Politics

1
Politics 1868 to 1896
2
Election of 1868

• Radical Republicans chose U.S. Grant as their
  candidate. They were champions of a vigorous
  Southern reconstruction policy, defenders of
  Northern financial and business interests
  against Western agrarians and payment of public
  debt in gold. The Democrats chose Horatio
  Seymour who drafted a platform that
  Reconstruction was unconstitutional and favored
  the Ohio Ideathat proposed government bonds
  should be paid in greenbacks rather than gold.
  Grant won 214 to 80 electoral votes but the white
  voters did not endorse the Radical Republicans.

3
Grants Presidency 1868 -1872

• Low standard of public morality
• Business leaders sought and received favors from
  the government for a price
• Government officials betrayed the interests of
  their constituents
• Politicians used public office as a source of
  private profit

4
Problems under Grant

1. Advisors personal friends and relatives
2. Gold conspiracy Gould and Fisk attempted to
   corner the gold supply. Even though Grant at the
   last moment prevented the plot, it brought
   financial ruin to many on Black Friday, September
   24, 1869.
3. Tweed Ring William Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall
   and his friends committed against New York City,
   Thomsa Nasts political cartoons will help bring
   Tweed and his gang down in 1871.

4. Credit Mobilier Scandal graft and
political connection with the building of the
Union Pacific RR surfaced in 1872. Shares of
stock were purchased by government officials in
order to influence legislation. VP resigns
thoroughly discredited. Dividends ranged up to
350.
5
Election of 1872

• Democrats and Liberal Republicans nominated
  Horace Greely. LR opposed radical reconstruction,
  wanted civil service, lower tariffs, and against
  Grants corruption
• Greely carried only six states but liberals
  began to have an influence in policy

6
Grants Presidency 1872 -1876

• Salary Grab Congress in 1873 voted a 50 salary
  increase for themselves - repealed next Congress
• Sanborn Contracts In 1874, Sec. Of Treasury had
  to resign. He had permitted J.D. Sanborn to
  retain exorbitant commissions for collecting
  unpaid taxes.
• District Ring Grant appoints the Governor of
  D.C. despite his known graft and corruption to
  head a commission . Senate refuses to ratify
  appointment.
• Whiskey Ring Sec. Of Treasury Bristow uncovered
  a conspiracy to defraud the government of taxes
  on whiskey. Grants private secretary , O.E.
  Babcock, was involved.
• Belknap Scandal Sec. Of War Belknap resigned
  before being impeached as he had accepted bribes
  for several years for trading on Indian
  reservations.
• Slaughter house cases 1873
• Panic of 1873 set off a five year depression

7
The Greenback Question
1. Crime of 73 to contract the volume of
paper money greenbacks to be redeemed
only in gold. 2. Congress passes a bill in 1874
to add more Greenbacks into economy. Grant
vetoes. 3. Specie Resumtion Act of 1874
Greenbacks remain in circulation but after
January 1, 1879 , redeemable at face value
in gold. 4. Greenback Party created in 1875. It
will decline due to the increase favoring
of free and unlimited coinage of silver.
8
Election of 1876
Hayes wins disputed elected. Reconstruction ends
with Compromise of 1877
9
Events under Hayes

• Bland Allison Act 1878 - 2 4 M worth of
  silver to be coined each month into silver
  dollars. Hayes vetoed but passed over his veto.
• January 1, 1879, greenbacks would be redeemed at
  face value in gold.

10
Election of 1880

• James Blaine Rep. Ohio wins election as a dark
  horse a halfbreed
• Republican Party split His vice president Chester
  Arthur was a Stalwart
• A. Stalwarts led by Roscoe Conkling
  favored civil service reform
• B. Halfbreeds led by James Blaine
  partially favored civil service reform
• Solid South after 1876 the Democrats could
  count on the South to vote Democratic. This will
  hold true for the next 100 years
• Waving the bloody shirt Congressional members
  will place a bloody shirt from the Civil War and
  wave it on the floor to remind members of
  Congress about the Civil War.
• GOP the Republican Party becomes known as the
  Grand Old Party
• Garfield is assassinated September 1881

11
Arthurs Presidency

• Pendleton Act 1883 Civil service Reform
• Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 Burlingame Treaty
  1868 granted Chinese subjects unrestricted rights
  of immigration and equality of treatment with
  other immigrants. Due to threat of Chinese
  competing with American labor, Chinese labor was
  excluded for 10 years.
• Pork Barrel Appropriations- Surplus in government
  treasury from 1870 1880 allowed pork barrel
  projects to double. Congress approved
  improvements and public works in their respective
  districts.

12
Election of 1884

• Grover Cleveland (NY) wins over James Blaine
  (Maine)
• Reasons for Cleveland winning
• A. Mulligan Letters
• B. Mugwumps
• C. Prohibitionists in upstate NY normally
  Republican voted Democrat
• D. Rum, Romanism, Rebellion speech

13
Clevelands Presidency

• Repeal of Tenure of Office Act
• Presidential Succession Act
• Dawes Act
• Interstate Commerce Act
• Pension controversy
• Tariff Controversy

14
Election of 1888

• Cleveland opposed the tariff
• Harrison favored the higher tariff to protect
  American industry
• Cleveland won the popular vote by 100,000 but
  lost the electoral vote 233 -168

15
Harrisons Presidency

• Thomas Czar Reed is Speaker of the House . His
  power is enforced by defeating the Democrats at
  their attempt to take over Congressional power.
• Billion Dollar Congress the surplus of money
  was dissipated through increased expenditures.
• Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1890 government
  to purchase 4.5 M of silver each month
  treasury notes redeemable in gold or silver
• McKinley Tariff woolen and cotton goods, and
  steel products were increased
• Sugar subsidy raw sugar on free duty list and
  granted a bounty of 2 a pound to domestic
  producers of raw sugar. Benefited American Sugar
  Refining Co.
• Sherman Anti Trust Act 1890

16
Election of 1892

James B. Weaver Populist 22 electoral votes
Benjamin Harrison Republican
Grover Cleveland - Democrat
17
Clevelands Presidency

• Panic of 1893
• a. speculation
• b. government expenditures caused deficit
• c. hoarding of gold
• d. decline in confidence of government to
  meet its gold obligations
• e. gold reserve fell to below 100M
• Coxeys Army 1893
• Repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act 1893
• Wilson Gorman Tariff 1893
• Pollack v. Farmers Loan and Trust 1894
• U.S. E.C. Knight Co. 1895
• Morgan contract 1895
• Pullman Strike 1894

18
Election of 1896

William McKinley Republican gold William
Jennings Bryan Democrat silver
Republican victory meant 1. Dominace of
Eastern business interests in government 2.
Triumph of conservative financiersin fiscal
ploicy 3. Defeat of farmers and laborers
against industrialists