GILDED AGE POLITICS

POLITICAL MACHINES, REFORM, POPULISM

POLITICAL MACHINES

• DEFINITION:– A “GANG” OF PEOPLE WHO

CONTROLLED CITY GOV’T FOR THEIR OWN PROFIT AND SELF INTEREST

HOW THEY GOT MONEY

• GRAFT/PADDING BILLS:– ILLEGAL USE OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE FOR

PERSONAL GAIN– OVERCHARGE TAX PAYERS TO BUILD STUFF

FOR THE GOV’T. THE BUILDERS AND MACHINE MEMBERS SPLIT THE EXTRA $$.

• BRIBES:– GOV’T OFFICIALS WOULD ACCEPT BRIBES FOR

LICENSES, NOT DOING INSPECTIONS, ETC. THE OFFICALS WOULD “KICKBACK” SOME OF THE MONEY TO THE MACHINE

HOW THEY GOT VOTES

• IMMIGRANTS:– THE MACHINE MEMBERS GAVE

IMMIGRANTS JOBS, ARRANGED FOR HOUSING IN EXCHANGE FOR VOTES

• PADDING LISTS/FRAUD:– MACHINE MEMBERS USE DEAD PEOPLE’S

NAMES, DOGS, IMGINARY PEOPLE’S NAMES THEN ADD THEM TO THE LIST OF REGISTERED VOTERS AND VOTE ILLEGALLY

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTUREPARTY BOSS

WARD BOSS

PRECINCT CAPTAIN

COMMON PEOPLEBUSINESSMEN

EXPOSING MACHINES &CORRUPTION

• THOMAS NAST– A CARTOONIST WHO EXPOSED

POLITICAL MACHINES THROUGH HIS DRAWINGS

– MOST POOR PEOPLE COULDN’T READ WELL

– RAISED AWARENESS AMONG THE COMMON PEOPLE OF WHY POLITICAL MACHINES WERE BAD

EXAMPLE

• TAMMANY HALL: DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS OF NY CITY/POLITICAL MACHINE OF NYC

• BOSS TWEED: POLITICAL BOSS OF NY CITY• TWEED RING: GROUP THAT CONTROLLED

TAMMANY HALL• NY COUNTY COURTHOUSE- BOSS TWEED

CHARGED TAXPAYERS $13 MILLION TO BUILD COURTHOUSE BUT IT ONLY COST $3 MILLION. HE POCKETED $10 MILLION

REFORM IN THE GILDED AGETARIFF

• POOR WANT

• RICH WANT

• RELEVANT PRESIDENTS

• RESULT

• WINNER

• LOWER TARIFF: • HIGHER TARIFF: HIGHER TARIFF

DON’T WANT TO COMPETE WITH FOREIGN GOODS

• CLEVELAND- TRIES TO LOWER, NO SUCCESS

• HARRISON- RAISED TARIFFS TO 48%

• CLEVELAND- ONLY LOWERED TO 41%

• MCKINLEY- RAISED BACK TO 46%

• HIGH TARIFF

• RICH

REFORM IN THE GILDED AGEMONETARY

• POOR WANT

• RICH WANT

• RELEVANT PRESIDENTS

• RESULT

• WINNER

• MORE $ PRINTED- BIMETALLISM (GOLD AND SILVER)

• LESS $ PRINTED- GOLD STANDARD TO MAKE VALUE HIGHER

• HAYES VETOES, BUT CONGRESS PASSES BLAND ALLISON ACT- ALLOWED SOME SILVER COINAGE

• 1890- SILVER PURCHASE ACT PASSED BY HARRISON- GOV’T BUYS EXCESS SILVER

• CLEVLAND REPEALS• 1900- GOLD STANDARD ACT

PASSED

• GOLD STANDARD

• RICH

REFORM IN THE GILDED AGECIVIL SERVICE

• POOR WANT

• RICH WANT

• RELEVANT PRESIDENTS

• RESULT

• WINNER

• END OF SPOILS SYSTEM- WANT JOBS BASED ON MERIT

• CONTINUE SPOILS SYSTEM- MEANS FED. EMPLOYEES WOULD CHANGE WITH EVERY PRESIDENT

• HAYES TRIES TO CLEAN UP THE NYC CUSTOM HOUSE BUT CONGRESS DOES NOT SUPPORT

• STALWARTS FORM TO OPPOSE REFORM• GARFIELD STARTS REFORM BUT

ASSASSINATED!!• VP ARTHUR TURNS REFORMER PASSES

PENDLETON ACT- MAKE FED. APPOINTMENTS BASED ON CANDIDATES PERFORMANCE ON TEST

• CIVIL SERVICE REFORM- NOW LIMITED # OF PEOPLE ARE CHANGED

• POOR

FARMERS IN THE GILDED AGEDEBTS

• OWED $ FOR– NEW MACHINERY, SEED, LAND, ETC.

• HARD TO PAY DEBTS SINCE– BANKS AND WEALTHY CONTROLLED THE $

SUPPLY (UNDER PRINTING MONEY)• RICH WANT LESS $ PRINTED, ONLY

BACKED BY GOLD- CALLED– “GOLDBUGS”

• FARMERS WANT GOLD AND SILVER USED TO BACK $ SO MORE CAN BE PRINTED- CALLED– “SILVERITES” AND BIMETALLISM

FARMERS IN THE GILDED AGERAILROADS

• WERE OVERCHARGING FARMERS TO SHIP CROPS. HAD A MONOPOLY

• FARMERS WANT THE GOV’T TO STOP THIS AND REGULATE THEM

• THEY FORM A SOCIAL/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION CALLED GRANGE FOUNDER OLIVER HUDSON KELLEY

• THE GRANGE SUCCESSFULLY ELECT LOCAL AND STATE POLITICIANS TO REGULATE RRDS IN STATES. UPHELD BY COURT CASE MUNN V. ILLINOIS

• BUT MOST RRDS RUN BETWEEN STATES AND NEED FEDERAL OVERSIGHT

• INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT WILL BE PASSED, BUT NOT ENFORCED

POPULIST PARTY

• POPULISM:– MEMBERS: FARMERS, FACTORY

WORKERS, “PEOPLE’S PARTY”, LITTLE PEOPLE, MINERS, WOMEN

– WANTED: BIMETALLISM AND FREE COINAGE OF SILVER, LIMITED HOURS OF WORK, GOV’T REGULATION OF RRDS

– NOMINATE: WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

POPULISM

• REPUBLICANS– MEMBERS: “GOLDBUGS”, WEALTHY,

POWERFUL, BUSINESS INTERESTS– MCKINLEY: THE “FRONT PORCH

CAMPAIGN”- AT HIS HOUSE COME AND WAVE

WIZARD OF OZ• OZ: OUNCES (GOLD AND SILVER MEASURED IN)-

WASHINGTON, D.C.• DOROTHY: COMMON MAN• WICKED WITCHES: RR-WEST, BANKS- EAST• MUNCHKINS: FACTORY WORKERS, FARMERS,

MINERS• YELLOW BRICK ROAD: GOLD STANDARD• SLIPPERS: SILVER• TIN MAN: FACTORY WORKERS (MISSING HEART

FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION)• SCARECROW: FARMERS (MISSING BRAIN)• LION: WJB• WIZARD: PRESIDENCY