GILDED AGE 1885 1900 Part I VULGAR CHEAP

GILDED AGE 1885 -1900 Part I VULGAR, CHEAP, GAUDY Phrase coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book: The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION & PERSONAL GREED

The Gilded Age "What is the chief end of man? --to get rich. In what way? --dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must. " -- Mark Twain-1871

CHARACTERISTICS n n n n INDUSTRIALIZATION IMMIGRATION INVENTIONS CORRUPTION & GREED EXTREME WEALTH EXTREME POVERTY RUTHLESS n n q q q CORRUPTION DESTRUCTION MOVING BUILDING EXPANDING REFORMING DREAMING URBANIZATION

EXAMPLES OF THE POOR… n Average annual income for an entire family in 1890 was $380. 00 (about $7, 500. 00 today) Examples of the lavish wealth: In NYC, Sherry's Restaurant hosted formal horseback dinners for the New York Riding Club. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish once threw a dinner party to honor her dog who arrived sporting a $15, 000 diamond collar.

Business leaders sought efficiency = Huge fortunes at the top and wage earners barely survived

AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM 1. STATE, LOCAL GOVT. MORE INFLUENCIAL (THAN FEDERAL) 2. NO STRONG PRESIDENTS (BET. LINCOLN AND T. ROOSEVELT) 3. POLITICAL STALEMATE AND STAGNATION 4. MASSIVE CORRUPTION AND ATTEMPTS AT REFORM

POLITICAL ISSUES OF GILDED AGE 1. TARIFF RATES 2. REGULATION OF CORPORATIONS 3. MONETARY POLICY 4. INDIAN DISPUTES 5. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM 6. IMMIGRATION 7. LOCAL ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT

CORRUPTION AND REFORM 1. STRONG TIES BETWEEN BUSINESS AND POLITCAL LEADERS 2. “SPOILS SYSTEM” – EXCHANGE OF FAVORS FOR VOTES 3. PARTIES INVOVLED SAW IT AS “PATRONAGE DEMOCRACY” 4. NEW ELECTION – NEW WAVE OF BRIBES AND AGREEMENTS

Harpers Weekly, August 19, 1871

SPOILS SYSTEM n n Graft: Unscrupulous use of one's position to derive profit or advantages Kickbacks: illegal payments (a form of graft) Bribes: illegal gambling, cash for favors to businessmen Lobbyists: influence legislation (17, 000 in D. C. today!) n n n Patronage: the giving of government jobs to people who help a person get elected. (winner gets the spoils) Pork Barrel Spending: adding projects or expenses to existing bills Earmarks – additions to bills, often irrelevant to bills

GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION All jobs from cabinet level to the person who scrubbed the Capitol steps owed their jobs to patronage Problems *Many weren’t qualified for their jobs *Some used their jobs for personal gain *Government was inefficient (changing) n Civil service: gov’t administration n Reformers wanted a merit system to replace the spoils system n

Rutherford B. Hayes Elected 1876 n n Republican “party of morality” Son of Ohio farmer; Civil War veteran (wounded 4 x) 3 x governor Ohio Lemonade Lucy (wife) refused to serve alcohol at White House n n Controversial election 1876 (vs. Samuel Tilden) “His Fraudulence”

Rutherford B. Hayes n Republican party split: n n Stalwarts – led by Senator Roscoe Conkling (NY) opposed reform of Spoils System (supported U. S. Grant and Radical Reconstruction) Half-Breeds – led by Senator James G. Blaine (Maine) – halfcommitted to reform of spoils system (half supported Grant) MUGWUMPS (GOO-GOOS) – WANTED REFORM OF SPOILS SYSTEM (GOO-GOOS) GOODY TWO-SHOES n n n GROWING NEED FOR CIVIL SERVICE REFORM HAYES ATTEMPS REFORM, TO NO AVAIL INVESTIGATED CUSTSOMHOUSES (RAN POLITICAL MACHINES) – NY – FIRED Chester A. Arthur

HAYES OUT, GARFIELD IN n n “Nobody ever left the presidency with less regret…than I do. ” “I am now in my last year of the presidency and look forward to its close as a schoolboy longs for the coming vacation” n RUTHERFORD B. HAYES n n n OHIOAN JAMES A. GARFIELD (STALWART) (PRESIDENT) & CHESTER A. ARTHUR (R) (HALF-BREED) VS. WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK (D) FORMER CONFEDERATES “VOTE AS YOU SHOT”

James A. Garfield, President 4 months (1881)

Garfield n n Garfield began naming reformers to his cabinet right away; Stalwarts horrified 7/2/1881, Garfield was walking through a train station in D. C. ; Charles Guiteau (whom Garfield had turned down for a job) shot him twice shouting, “I did it and I will go to jail for it. I am a Stalwart and Arthur will be president. ” Garfield died at the hands of terrible doctors Result: Chester A. Arthur is president

Chester A. Arthur (Pres. 1881 -1884) n n n Despite his Stalwart ties, Arthur turned reformer. His first message to Congress was to pass a civil service law. Pendleton Act: (1883) Established a merit system for federal jobs (examination. ) By 1901, 40% of all jobs were civil service, today 90% are. Results: n Better people = honesty, efficiency

ELECTION OF 1884 n n n Democrat Stephen Grover Cleveland (New York) vs. James Gillespie Blaine (Maine) Blaine represented government corruption: “Mugwump” term surfaced – “self-important chieftons” –unreliable Republicans Blaine slick politician; Cleveland had illegitimate child Democrats chanted, “Ma, ma, where’s my pa? Gone to the White House ha, ha! Republicans chanted, “Blaine, James G. Blaine, the continental liar from the state of Maine CLEVELAND WON, SHOWED LITTLE PROGRESS IN AREAS OF REFORMING GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

BENJAMIN HARRISON (Pres. 1888 -1892) n n n Grandson of former President William Henry Harrison Same old story: tariffs, reforms, control big business 1892 election: Benjamin Harrison (R) v. Grover Cleveland (D) James B. Weaver (Pop. ) Grover Cleveland elected AGAIN – only President to serve two, non-consecutive terms Populist party emerged (farmer-based)