Gilded Age Politics
Gilded Age Politics
1. Electoral Stability
Key elections between 1876 and 1920 show fluctuating voter turnout.
1876: Voter turnout was 80.8%
1880: Voter turnout decreased slightly to 79.4%.
1884: Turnout dropped to 77.5%.
1888: Voter turnout was at 79.3%.
1892: Turnout decreased to 74.7%.
1896: Voter turnout bounced back to 79.3%.
1900: Turnout decreased to 73.2%.
1904: Further decline to 65.2%.
1908: A marginal increase to 65.4%.
1912: Marked a lower turnout at 58.8%.
1916: Slight improvement with a turnout of 61.6%.
1920: Voter turnout drastically decreased to 49.2%.
Voter behavior reflected more on regional or ethnic differences rather than political issues leading to irregular voting patterns.
2. Intense Voter Loyalty
Voter loyalty was highly polarized towards the two major political parties, Democrats and Republicans.
3. Well-Defined Voting Blocs
Democratic Bloc:
White southerners
Catholics
Recent immigrants, especially Jews
Urban laborers
Most farmers
African Americans
Republican Bloc:
Northern whites (pro-business)
Northern Protestants
Anti-immigrant advocates
Middle class
4. Very Laissez Faire Federal Government
The federal government (1870-1900) operated with limited intervention.
Main duties included:
National defense
Taxes and tariffs
5. The Presidency as a Symbolic Office
Political machines exerted significant control over local and state politics.
The President often served as a vehicle for political patronage, as exemplified by notable figures such as William “Boss” Tweed of Tammany Hall and Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York.
6. Major Presidential Elections
1880 Presidential Election
Candidates:
Republican: James Garfield (with Arthur as VP)
Democrat: Winfield Hancock
Conflict between Stalwarts (traditional machine politics) and Half-Breeds (reform-minded Republicans) obscured party lines.
1881: Garfield Assassinated
Assassin: Charles Guiteau, who stated allegiance to the Stalwart faction.
Pendleton Act (1883)
Established civil service exams for federal jobs.
Retired 14,000 out of 117,000 jobs, with a growth to 100,000 out of 200,000 by 1900.
1884 Presidential Election
Notable quote: “Rum, Romanism & Rebellion.”
Candidates:
Democrat: Grover Cleveland
Republican: James Blaine
Characterized by a dirty campaign focused on tariffs, taxes, and spending.
Cleveland’s First Term
Embraced laissez-faire governance.
Actions:
Opposed or vetoed bills aiding the poor and veterans.
Advocated for lower tariffs to avoid financial surpluses.
Recorded a total of 414 vetoes, including 110 pocket vetoes.
1888 Presidential Election
Candidates:
Democrat: Grover Cleveland
Republican: Benjamin Harrison
The defining issue was tariffs, reflecting Cleveland's previous policies.
1892 Presidential Election
Candidates:
Harrison (R) vs. Cleveland (D)
Economic and political reform were crucial issues.
Noteworthy: Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms.
7. Changing Public Opinion
Growing demand for federal intervention to correct social and economic problems.
The McKinley Tariff backfired significantly and hurt Republican standing.
Loss of public support for Cleveland, particularly following the 1893 economic panic.
Cleveland maintained a commitment to the gold standard and implemented policies such as repealing the Sherman Silver Purchase Act and supporting the Wilson-Gorman Tariff.
8. The Agrarian Revolt
Emerging movements among farmers seeking relief from economic hardships:
The Grange Movement
Founded in 1867, aiming to increase farmers' political and economic power.
Advocated for the regulation of railroads and storage fees.
The Farmers Alliances
Established in the 1870s, focused on:
Ending the crop-lien system.
Regulating railroads.
Defending against Eastern elite oppression.
United in 1889, creating a singular Farmers’ Alliance (excluding black farmers).
Formation of the People’s Party
Founded by James B. Weaver in 1892, achieving nearly 1 million votes and securing several congressional seats.
The People’s Platform emphasizes farmers’ needs and reform measures:
A system of sub-treasuries.
Abolition of the National Bank.
Direct election of Senators.
Government ownership of railroads and communications.
Graduated income tax.
Restrictions on immigration.
An 8-hour workday for government employees.
Abolition of the Pinkerton detective agency.
Secret ballot implementation.
Re-monetization of silver.
9. The Panic of 1893
Causes
Major corporations went bankrupt, leading to over 8,000 businesses disappearing and causing a stock market crash.
Subsequent bank failures resulted in a significant contraction of credit with nearly 400 banks closing.
Unemployment rates soared to 20%.
Despite public demands for relief, the government persisted with laissez-faire policies.
Coxey’s Army (1894)
Led by Jacob Coxey, it advocated for a public works program and staged a march on Washington known as “hayseed socialists.”
1894 Election Returns
Increased Populist votes by 40% during the bi-election year.
Catastrophic losses for the Democratic Party in Western regions, resulting in Republicans winning 71% of House seats (254-93; Populists: 9).
10. Populism and the Election of 1896
Bi-Metallism Issue
Central to political debates regarding gold and silver standards.
The Silver Issue
"Crime of '73": Signified the demonetization of silver.
Bland-Allison Act (1878): Limited silver coinage to $2-$4 million monthly.
Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890): Allowed unlimited purchasing of silver, although most was deposited rather than circulated.
Symbolic conflict in currency question: Gold represented honor and stability, while silver symbolized liberation and resistance against tyranny.
1896 Election
Democratic Party increasingly influenced by the agrarian left, calling for tariff reductions and free silver policies.
Key figure: William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), known as the