CIVIL SERVICE REPLACES PATRONAGE Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system...

CIVIL SERVICE REPLACES PATRONAGE

• Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system

• The system had been based on Patronage; giving jobs and favors to those who helped a candidate get elected

• Reformers pushed for an adoption of a merit system of hiring the most qualified for jobs

• The Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 authorized a bipartisan commission to make appointments for federal jobs based on performanceApplicants for federal jobs

are required to take a Civil Service Exam

The Business of Politics

• Real politicians of the time were the Big Business owners.– Laissez-faire- Theory that the government

should play a very limited role in businesses.

The Business of Politics

• Real politicians of the time were the Big “Business Ran politics and politics was a branch of business”

• Business Giants during the Gilded Age often times bribed politicians with gifts of money.

Two-Party “Balance”Two-Party “Balance”Two-Party “Balance”Two-Party “Balance”

3. Well-Defined Voting 3. Well-Defined Voting BlocsBlocs

3. Well-Defined Voting 3. Well-Defined Voting BlocsBlocs

DemocraticBloc

DemocraticBloc

RepublicanBloc

RepublicanBloc

White southerners(preservation ofwhite supremacy)

Catholics

Recent immigrants(esp. Jews)

Urban working poor (pro-labor)

Most farmers

Northern whites(pro-business)

African Americans

Northern Protestants

Old WASPs (supportfor anti-immigrant laws)

Most of the middleclass

1. A Two-Party 1. A Two-Party StalemateStalemate

1. A Two-Party 1. A Two-Party StalemateStalemate

PRESIDENTS OF THE GILDED AGE

• Rutherford B. Hayes– Wanted to Reform the Civil Service System– Called for a new set of rules to establish a

MERIT SYSTEM for Civil Service – Nonelected government workers

• 4 Merits: 1) Those who already hold office can’t be removed

unless they are not doing their job2) Party members have no more influence on

appointments than any other respectful citizen3) No assessment for political contributions will be

allowed4) No office holder can manage an election campaign

The Republican Party

– 3 fractions of Republican Party• Stalwarts- supported the spoils system• Half-Breeds- reform spoils system• Independents- opposed spoils system

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: RepublicansElection: Republicans

1880 Presidential 1880 Presidential Election: RepublicansElection: Republicans

Half BreedsHalf Breeds StalwartsStalwarts

Sen. James G. Blaine Sen. Roscoe Conkling (Maine) (New York)

James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur (VP)

compromise

1880 1880 Presidential Presidential

ElectionElection


ElectionElection

1881: Garfield 1881: Garfield Assassinated!Assassinated!1881: Garfield 1881: Garfield Assassinated!Assassinated!

Charles Guiteau:I Am a Stalwart, and Arthur is President now!

Chester A. Arthur:Chester A. Arthur:The Fox in the Chicken The Fox in the Chicken

Coop?Coop?

Chester A. Arthur:Chester A. Arthur:The Fox in the Chicken The Fox in the Chicken

Coop?Coop?

PRESIDENTS CONT’D

• Charles Arthur– Although he was a Stalwart, actually

became advocate of reform!– Signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act

• Established Merit Exams if you wanted a Federal Job

Pendleton Act (1883)Pendleton Act (1883)Pendleton Act (1883)Pendleton Act (1883)

Civil Service Act.

The “Magna Carta” of civil service reform.

1883 14,000 out of117,000 federal govt.jobs became civilservice exam positions.

1900 100,000 out of 200,000 civil service federal govt. jobs.

Republican Republican “Mugwumps”“Mugwumps”

Republican Republican “Mugwumps”“Mugwumps” Reformers who wouldn’t re-

nominateChester A. Arthur.

Reform to them create a disinterested, impartial govt. run by an educated elite like themselves.

Social Darwinists.

Laissez faire government to them:

Favoritism & the spoils system seen as govt. intervention in society.

Their target was political corruption, not social or economic reform!

TheTheMugwuMugwu

mpsmps

TheTheMugwuMugwu

mpsmpsMen may come and men may go, but the work of reform shall go on forever. Will support

Cleveland in the1884 election.

1884 Presidential 1884 Presidential ElectionElection


Grover Cleveland James Blaine * (DEM) (REP)

The Tariff IssueThe Tariff IssueThe Tariff IssueThe Tariff Issue After the Civil War, Congress raised

tariffs to protect new US industries.

Big business wanted to continue this;consumers did not.

1885 tariffs earned the US $100 mil. in surplus!

Mugwumps opposed it WHY???

President Cleveland’s view on tariffs????

Tariffs became a major issue in the 1888presidential election.

Inspecting the Inspecting the Democratic Curiosity Democratic Curiosity

ShopShop

Inspecting the Inspecting the Democratic Curiosity Democratic Curiosity

ShopShop


ElectionElection


ElectionElection

Which regions voted Democratic and why? Which regions voted Republican and why?

PRESIDENTS CONT’D

• Grover Cleveland– Won election in 1884- became first

democratic president since 1856– Presidential campaign between his

opponent James Blaine and himself was very…bad

– Favored tight money policies, opposed high tariffs, and took back from the railroads some 80 million acres of land that had been granted to them.

Bravo, Señor Bravo, Señor Clevelando!Clevelando!Bravo, Señor Bravo, Señor Clevelando!Clevelando!

PRESIDENTS CONT’D!!

• Benjamin Harrison– Won 1888 election– Harrison promised a higher tariff than Cleveland

which won him a lot of support from businesses– Republicans had majority of the seats in Congress

during the first 2 years of his presidency which meant he could get almost anything passed he wanted

• 1890- Sherman Anti-Trust Act– Sherman Silver Purchase Act-required treasury to buy 4.5

million ounces of silver per month to increase the price of silver

• McKinley Tariff- Highest Tariff in the history of the country at that time (very low public support)

Filing the Rough Filing the Rough EdgesEdges

Filing the Rough Filing the Rough EdgesEdges

Tariff of 1888



Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison (DEM) * (REP)


ElectionElection


ElectionElection

Changing Public Changing Public OpinionOpinion

Changing Public Changing Public OpinionOpinion Americans wanted the federal govt. to

dealwith growing soc. & eco. problems & to curbthe power of the trusts:

Interstate Commerce Act – 1887

Sherman Antitrust Act – 1890

McKinley Tariff – 1890

Based on the theory that prosperityflowed directly from protectionism.

Increased already high rates another 4%!

Rep. Party suffered big losses in 1890 (evenMcKinley lost his House seat!).



Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison again! * (DEM) (REP)


ElectionElection


ElectionElection

PRESIDENTS CONT’D

• Grover Cleveland AGAIN!!– Reelected in 1892– Drained treasury from Harrison’s previous

presidency cause nation into an economic panic in 1983

• Workers lost jobs or had their wages cut• Jacob Coxey organized an unemployment

march on Washington D.C.• Upset not only the unemployed but farmers

also by repealing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act

Cleveland Loses Cleveland Loses Support Fast!Support Fast!

Cleveland Loses Cleveland Loses Support Fast!Support Fast! The only President to serve two

non-consecutive terms.

Blamed for the 1893 Panic.

Defended the gold standard.

Used federal troops in the 1894Pullman strike.

Refused to sign the Wilson-GormanTariff of 1894.

LAST ONE

• William McKinley– Defeated William Jennings Bryan in 1896

election

– Campaign was centered around the “Gold-Silver” Debate

• McKinley =Gold

• Bryan =Silver

– Returned the American economy to prosperity.

– Assassinated on September 6, 1901 by Leon Czolgosz

Read pages 455-457 and complete the Section 4

Assessment1) Ensure that all the terms and names are

covered in your notes.

2) Follow the directions for summarizing, but include all of the five Presidents covered in this section.

3) In a paragraph, tell me which party you would have supported during this time.

4) What issues are important to you in the upcoming election.

CIVIL SERVICE REPLACES PATRONAGE Nationally, some politicians pushed for reform in the hiring system...

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