APUSH Chapter 19
By the mid 1880s
15 states in the west and south had adopted laws prohibiting combinations that restrained competition
states and their loyalty
16 were solidly and consistently republican, 14 mostly in the south were democratic, 5 were in doubt and they normally deciding (NY and OH)
voter turnout
78 percent of all eligible for president, 60 to 80 for non presidential
Election of 1892
Benjamin Harrison supported protection and Cleveland nominated by Democrats opposed it
Election of 1884 results
Cleveland narrow victory, result of catholic church, cleave land had 219 to 182, slim popular margarin
1892 results
Cleveland won 277, Harrison 145, popular margin of 380,000. Weaver far behind
Veto governor
Cleveland, not afraid to say no
Cleveland's request
Democrats in the house approved but senate republicans passed own bill raising the rates
People's Party
James B Weaver as candidate, substantial economic reform
Half Breed
James G Blaine of Maine, favor reform
Chester A Arthur
New york, stalwart
republican nomination 88
Senator Benjamin Harrison of Indiania
garfield won
a decisive victory but the popular margin vote was very thin, captured both houses
united states was a scotiety without
a modern national government
republicans manage to maintain presidency how
agreed on ticket that included a stalwart on a half breed
republican party captured presidency in
all but 2 elections in the era
McKinley himself was
among those in defeat and they could not recover in the course of the next 2 years
Cleveland was the embodiment of
an era in which few americans believed the federal government could or should do very much
Chester A Arthur had spent his political lifetime
as a devoted, skilled, and open spoilsman and close ally of Roscoe Conkling
catholics and immigrants view on republican proposals
assaults on them and their culture
In the 5 presidential elections beginning in 1876
average popular vote margarin separating the democrats and the republicans was 1.5 percent
McKinley Tariff
became law in October 1890, republican leaders misinterpreted public sentiment
Responding to growing popular demands
both houses of congress passed the sherman antitrust act in july 1890, almost without dissent
corporations found it easy to escape limitations
by incorporating in states like New Jersey and Delaware, that offered them special privileges
support for civil service system
came from neither faction
democratic party attracted
catholics, immigrants, poorer white groups, groups overlapped
88 election was the most
corrupt and one of the closest
Hayes important initiative
create a civil service system
Religious controversy
delegation of protestant ministers in NY (lead by Dr Samuel) said the democrats were the party of rub, romanism, and rebellion, blaine was slow to repudiate, spread news that blaine tolerated slander on catholic church
government in washington responsibilities
delivering mail, maintaining military, conducting foreign policy, and collecting tariffs
1892 was first time
democrats won a majority of both houses
Cleveland
differed from blaine on no substantial issues but had reputation of opposition to corruption
From the end of reconstruction until 1890s the electorate was
divided almost precisely evenly between the republicans and democrats
Cleveland always
doubted the wisdom of protective tariffs, high rates responsible for annual surplus that caused reckless and extravagant legislation, which he vetoes
William McKinley of Ohio and Senator Nelson W Aldrich of Rhode Island
drafted the highest protective measure ever proposed to congress
harrison victory
electoral of 233 to 168, cleveland popular vote exceed by 100,000
good government believers
eliminating the pension system was a way to fight graft, corruption, and party rule
over a decade after its passage the antitrust act
enforced and steadily weakened by the court, had almost no impact
one reason the two parties avoided issues
federal government and state and local governments did relatively little
government in washington had
few institutions with which it could have taken on additional responsibilities
Pendleton Act
first national civil service measure, required some federal jobs be filled by competitive written examinations rather than by patronage, extend
when arthur became president he
followed and independent course and promoted reform, spoils system discredited
announcement that that he would not run for reelection
further weakened him
supporting economy meant
giving railroads subsidies in form of grants of federal land to encourage them to build deeper into the nation
Benjamin Harrison
grandson of william henry harrison, obscure but respectable, high tariff
democrats nominee in 1884
grocery cleaveland, the reform governor of new york
lemonade lucy
hayes wife, temperance advocate, ban alcohol from white house
garfield found himself
in an ugly public quarrel with conkling and stalwarts, never resolved
as of 1901 the justice department had
instituted manu asntritrust suits against labor unions but only 14 against business combinations
why was democratic party popular to southern whites
it was how they triumphed over reconstruction and preserved white supremacy
if antitrust legislation was to be effective
it would have to come from the national government
ticket that both factions agreed on
james a garfield and genereal chester a arthur for VP
both groups were interested in
larger share of patronage pie, neither ended up being satisfied
Stalwarts
led by Roscoe Conkling of Ny, favored traditional, professional, machine politics
sentiment was rising in favor of
legislation to curb the powers of trusts
white southerners
loyalty to democratic party was a matter of unquestionable faith
new president and tiny staff had to
make almost 100,000 appointments (mostly in post office), presidents had limited latitude since they couldn't offend various factions
at the peak of the pension system
making payments to a majority of the male citizens of the north and many women
issues the parties took on
matters dealing with immigrant
general winfield scott hancock
minor civil war commander, no national following, democrat
Arthur kept
most of Garfield's appointments and supported civil service reform
policies of Cleveland's second term
much like those of first, devoted to minimal government and hostile to active efforts to deal with social or economic problems
republican party appealed to
northern protestants, citizens of old stock, middle class, also overlapped
battle over patronage
overshadowed all else during Haye's unhappy presidency
republican loyalties
party of lincoln remained bulwark against slavery and treason
1884 campaign was filled with
personal invective
what had important effect on power of presidency
power of party bosses
party identification was most a
reflection of cultural inclinations rather than economic interest
what was the most important factor in voting
region
congressional balance
republicans controlled the senate and the democrats controlled the house
Grover Cleveland was
respected for his stern and righteous oppositions to politicians, grafters, pressure groups, and tammany hall
republicans view on immigrants
restrictive and temperance, try to discipline immigrant communities
liberal republicans,
said they would bolt party and support honest democrat
election of 1884 republican candidate
senator james g bailen of maine, known as plumed knight, symbol of seamy party politics
garfield death
shot twice while standing in the washington railroad station, by deranged gunman, he was a stalwart, stayed alive 3 month but bad medicine
88 campaign was the first
since the civil war the involve a clear question of economic differences between the parties
presidency of rutherford b hayes proved that
sometimes it was possible to appease both sides
Most striking feature of 19th c politics
stability of the party system
Republic party suffered
stunning reversal in 1890 congressional election, senate majority slashed to 8, house retained 88/323
cleveland renomination
support tariff reduction
Most members saw the sherman antitrust act as
symbolic measure to deflect public criticism, not likely to have any real effect on corporate power
office had great
symbolic power but its occupants were unable to do very much
President Cleveland's intervention demonstrated
that the government was not averse to using its military and police power to protect capitalists from challenges to their workers
pension system died out with
the death of the civil war generation
federal gov supported
the economic development of the nation for decades
During harrison's passive administrations
the government had to confront some of the most pressing social and economic issues
what may have decided the election
the last minute introduction to religious controversy
some reformers hoped
the system would be permanents and universal but it failed because pensions system was awash in party patronage and corruption
individuals might affiliate with a party because
their parents had done so or because it was the party of the region, church, or ethnic group
Cleveland asked congress
to reduce the tariff rates
parties rarely
took distinct positions on important public issues
garfield began his presidency by
trying to defy stalwarts and showing support for civil service reform
by the end of Hayes terms
two groups had emerges : Stalwarts and Half Breeds
the most powerful institutions
two political parties (boss and machines too) and the federal courts
who were the annual pensions for
union civil war veterans who had retired and their widows
James a Garfield
veteran congressman from ohio
Harrison had few
visible convictions and made no effort to influence congress
mugwamps
what critics called liberal republicans
americans viewed their party affiliation
with passion and enthusiasm
large groups of potential voters
women and blacks and poor whites couldn't vote
