Politics in the Gilded Age

oThe Emergence of the Political MachineoMunicipal Graft and ScandaloCivil Service Replaces PatronageoBusiness Buys Influence

The Emergence of the Political Machine

Political Machine – An organized group that controlled the

activities of a political party in a city. Offers services to voters and businesses in

exchange for political or financial support. Controlled most local / city governments Organized like a pyramid.

Pyramid Structure

Immigrants / Working Class

Local Precinct Workers

and Captains

Ward Boss

City Boss

Role of the Political Boss

Controls thousands of city jobs Police, fire, and sanitation departments

Controls business licenses and inspections

Influences courts and municipal agencies

Uses power to build public works Water works, parks, schools, hospitals etc.

Motives of Political Bosses

Money - business would pay for the bosses support or to look the other way

Votes – did good things for people living in their district to reinforce voter loyalty

Influence and Power Political Support

Immigrants and the Political Machine

Bosses frequently 1st or 2nd generation immigrants

Raised in poverty Worked their way up the machine Speak the language and understand

the challenges for immigrants Help immigrants find place to live, get

them jobs, and to become naturalized In return the immigrant provides votes

Municipal Graft and Scandal

Election Fraud and Graft Fraud – fraudulent votes cast by

ineligible voters i.e. dogs, children, deceased.

Graft – illegal use of political influence for personal gain.

Kickbacks – illegal payments

The Tweed Ring Scandal

Tammany Hall – New York City’s powerful Democratic Political Machine

Boss Tweed – William Marcy Tweed, head of Tammany Hall and leader of the Tweed Ring

Tweed Ring – group of corrupt politicians who pocketed as much as $20 million in kickbacks and payoffs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Tweed

Tweed Ring Scandal

New York County Courthouse cost taxpayers $13 million, actual construction cost $ 3 million

Thomas Nast – political cartoonist who blew the whistle on the corruption of the Tweed Ring and Boss Tweed by publishing telling cartoons about their illegal activities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nast

Thomas Nast Cartoon

Who Stole the People’s Money by Thomas Nast

http://www2.truman.edu/parker/research/cartoons.html

Thomas Nast Cartoon

Tweed Ring Broken

Tweed indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion

Sentenced to 12 years Served 2 and escaped only to be

recaptured in Spain because someone ironically recognized him from a Thomas Nast cartoon.

Civil Service Replaces Patronage

Patronage – giving of government jobs to people who helped get a candidate elected

Spoils System – “To the Victor goes the Spoils” – the system of rewarding one’s political supporters

Problems with the Spoils System

Some government employees were not qualified for their positions

Some used their positions for personal gain

Interfered with daily functioning of government because with each change 1000’s of positions had to be filled, meaning very little got done because the politician spent his time making appointments to the 1000’s of positions

Call for Civil Service Reform

Civil Service – government jobs Merit System – filling government

jobs based on qualification, regardless of political views or affiliation

Hayes the Reformer

Named independents to his cabinet Fired workers who had nothing to do Set up commission to investigate the

national customhouses Fired the top two officials in New York

City’s customhouse based on report Cleaned up nations customhouses Upset many in the Political Machine

http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/president/

Election of 1880 After much debate between Stalwarts and

Mugwumps Republicans compromise Stalwarts – oppose changes to the spoils

system. Supports the use of Patronage. Mugwumps – want civil service reform

Republicans nominate independent James A. Garfield for President

Nominate Chester A. Arthur for V.P. with ties to the political machine

Garfield Wins Presidency Gives most of patronage jobs to

Reform Republicans (Mugwumps) Garfield is shot twice at a train station

by man upset about not getting a government job.

Assassin was a Stalwart and wanted Arthur to become President.

Garfield dies of his wounds 2 ½ months after incident and Arthur becomes President.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6USyilfk6w

Arthur Turns Reformer

Arthur calls for passage of the Pendleton Act.

Pendleton Act – authorized a bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to federal jobs through the merit system based on performance on an exam. 40% of federal jobs covered then 90% of federal jobs covered today

Consequences of Pendleton Act

Increased # of federal jobs held by qualified people

Public administration became more honest and efficient

Politicians had to seek other sources for campaign contributions since they could pressure people with promises of jobs

The alliance between big business and politics become much stronger

Efforts to Regulate Tariffs Fail

Tariff – Tax on imports 1884 Grover Cleveland (Democrat) wins

Presidency Supports Tariff Reform (lower tariffs) Does not have congressional support

Election of 1888

Cleveland (Dem) v. Benjamin Harrison (Rep) Harrison has backing of big business and wins Cleveland had more popular votes, but

Harrison captured more electoral votes Harrison supports high protective tariffs McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 – raised tariffs to

highest level ever

Cleveland Tries Again in 1892

Cleveland ran and won in 1892 Only President to serve two non-

consecutive terms (22nd & 24th Pres.) Supported the Wilson-Gorman Tariff

Act to lower tariffs, but refused to sign it when congress added a provision to raise federal income tax.

Wilson-Gorman Tariff became law w/o signature.

Election of William McKinley

The election of McKinley in 1896 killed tariff reform, because upon his inauguration tariffs were raised again.

However the spirit of reform would live on in the new century.