The Gilded Age AP United States History Unit 6 Gilded Age Politics close national elections lackluster policies Congress more powerful than presidents both parties supported a limited federal govt political corruption at all levels (machines) key national issues: civil service reform (reform of spoils system) tariff issue money question Strong Voter Turnout Roscoe Conkling U.S. Customs House (New York City) Blaine, James G. Blaine, continental liar from the State of Maine! Election of 1880 Garfield Assassination Charles Guiteau I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts Arthur is President now! Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) Required that government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit, through competitive exams (civil service tests) Prohibited the firing or demotion of federal employees for political reasons or to require them to give political service or payment Created Civil Service Commission to enforce Initially, only 10% of 130,000 government jobs were covered by the law Today, over 90% of 3,000,000 government jobs are awarded on merit system Ma, Ma, wheres my Pa? Election of 1884 Election of 1888 The Plight of the Farmers What problems plagued farmers in the late 19c? How did their situation contrast with the traditional ideal of the farmer in America? How did the farmers plight compare/contrast with the plight of industrial labor? How did the farmers organize: the Grange movement/Alliances/Populism? Why did the farmers choose to organize a third party? What obstacles did they face in the South? What were the basic principles/goals of the Populist party? Price Indexes for Consumer and Farm Products: Farmer Organization FoundedGoalsAccomplishments Grange Oliver Kelley 1868 (peak: 1870s) social/fraternal educational Granger laws (state regulation of RR rates, grain elevators); cooperatives; Rural Free Delivery (RFD); Munn v. Illinois (1877) Alliances originated in South 1880 (peak: 1880s) supported candidates that favored farmers interests Ocala Demands would be embraced by the Populist party, which emerged out of the Alliance movement Populism 1891 (peak: ) to win elections and usher in serious reforms Omaha Platform (silver; income tax; govt regulation of RRs and telegraph; 8-hour workday; democratic reforms) Percent of U.S. Workforce Engaged in Farm Labor, Alliance/Populist Leaders Tom WatsonLeonidas PolkMary Elizabeth Lease Populist Platform DemandPurposeResult Direct popular election of U.S. senators To make Senate responsible to the people 17th Amendment (1913) Initiative, referendum, recall; secret ballot To allow people to make laws if legislature does not Many states created these in Progressive Era Unlimited silver coinageTo inflate the currency, increase crop prices Never happened; new gold finds in 1890s helped Graduated income taxTo shift tax burden to wealthy and away from farmers 16th Amendment (1913) Government-owned railroads, telegraph To reduce ratesNever happened, although regulation increased; trusts busted by TR, Taft Easy government loans to farmers To make farmers less dependent on bankers 8-hour industrial workdayTo attract unban workersAchieved by labor unions in early 20c; New Deal Platform of Lunacy Populist Party was a coalition of Alliances, Grangers, Greenback Party, Knights of Labor, Silverites, Prohibitionists, Socialists, and Anarchists Election of 1892 Peak of Western Populism Coxeys Army (1894) Massillon (OH) City Cemetery Gold Bugs and Silver Bugs William Jennings Bryan The Great Commoner The Veteran Politician vs. the Boy Orator Bryan on the Stump Bryans Whistle-stop Campaign Bryans Cross of Gold speech You come to us and tell us that the great cities are in favor of the gold standard. I tell you that the great cities rest upon these broad and fertile prairies. Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic. But destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in this country. Cross of Gold (American Rhetoric) Bryans Cross of Gold speech Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them: you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold. Bryans Cross of Gold speech You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold! Democratic Party taken over by the Agrarian Left Mark Hanna McKinleys Front Porch Campaign Election of 1896 Why did Bryan lose? Bryans focus on silver undermined his efforts to build bridges to urban voters Bryan failed to form alliances with other groups (particularly labor) McKinleys campaign was well-organized and well-funded McKinley Assassination