THE POLITICS OF THE
GILDED AGE
Libertyville High School
Political Overview, 1876-1892

Responsibilities of Gov’t
 Deliver
the mail
 Collect taxes (taxes on
businesses, tariff – no income
tax)
 Provide for a national defense
 Carry out foreign policy
 Administer Civil War pensions

Why not do more?
Little / no bureaucracy to do
more
 No political will to do more

Political Overview


GOP, Dem. parties very similar
Both supported:




How did people identify to
party?



growth of industry
Stable currency (specie)
Hostile to social, political
extremism
Who can get me a job?
Who can provide services?
Major difference: immigration


GOP: Feared, distrusted
immigrants
Dems: saw immigrants as potential
voters
Political Overview: Political Parties
Democratic Bloc

White southerners
(preservation of
white supremacy)

Catholics

Recent immigrants
(esp. Jews)

Urban working
poor (pro-labor)

Most farmers
Republican Bloc

Northern whites
(pro-business)

African Americans

Northern
Protestants

Old WASPs (support
for anti-immigrant
laws)

Most of the middle
class
Political Overview: Voter Turnout


Intense voter loyalty, turnout
during this era
Two party “balance” existed
during this time
Rutherford B. Hayes


Promised to serve only one
term
Domestic policy
 Civil
Service Reform, as a
result of corruption of Grant
presidency
 Sent in the troops in response
to RR strike and riots of 1877
 Angered
workers (feared gov’t
oppression)
 Angered owners (feared
revolution)
Election of 1880



GOP considered former
President US Grant for
third term, before
nominating Garfield,
instead
Dems considered dozens
of candidates, before
picking former Union
general Hancock
Minor parties
 Greenback
Party
 American Party
General Election Results
Garfield (R):
214 ECV / 4.45 million
Hancock (D):
155 ECV / 4.44 million
Garfield won popular vote by less than
2000 votes, out of 9.2 million cast!!
James A. Garfield




Born in Ohio
Attorney, until CW
Rose to rank of Major
General, fighting in West
Post CW, congressman
Involved in Credit Mobiler
scandal
 Part of Commission that gave
22 ECV to Hayes in 1876


Assassinated July 2, 1881 (4
months after inauguration) by
frustrated job-seeker
Chester A. Arthur



Attorney before becoming VP
Got start in politics through NY
machine
Ironically, became “Father of Civil
Service” upon becoming President


Felt he should continue Garfield’s
work
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act
Established US Civil Service
Commission, exam
 (Eventually) Ended spoils system for
federal government

1883: 14k out of 117k became civil
service jobs
 1900: 100k out of 200k became civil
service jobs

Election of 1884

Campaign of personal
scandal and mudslinging
 GOP
Blaine was corrupt
congressman
 D Cleveland had child
out of wedlock

In last week of
campaign, GOP
(protestant) preacher
insulted Catholics (“rum,
Romanism, and
rebellion”)
 Cost
Blaine NY (and
election)
Results
Cleveland (D)
Blaine (R)
219 ECV / 4,874,621
82 ECV / 4,848,936
NY’s 36 ECV went to Cleveland by 1,047
of 1.1 million cast
Grover Cleveland





Born in NJ, became attorney in
NY
Elected governor of NY
First Democrat elected President
since 1856
Married Frances Folsom; first
president to be married in White
House
Reforms
As president, kept R gov’t ees that
were good workers
 Signed Interstate Commerce Act
into law
 Forced RR companies to return 81
million acres of federal land

Grover Cleveland’s Reforms

Silver Standard
 Q:
US currency made up of
gold, or gold & silver?
 Problem: citizens paid w/
silver, foreign creditors
demanded gold
 Reduced US gold supply

Tariffs
 Cleveland
wanted lower tariff
 Tariff at 47%!
 $100 million gov’t surplus
 Became issue in 1888 election
Election of 1888

Candidates
Cleveland (D)
 Benjamin Harrison (R)


Main issue: tariff
Protectionists (R) argued for
high tariff to protect industry
 Free traders (D) wanted open
markets



Tariff issue took on ethnic tone
(pro-British)
Lowlights of campaign
Widespread corruption (IN,
NY)
 British ambassador story

Results
Cleveland (D):
Harrison (R):
168 ECV / 5,534,488
223 ECV / 5,443,892
NY again the swing state (Irish vote)
Benjamin Harrison




Born in OH, moved to IN
Fought in Civil War (Union)
Elected to US Senate
Economic issues dominated presidency

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)


McKinley Tariff (1890)




Raised tariff higher, to average of 48%!
Hurt farmers, consumers
Helped big business
Sherman Silver Purchase Act




First attempt to take on trusts, monopolies
Gov’t required to purchase 4.5 million oz. per
month
Silver bought with notes that could be redeemed
for silver or gold
Caused Panic of 1893 (people turned in silver
treasury notes for gold)
GOP lost big in 1890 congressional elections
Election of 1892




Cleveland (D) nominated,
again!
Harrison (R) nominated
Weaver nominated by Populist
Party
Main issues: tariffs and the
gold standard
Results
Cleveland
Harrison
Weaver
Populists championed silver
standard (helped debtors in
West)
 Cleveland kept S, picked up NE
as staunch gold guy


Clean, quiet election
277 ECV / 5,556,918
145 ECV / 5,176,108
22 ECV / 1,041,028
Cleveland’s Second Term

Economic Panic of 1893



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Tariff reform


Stock market crashed, gold reserves
low due to free coinage of silver
Congress repealed free coinage of
silver
Silver as basis of US currency
ended
Cleveland reduced tariff; to make
up shortfall, 2% income tax on $4k
+ passed
Labor unrest


Coxey’s Army, demanding
government aid (New Deal)
Pullman strike: Cleveland ordered
strikers to return to work; sent in
troops when they refused