GILDED AGE POLITICS POLITICAL MACHINES, REFORM, POPULISM.
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Transcript of 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
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