage against Tweed
• Tweed Ring broken in 1871

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POLITICAL MACHINES AND CORRUPT CITY BOSSES
CONTROLLED CITIES
TAMMANY HALL, NYC
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CARTOON ABOVE COMPARES TWEEDS EXCESSIVE THEFT TO
THAT OF A MINOR BREAD THIEF
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Civil Service Replaces Patronage

• Patronage Spurs Reform
• Patronage govt jobs to those who can help
  candidates get elected
• Civil service (govt admin.) are all patronage
  jobs
• Some appointees not qualified some use position
  for personal gain
• Reformers want merit system for hiring civil
  service
• Merit? The most qualified, not the best connected
  should get the important jobs

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Civil Service Replaces Patronage

• Reform Under Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur
• Republican Rutherford B. Hayes elected president
  (1876)
• Names independents to cabinet
• Creates commission to investigate corruption
• Fires 2 officials angers Stalwarts (group that
  supported corrupt ways, led by NY boss Conkling)
• 1880, Republican independent James A. Garfield
  wins election

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Civil Service Replaces Patronage

• Reform Under Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur
• Stalwart Chester A. Arthur is vice-president
• Garfield gives patronage jobs to reformers is
  shot and killed
• Half-Breeds?-Repubs. who favored civil service
  reform and opposed patronage
• As president, Arthur urges Congress to pass civil
  service law
• Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883
  appointments (govt jobs) based on exam score (on
  your merit), ends the spoils system

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• d. Assessing the Gilded Age presidents
• 1. "The Forgettable Presidents"
• a) Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Harrison
• b) left either blanks or blots on the political
  record
• 2. Why such little vitality in politics?
• a) the industrial economy lures away talented men
• b) loss in political leadership was inversely
  related to the surge in economic growth