Gilded Age Gilded Age n Coined by Mark

Gilded Age

Gilded Age n Coined by Mark Twain in 1873 n Referred to the superficial glitter of the new wealth n Very little was accomplished politically – Era of “forgettable presidents” § None served more than 1 term – The 2 major political parties avoided issues

Political stalemate n Due to – Prevailing political ideology § Limited government – Laissez-faire economics – Social Darwinism – Campaign tactics of the 2 parties § Caused by the closeness of elections § Wanted to get out the vote w/o alienating voters – Brass bands, buttons, flags, picnics, free beer, etc. § Voter turnout was as high as 80%

Political Stalemate § Republicans – Waved the “bloody shirt” in every campaign § Blamed Dems for the CW & Lincoln’s death – Reformers, African-Americans, businessmen, middle-class Anglo-Saxon Protestants § Democrats – Won every election in southern states § Solid South – In North, Dems had political machines & immigrant vote in cities § Catholics & Jews who objected to temperance – Believed in states’ rights & limited federal powers

Political Stalemate – Party patronage § Neither party had a legislative agenda § Goal was to get in office, stay in office, & provide jobs to supporters – Rep. Sen. Roscoe Conkling (NY) § Powerful leader who gave lucrative jobs in the NY Customs House – Stalwarts § Followers of Conkling – Halfbreeds § Rivals for Republican patronage § Led by James Blaine – Mugwumps § Republicans who did not follow either side § Mugs on one side of the fence, wumps on the other

1884 cartoon in Puck magazine ridicules Blaine as the tattooed-man, with many indelible scandals.

Gilded Age Presidents n Rutherford B. Hayes – Ended Reconstruction – Attempted to reestablish honest government – Stopped serving liquor in the White House § Temperance reformer § Wife—”Lemonade Lucy” – Vetoed efforts to restrict Chinese immigration

n Election of 1880 – Republicans nominated “Halfbreed” James Garfield for pres. & “Stalwart” Chester A. Arthur for vp – Democrats nominated Winfield S. Hancock, a former US Gen. wounded at Gettysburg n James Garfield – Besieged by Republicans seeking jobs – Filled most jobs with Halfbreeds – Shot by disgruntled office seeker § Charles Guiteau

President Garfield's assassination depicted in engraving from 1881 newspaper

To General Sherman: I have just shot the President. I shot him several times as I wished him to go as easily as possible. His death was a political necessity. I am a lawyer, theologian, and politician. I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts. I was with General Grant and the rest of our men, in New York during the canvass. I am going to the Jail. Please order out your troops, and take possession of the jail at once. Very respectfully, Charles Guiteau.

President James Garfield lies in the sickroom at the White House in the days following his assassination.

n Chester A. Arthur – Better president than people expected – Distanced himself from Stalwarts – Supported a bill reforming civil service – Approved the development of a modern US navy – Began to question high protective tariff – Was not renominated by the Republicans

Election of 1884 n Republicans (ME) nominated Sen. James Blaine – Responsible for reshaping the Republicans from antislavery party to pro-business party – Tainted by scandals n Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland – Honest, conscientious, frugal, uncompromising – Mayor of Buffalo & governor of NY n Mugwumps Cleveland campaigned & voted for

Election of 1884 n Republicans exposed Cleveland’s illegitimate child & labeled Democrats the party of “Rum, Romanism, & Rebellion”

The mud-slinging began when a Buffalo newspaper broke the story that Cleveland had an illegitimate son, then ten years old, from an affair with a young widow named Maria Halpin. Republicans crowed, "Ma! Where's my Pa? " [Refer to the cartoon, "Another vote for Cleveland. "] But instead of issuing a denial, Cleveland surprised both his allies and opponents alike with a frank admission of responsibility. He instructed his campaign advisers: "Tell the truth. " Yes, Cleveland (a bachelor) had been involved with Maria Halpin (as had other men, apparently), and although he could not be sure the child was his, nonetheless he did "the honorable thing" and provided financial support. This took much of the air out of the scandal.

Catholics were offended by the Republicans phrase & many voted for Cleveland n Cleveland first Democrat elected president since Buchanan in 1856 n

Grover Cleveland n Believed in limited government (Jeffersonian) n Implemented new civil service system n Vetoed 100 s of private pension bills for false CW veteran claims n Signed Interstate Commerce Act n Signed Dawes Act

1870 s & 1880 s Issues: civil service, currency, & tariffs

Civil service n n Demand for reform after Garfield’s assassination Pendleton Act (1881) set up the Civil Service Commission & created a system in which persons applying for classified federal jobs would be hired based on their scores on a competitive exam – Law applied to 10% of federal jobs but has expanded – Politicians became less dependent on party workers & more on the rich

Currency n Debate over whether or not to expand the money supply – Easy or soft-money advocates § Debtors, farmers, & new businesses wanted more money in circulation so they could – Borrow money at lower interest rates – Pay off their loans easier with inflated dollars § Many blamed the gold standard for causing the Panic of 1873 § Campaigned for more paper money (greenbacks) & for unlimited minting of silver coins

– Sound or hard money advocates § Bankers, creditors, investors, & established businesses wanted currency backed by gold § Backed currency would hold value against inflation

Greenback party n Civil War had been financed by issuing greenbacks (un-backed paper money) – Northern farmers associated greenbacks with prosperity – Creditors & investors attacked it as violation of natural law Specie Resumption Act (1875) withdrew the last of the greenbacks from circulation n Supporters of paper money formed the Greenback party n

Crime of 1873 Coinage Act stopped the coining of silver n Critics called it the Crime of 1873 n Bland-Allison Act (1878) n – Allowed a limited coinage of silver each mo. @ the standard silver to gold ratio of 16 to 1 – Passed as a compromise bill after new silver discoveries in Nevada revived demands to increase money supply – Law passed over President Hayes’ veto.

Tariff issue n n n Western farmers opposed to high, protective tariff Eastern capitalists favored high, protective tariff Republican Congress passed protective tariff during CW After CW, southern Democrats objected to high tariffs Other nations retaliated by taxing US products— farmers were especially hurt losing overseas markets

Election of 1888 President Cleveland proposed that Congress lower the tariff because there was a surplus n Cleveland’s proposal became the first issue between Dems & Reps in years n

n Democrats campaigned for Cleveland & a lower tariff n Republicans for Benjamin Harrison (grandson of William Henry Harrison) & a high tariff – Played on fears of big business & labor to gain support – Also attacked Cleveland’s vetoes of pensions to gain veterans’ votes n Close election – Harrison won electoral votes; Cleveland had majority of popular vote

Billion Dollar Congress Republican president & Reps controlled both houses of Congress n Passed first billion-dollar budget in US history & enacted: n – Mc. Kinley Tariff (1890) raised tax on foreign products over 48% – Increases in monthly pensions to CW veterans, widows, & children – Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) outlawed combinations in restraint of trade – Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) increased coinage of silver (not enough for farmers & miners)

1890 s n Congressional elections of 1890 many Republicans were replaced by Democrats – Reaction against unpopular measures passed § Prohibition of alcohol § Sunday closing laws – Midwestern non-Anglo & non-protestant voters n Growing agrarian discontent – Farmers’ Alliances elected congressmen, governors, state reps

n Farmers’ Alliances led to new party— Populist or the People’s party – Delegates met in Omaha, NE in 1892 – Omaha Platform § Restoration of government to the people – Direct election of senators – Initiatives & referendums in states § Unlimited coinage of silver § Graduated income tax § govt ownership of railroads § Govt ownership of telegraph & telephone systems § Loans & federal warehouses for farmers to stabilize crop prices § 8 -hour workday for industrial workers

Election of 1892 n Democrat Grover Cleveland – Won both popular & electoral votes – Only former president to return to White House Republican Benjamin Harrison n Populist James Blaine n – – – Won more than 1 million votes Won 22 electoral votes (significant for a 3 rd party) Populists did not do well in the South § Southerners feared the uniting of poor whites & blacks – Blacks were kept from voting – Failed to attract northern urban workers

Panic of 1893 n Stock market crash – Overspeculation & dozens of railroads went bankrupt due to overbuilding n Depression lasted 4 years n Many farm foreclosures n 20% unemployment n Cleveland took conservative approach – Championed the gold standard – Adopted hands-off policy to economy

Gold reserve crisis Decline in silver price caused investors to switch to gold n Gold reserve fell dangerously low n President Cleveland repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act n – It did not stop the drain on gold n Cleveland turned to J. P. Morgan & borrowed $65 million gold – Many Americans saw this as proof that the government was a tool of the rich n Pullman strike – Workers were further disenchanted with Cleveland when he used federal troops to crush the Pullman strike

Wilson-Gorman Tariff, 1894 Moderately reduced tariff rates n Included a 2% income tax on incomes over $2000 n – Supreme Court declared income tax unconstitutional within a year Cleveland's humiliation by Gorman and the sugar trust; cartoon by W. A. Rogers

Coxey’s Army n n n 1894 thousands of unemployed marched on Washington Led by Populist Jacob A. Coxey of Ohio They demanded that the federal government spend $500 million on public works programs to create jobs Coxey & other leaders were arrested & the “army” went home The march worried conservatives who believe the depression was resulting in war between capitalists & labor

Coxey’s Army

Election of 1896 § Democrats divided § “gold” Democrats loyal to Cleveland vs. Prosilver Democrats § 1896 Democratic convention § William Jennings Bryan § Cross of Gold speech § Won nomination by prosilver Dems

Election of 1896 § Democratic platform § Favored unlimited coinage of silver at 16 to 1 ratio to gold § This was the main issue for Populists who decided to nominate Bryan also & run a duel campaign § “Gold” Democrats defected the party William Jennings Bryan

Election of 1896 § Republicans nominated William Mc. Kinley of Ohio § Favored high protective tariffs § & considered a friend of labor § Republican platform § Blamed Democrats for Panic of 1893 § High tariff to protect industry § Gold standard

Election of 1896 § Marcus Hanna § Rich businessman who secured Mc. Kinley’s nomination § Ran Mc. Kinley’s campaign by raising millions of dollars & selling Mc. Kinley through the mass media § Businessmen contributed fearing the silver movement § Mc. Kinley stayed home & conducted a frontporch campaign

Election of 1896 § Bryan campaigned nationwide by train § 18, 000 miles & over 600 speeches § Appealed to farmers & debtors § Bryan was hurt by § A rise in wheat prices § Employers scaring workers that factories would close if Bryan was elected § Mc. Kinley won the popular & electoral vote

Significance of 1896 election § Marked end to the stalemate & stagnation of politics in the Gilded Age § Beginning of Republican dominance of the presidency (7/9) & both houses of Congress (17/20) § Republicans were now the party of business, industry, & strong national govt

Significance of 1896 election § Populist party declined after 1896 § 1896 was a victory for big business, urban centers, conservative economics, & moderate middle-class values § William Mc. Kinley was first modern president § Mark Hanna created a new model for running political campaigns