Gilded Politics

8/4/2019 Gilded Politics

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Page 1

Gilded Age Politics

All that Glitters, is not Gold

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Nickname

• “Gilded Age”

– Mark Twain and Charles Dudley

Warner – Corruption of Grant’s presidency






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Politics, Parties, Patronage, andPresidents

• American beliefs:

– Mistrust organized power

– Harmony of Laissez-Faire

– Government Passivity

– Government’s job is to “clear the way of impediments and dangers, and leave everyclass and every individual free and safe in theexertions and pursuits of life.” --RoscoeConkling






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• “One might search the whole list of

Congress, Judiciary, and Executive duringthe twenty-five years 1870-95 and findlittle but damaged reputation.”

• Henry Adams (grandson of John Quincy Adams)






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Corruption

• Congress=dominant branch of gov’t

– PATRONAGE

• Little party difference






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Well-Defined Voting Blocs

DemocraticBloc

RepublicanBloc

White southerners(preservation ofwhite supremacy)

Catholics

Recent immigrants

(esp. Jews)

Urban workingpoor (pro-labor)

Most farmers

Northern whites(pro-business)

African Americans

NorthernProtestants

Old WASPs (supportfor anti-immigrantlaws)

Most of the middle

class






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The Presidents

• 3/5 Presidential Elections, difference of1%!!

• No strong identification with a particular

issue• One Democratic Prez, little difference from

Republicans

• Americans expect patronage






So what DID matter?

• The Tariff

• Currency

• Civil Service• Regulation of RRs






Tariff

• Regional attitudes

• Party lines






Currency

• Paper money (greenbacks) for gold

or silver (specie)

• The gold standard

• Pressure to coin silver

– “Hard money”, “Soft money”






Civil Service

• “…a subject almost as dangerous in

political conversation in Washington asslavery itself in the old days before the

war.” --Henry Adams• Spoils system

– How funded

• Movement for competitive exams

• The Pendleton Act of 1883






Increasing Political Participation

• 78.5% average voter turnout in the 1880s – Approx 63.8% in 2008

• Election hoopla

• Emotional local issues






Role of immigrants

• Increasing political participation

• Bosses deliver votes – Mutual self interest

• Tammany Hall






1884, a Dirty Election Year






1884, A Dirty Election Year






Speaking of dirty…

• Rapid urban growth

demands for services – Fertile ground for graft and bossism

– Power vacuum

– Patronage for votes and contributions

– Improvements for kickbacks






Boss Tweed



Gilded Politics

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