Machine Politics

SECTION 3: POLITICS IN THE GILDED AGE

• As cities grew in the late 19th century, so did political machines

• Political machines controlled the activities of a political party in a city

• Ward bosses, precinct captains, and the city boss worked to ensure their candidate was elected

ROLE OF THE POLITICAL BOSS• The “Boss”

(typically the mayor) controlled jobs, business licenses, and influenced the court system

• Precinct captains and ward bosses were often 1st or 2nd generation immigrants so they helped immigrants with naturalization, jobs, and housing in exchange for votes

Boss Tweed ran NYC

MUNICIPAL GRAFT AND SCANDAL

• Some political bosses were corrupt

• Some political machines used fake names and voted multiple times to ensure victory (“Vote early and often”) – called Election fraud

• Graft (bribes) was common among political bosses

• Construction contracts often resulted in “kick-backs”

• The fact that police forces were hired by the boss prevented close scrutiny

THE TWEED RING SCANDAL• William M. Tweed,

known as Boss Tweed, became head of Tammany Hall, NYC’s powerful Democratic political machines

• Between 1869-1871, Tweed led the Tweed Ring, a group of corrupt politicians, in defrauding the city

• Tweed was indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion

• Tweed was sentenced to 12 years in jail – released after one, arrested again, and escaped to Spain

Boss Tweed

Political Machines & Social Welfare

• No social “safety net” existed– No welfare, no food stamps, no workers’

compensation, no unemployment insurance, no employment agencies

• Political machines filled a real need– Christmas turkey basket– Patronage– Social network– Career ladder– Ease transition of immigrants into American life

(see The Reckless Decade, pg 105-6)– Plunkitt of Tammany Hall – Ch 23 Handout

An Era of Stalemate

• “forgettable” presidents– No two consecutive terms for anyone

• Politicians who largely ignored problems arising from the growth of industries & cities

• Two major parties avoided taking stands on controversial issues

An Era of Stalemate

• Why?• Belief in limited government

– Laissez-faire economics– Social Darwinism– Federal courts narrowly interpreted the

government’s powers to regulate business

An Era of Stalemate

• Why?• Campaign strategy

– Close elections between 1876-1896– Divided government in Washington

• One party controls presidency; the other party controls one or both houses of Congress

– See handout

– Objective was to get out the vote and not alienate voters on the issues• Issue-free campaigns

An Era of Stalemate

• Why?• Party Patronage

– Politics was chiefly a game of gaining office, holding office, and providing government jobs to the party faithful

– Who got the patronage jobs within the party was the most important issue• Led to President Garfield’s assassination

1. A Two-Party Stalemate

1. A Two-Party Stalemate

Pallid Politics In The Gilded Age

• Balance of two political parties during the Gilded Age from 1869-99.

• Majority in Congress flipped back and forth six times in the 11 terms between 1869-91

• Few controversial stands• Few dramatic policy differences

between parties.• Voter turnout /voter loyalty. • Political machines and patronage

The 3rd Party System: Republicans Rout Democrats in Presidential Elections

Republican Dominance:

President Party Home State

Years

Hayes Rep Ohio 1876-1880

Garfield Rep Ohio 1881

Arthur Rep New York 1881-1884

Cleveland Dem New York 1884-1888

Harrison Rep Indiana 1888-1892

Cleveland Dem New York 1892-1896

McKinley Rep Ohio 1896-1900

2. Intense

Voter Loyalty to the

Two MajorPolitical Parties

2. Intense

Voter Loyalty to the

Two MajorPolitical Parties

3. Well-Defined Voting Blocs

3. Well-Defined Voting Blocs

DemocraticBloc

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

Republicans v. Democrats

• Republicans:– Embodied the old Puritanical ideals. – Strict moral codes and belief that

government should be an instrument in regulating economic and moral affairs of the community.

– Strong in Midwest and in rural and small-town New England.

– Got most of votes from Freedman and from Union Civil War Vets.

Republicans v. Democrats

• Democrats – More Roman Catholic and

Lutheran. – South and northern industrial

cities – Large immigrant base and strong

Dem. machines.– Supported states’ rights and

limited powers for the federal government

Where WhoRepublicans Midwest, rural

Northeast“native” Americans, Union

veterans, African-AmericansDemocrats South,

Northeastern citiesImmigrants, white south

Gilded Age Political Campaigns

• Brass bands, parades, flags, campaign buttons, picnics, free beer, and crowd-pleasing oratory

II. Why Republicans WinA. Waving the Bloody Shirt: The Grand Army of the

Republic and Voting as you Shot• Dems caused CW & murdered Lincoln

B. Rewarding Your

Supporters: Patronage and

the Spoils System

C. Warning of the Immigrant Menace: Ethnicity, Religion, and Nativism

4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt.

4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Govt. From 1870-1900 Govt. did

verylittle domestically.

Main duties of the federal govt.:

Deliver the mail.

Maintain a national military.

Collect taxes & tariffs.

Conduct a foreign policy.

Exception administer the annual Civil War veterans’ pension.

5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office

5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office

Party bosses ruled.

Presidents should avoid offending anyfactions within theirown party.

The President justdoled out federal jobs.

1865 53,000 people worked for the federal govt.

1890 166,000 “ “ “ “ “ “

Senator Roscoe Conkling

The Political System

• Weak presidents– President’s job was to administer, not lead

• Inefficient Congress– Most important branch, but– Noisy and chaotic; little effective action

• Only 5 major bills through Congress from 1875-1896

• Federal Bureaucracy– Small & limited– 1870: 50k federal employees

• ¾ were postmasters throughout the country• Only 6k in Washington, D.C.

Major issues of the day

• Civil Service reform– Pendleton Act of 1881 set up Civil Service

Commission• Competitive exams for certain jobs

• Business & financial regulation– Interstate Commerce Act– Sherman Antitrust Act

• Tariffs

The 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!

Tariffs became a major issue in the 1888presidential election.

Arguments in the Tariff Debates

Area Affected High Tariffs (Big Business) Low Tariff (farmers, labor, small business)

Industry Promote industrial growth Inflates corporate profits

Employment Stimulates job growth Restricts competition

Wages & Prices Permit higher wages Increases consumer prices

Government Provide government revenue Violates laissez-faire & produces revenue that tempts gov’t to activism

Trade Protects the domestic market

Restricts foreign trade because other countries retaliate; hurt farmers who couldn’t sell surplus

Major issues of the day

• The “Money Question”• Whether or not to expand the money

supply (create inflation)– Reflected the tension between the “haves”

and “have-nots”– Debtors, farmers, and start-up businesses

wanted more $ in circulation• Could borrow @ lower interest rates• Could pay off loans more easily with inflated $

Major issues of the day

• The “Money Question”• Inflate the currency by printing paper money

(greenbacks) or minting more silver coins (“free silver”)

• The other side: bankers, creditors, investors, and established businesses stood firm for hard money – currency backed by gold stored in government vaults (“sound money”)– $ backed by gold would more likely hold its value against

inflation• The issue boiled down to: The Gold Standard vs. Bi-

metallism

SILVER OR GOLD?• The central issue of the

1896 Presidential campaign was which metal would be the basis of the nation’s monetary system

• Bimetallism (those who favored using both) vs. those that favored the Gold Standard alone

1881: Garfield Assassinated!1881: Garfield Assassinated!

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

CHESTER ARTHUR TAKES COMMAND

• Not many expected much from Arthur. Why?

• Displayed surprising integrity, intelligence and independence.

• Arthur threw his support behind reform of spoils system.

• Pendleton Act of 1883 – Details– Unintended consequences?

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

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.

A Dirty Campaign

A Dirty Campaign

Ma, Ma…where’s my pa?He’s going to the White House, ha… ha… ha…!

Rum, Romanism & Rebellion!

Rum, Romanism & Rebellion! Led a delegation of

ministers to Blaine inNYC.

Reference to the Democratic Party.

Blaine was slow torepudiate the remark.

Narrow victory forCleveland [he wins NYby only 1149 votes!].

Dr. Samuel Burchard

Cleveland’s First TermCleveland’s First Term The “Veto Governor” from New

York.

First Democratic elected since 1856.

A public office is a public trust!

His laissez-faire presidency:

Opposed bills to assist the poor aswell as the rich.

Vetoed over 200 special pension billsfor Civil War veterans!

Cleveland and History

• Cleveland the first sitting president to be voted out of office since Van Buren in 1840. (Others: J. Adams, J.Q. Adams, Harrison, Hoover, Carter, Bush)

• Cleveland last to win popular vote and lose electoral college until Gore.

• Cleveland only president to have two non-consecutive terms.

1888 Presidential

Election

1888 Presidential

Election

Political Gravy For All

• Billion Dollar Congress• Pension Act of 1890 • Sherman Anti-Trust Act • Tariffs and Silver

– Easterners wanted a higher tariff

– Westerners and farmers wanted more silver minted

Changing Public Opinion

Changing Public Opinion 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!).

III. What Do Republicans Do Once in Office?

1. Support Higher Tariffs -- Ex. McKinley tariff = ~48%

Tariff Ire• Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 • McKinley Tariff Bill

– raised tariff rates to their highest peace-time level—48%

• Farmers hated the new tariff. Why? • Republicans punished in 1890

congressional election. – Lose nearly 60 seats and Dems have a

huge majority in Congress

OLD GROVER CLEVELAND AGAIN

• Depression of 1893 • Causes:

– Over-building and over-speculation– labor unrest– agricultural depression from low commodity prices– reduction of US credit abroad because of Silver

Purchase Act– Problems with overseas banks, which were forced

to call in US loans.

• Cleveland does next to nothing— laissez faire