Politics: Local, State, and National

1
Politics Local, State, and National

• Reference chapter 21
• The American Nation
• 12th edition

2
Political Strategy and Tactics

• Major political parties tried to remain neutral
  on divisive issues
• There was a delicate balance of power between the
  two parties
• Didnt adopt firm positions on much of anything

3
Voting Along Ethnic and Religious Lines

• Each party had platforms
• More often than not, a voters ethnic origins,
  religious ties, perception of the Civil War, and
  whether he/she lived in a rural area or urban
  setting influenced his decision to vote Democrat
  or Republican
• Local and state issues often interacted with
  religious issues to shape political attitudes
• National party leaders were chosen by taking into
  account not only national factors, but local and
  personal factors as well.

4
City Bosses

• Rapid urban growth, strain on infrastructure, and
  exodus of upper and middle class all led to a
  crisis in city government.
• Gives rise to political bosses
• Provided social services in exchange for
  political support
• Kickbacks and bribes
• Did do some good, but were mostly thieves
• Boss Tweed-Tammany Hall in New York City

5
Party Politics

• South is heavily Democratic
• New England and the Trans-Mississippi west are
  staunchly Republican
• New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio, Indiana,
  and Illinois usually determined the outcome of
  elections
• Only three presidential candidates between
  1868-1900 did not come from New York, Indiana,
  Illinois, or Ohio
• Partisan politics was intense in these swing
  states, and ethics were low

6
Lackluster Leaders

• Presidents during this era were not enthusiastic
  about dealing with tough issues
• Hayes-1877 to 1881
• favored sound money
• civil service reform
• better treatment for blacks
• made little progress in these areas

7
Republicans

• GOP splits in 1880 between Stalwarts and
  Half-breeds
• James A. Garfield emerges as a compromise
  candidate in that election
• Assassinated and replaced by Chester A. Arthur
• Arthur defends the spoils system
• Arthur also favors regulation of the railroads
  and tariff reductions

8
Republicans continued

• Arthur alienated a lot of Stalwarts
• They did not re-nominate him

9
Notables James Garfield and Chester Arthur
10
The Election of 1884

• Revolved around personal issues
• Lots of mudslinging
• Grover Cleveland-former Democratic Governor of
  New York defeats James G. Blaine by fewer than
  25,000 votes

11
Notables James G. Blaine, Grover Cleveland
12
The Election of 1888

• Benjamin Harrison of Indiana (grandson of William
  Henry Harrison) defeats Grover Cleveland
• Some call him a human iceberg
• Fiscal conservative
• During his term, Congress raised the tariff,
  passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, and enacted a
  Force bill to ensure the voting rights of black
  Americans
• Harrison remains standoffish from these issues

13
1892 and After

• Grover Cleveland comes back and defeats Benjamin
  Harrison for the presidency in 1892
• Republicans produce capable leaders
• James Blaine of Maine
• William McKinley of Ohio (House)
• John Sherman of Ohio
• Thomas Reed of Maine (Speaker)

14
Crops and Complaints

• Economic and social status of farmers declined
  during the late 1800s
• Politicians are forced to confront the issue
• 1890s brings drought, poor harvests, restrictive
  tariffs, low commodity prices, and competition
  from abroad
• Downward swing in the business cycle adds to the
  farmers worries

15
The Populist Movement

• Farm problems triggers the Alliance Movement
• Spreads throughout the South and into the Midwest
• Farm groups enter politics in 1890
• 1892 joins Knights of Labor
• Organized the Populist Party

16
Populist Platform

• Sweeping platform included graduated income tax,
  nationalization of rail, telegraph, and telephone
  systems, coinage of silver
• Called for popular election of U.S. Senators
• Called for an eight hour work day (again)
• Ran James B. Weaver in 1892-got over 1 million
  votes
• Opponents in the South play on racial fears, so
  the movement doesnt gain steam with urban workers

17
Showdown on Silver

• Discussion of monetary policy revolved around the
  coinage of silver
• U.S. issued gold and silver coins traditionally
  151
• Devalued silver
• No one took silver to the mint
• Silver strikes in Nevada and Colorado floods the
  market and devalues silver

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Showdown continued

• Coinage Act of 1873 also devalues silver by
  promoting the coinage of more gold coins
• Battle between silver miners who wanted more
  silver coined and conservatives who didnt
• Bland-Allison Act (1878)-compromise authorized
  the purchase by feds of up to 4 million in
  silver per month at market prices
• Government buys the minimum and this doesnt help
  any

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Silver cont

• Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) passed and
  require the feds to buy 4.5 million ounces of
  silver a month
• Increasing supplies of silver from silver strikes
  in the West counteract this and continue to drive
  silver prices down
• Silver miners still struggle

20
Depression of 1893

• London banking company Baring Brothers collapses
  in 1893
• Panic leads to a worldwide depression
• Cleveland blames silver supporters
• He forces repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act
• Southern and western Democrats do not approve

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Depression continued

• Cleveland also angers Democrats over his handling
  of Pullman strike
• Silver and gold issue is front and center in
  national politics-cant be ignored anymore
• Republican William McKinley endorses the gold
  standard
• Democrat William Jennings Bryan endorses the
  platform of free silver
• Populists nominate Bryan as well
• Tom Watson of Georgia nominated as Populist Vice
  Presidential Candidate with Bryan

22
The Election of 1896

• Silver/gold money issues splits parties
• Pro-silver Republicans endorse Bryan
• Pro-gold Democrats nominate their own candidate
• There is a backlash against Democrats over the
  Depression b/c their party is in power
• W.J. Bryans youth works against him
• He makes his famous Cross of Gold speech
• McKinley wins

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The Meaning of the Election

• Marks the coming of age of modern America
• Election was NOT fought along class lines
• Workers and capitalists support McKinley while
  the farm vote split
• Gold/silver controversy wasnt as big of a
  deciding factor as many thought it would be
• Voters saw McKinley as a voice for the future

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Notables William McKinley and William J. Bryan