A glittering exterior turns out to be a corrupt political core with a wide gap

between the rich and poor

“All that glitters is not gold…”

CORRUPT GOVERNMENT

-many people saw gov’t job as means of wealth

• Spoils system (Grant)

-graft

• Illegal use of political influence for personal gain

-kickbacks

• Taking illegal payments for services

-fraud

• Using fake names and the votes of the dead

The construction of the New York County Courthouse involved

extravagant graft and kickbacks. The project cost taxpayers $13

million, while the actual construction cost was only $3

million. The difference went into the pockets of a political boss and

his followers.

POLITICAL MACHINES

-party dominates an area

• Gained control by offering services in exchange for political/financial support

-patronage, loyalty, graft

• Get their people elected, then appoint others with patronage

-why did the public allow this system???

• Government not helping the poor, city bosses will

-boss controlled many jobs, services

• Jobs, Police, business licenses, courts, etc.

“I’ve been called a boss. All there is to it is having friends, doing things for people, and then later on they’ll do

things for you…You can’t coerce people into doing things for you—you can’t

make them vote for you. I never coerced anybody in my life. Where you see a man bulldozing anybody he don’t

last long.”

~”Big Jim” Pendergrass, Kansas City “Boss”

WHY CORRUPTION IS ALLOWED?

-most cities lacked services

• Government will not or cannot provide services

-political machines helped those on bottom to gain their voting loyalty

• Helped immigrants/poor with naturalization, housing, and jobs in return for their votes

TWEED RING

• William “Boss” Tweed

-controlled NYC

• Democrats, 1868-1871

-Tammany Hall ring

lots of graft and corruption

• Stealing money, corrupt police

• Notorious

-exposed by political cartoonist Thomas Nast

• Exposed the Tweed Ring corruption through a series of cartoons

• Broken in 1871, Tweed put in jail for fraud and extortion

“I don’t care so much what the papers write about me—my constituents can’t

read; but…they can see pictures!”

~”Boss” Tweed on Thomas Nast’s cartoons depicting his Tweed Ring

corruption

The Tammany Tiger Loose

A bloodthirsty Tammany mascot has mauled the Republic,

having broken her shield, the ballot,

through corruption. The rotund emperor,

Tammany Boss Tweed enjoys the spectacle, sitting among other

Democratic politicians. The way Nast drew the

rampaging tiger looking directly at the reader, clearly its next

victim.

OTHER SCANDALS

-Credit Mobilier

RR scandal

•President Grant’s Cabinet scandal with railroads

-lobbyists held great influence over Congress for the large trusts

•Money begins to control Congressmen; big business controls lawmakers

Many Americans begin to question the governmental ethics as big

businessmen gain more control over Congressmen

CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

-patronage system puts unqualified people in positions

• Leads to graft and corruption

-Rutherford Hayes campaigns for political reform

• Wants to end patronage

• Wants only qualified government employees

-urges the elimination of patronage system and establishment of merit system

• People should be qualified to hold government offices

President Hayes wants to end the corruption seen during the Grant

presidency by eliminating the use of the patronage system. Why would

some people be against this?

PRESIDENTS AND POLITICS

-Hayes leads reform efforts

• Does not seek reelection

-James Garfield continues reforms

-Garfield assassinated by job seeker

• Would not give him a job under the patronage system

• Angry Charles Guiteau shoots President Garfield

Chester Arthur becomes President

• Must do something to help

-Pendelton Act passes

• Civil service jobs tested

Garfield would not give jobs under the patronage system, which angered

members of his political party. Only July 2, 1881, as the President was

walking through the D.C. train station, he was shot two times by a mentally unbalanced lawyer named Charles Guiteau, whom Garfield had turned

down for a job. Now America will seek changes in the patronage system.

TARIFFS DOMINATE POLITICS

-Cleveland(1884), Harrison(1888) Cleveland again(1892)

• Without patronage system, government turns to wealthy business owners

-Tariff and reform are major issues

• Businesses want high tariffs; Cleveland (D) will not pass tariff and is not reelected

• McKinley raises tariff

-Reforms fail as McKinley Tariff passes– highest yet

• Businesses still dominating politics

What is this cartoonist saying about big business and its effects on the government? How can you tell?