REVOLT OF THE DEBTORS 1880 TO 1895
Election of 1868 • Waving the bloody shirt • Ohio idea • Fiske and Gould • Tweed Ring • Credit Mobilier • Whiskey ring • Fish • Treaty of Washington
Panic if 1873 • Causes • Overproduction, bankers risky loans, greenbacks, hard money vs. soft money • Contraction • Specie Resumption Act of 1875 • Debtors push silver • Crime of 73 • Bland-Allison Act • Greenback labor party
ELECTION OF 1880 • REPUBLICAN NOMINATE JAMES GARFIELD, ON 36TH BALLOT • DEMOCRATS NOMINATE WINFIELD HANCOCK • GREENBACK LABOR PARTY JAMES B. WEAVER • GARFIELD WINS 214 TO 155
GARFIELD IN OFFICE • 1 MONTH AFTER INAUGURATION GARFIELD IS SHOT • ASSASSIN CHARLES GUITEAU, BUT GARFIELD WAS KILLED BY HIS DOCTORS & ALEXANDER BELL • CHESTER ARTHUR WAS VICE PRESIDENT
ARTHUR RISES TO THE JOB • HE WAS A “STALWART” OF THE REPUBLICANS. A MACHINE POLITICIAN • CORRUPTION WAS EXPECTED, BUT SURPRISED THE NATION • FOUGHT FOR CIVIL SERVICE REFORM, MODERNIZED THE NAVY
SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION • THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT 1882 • PENDLETON ACT 1883- ESTABLISHED A CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.
ELECTION OF 1884 CLEVELAND VS. BLAINE • REP. NOMINATE JAMES G. BLAINE “THE PLUMED KNIGHT” • “ MUGWUMPS” LEAD BY CARL SCHURZ SPLIT THE PARTY. • DEMOCRATS NOMINATE N.Y. GOV. GROVER CLEVELAND • MUD-SLINGING CAMPAIGN
MORE ON 84 ELECTION • THE “MULLIGAN LETTERS” • CLEVELAND’S ILLEGITIMATE CHILD. • “MA, MA, WHERE’S MY PA?” • “GONE TO THE WHITE HOUSE, HA,HA, HA!” • CLEVELAND WINS 219 TO 182
CLEVELAND 1ST DEMO. PRESIDENT SINCE 1856 • CLEVELAND EXPANDS CIVIL SERVICE, BUT KEEPS SPOIL SYSTEM TOO. • VETOES PENSION BILL • CALLS FOR LOWER TARIFF RATES, BUT REPUBLICAN CONGRESS REFUSES.
MAJOR LEGISLATION • HATCH ACT 1882; SETUP AGRICULTURAL STATIONS. • THE DAWES ACT 1887 INDIAN REFORM. • INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT 1887 • NOTE: CLEVELAND DID LITTLE TO HELP FARMERS, WORKERS, SLUM DWELLERS. HE WAS A LAISSEZ FAIRE PRESIDENT.
ELECTION OF 1888 • REP NOMINATE BENJAMIN HARRISON • DEMOCRATS RE-NOMINATE CLEVELAND. • CLEVELAND RECEIVES 100,000 MORE POPULAR VOTES • HARRISON WINS 233 TO 168 IN ELECTORAL VOTE.
HARRISON AS PRESIDENT • APPOINTS BLAINE SEC OF STATE • SUPPORTS CIVIL SERVICE. • REPUBLICANS CONTROL CONGRESS, BUT IN HOUSE BY ONLY 3 VOTES
CZAR THOMAS B. REED • DEMOCRATS OBSTRUCT BY NOT ANSWERING QUORUM CALLS • CZAR REED’S TACTICS • 51ST CONGRESS 1ST BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET • BUDGET SURPLUS
JAMES TANNER & PENSIONS • TANNER: “LET ME AT THE SURPLUS” • PENSION ACT 1890 • GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC GAR • LOGROLLING DEAL: PENSIONS, SHERMAN SILVER ACT, & SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT
McKINLEY TARIFF 1890 • RATE GOES TO 48.4% • VOTER REVOLT REPUBLICANS LOSE 78 SEATS IN HOUSE OF REPS. • MCKINLEY LOSES SEAT IN CONGRESS. ELECTED GOVERNOR OF OHIO 1891
THE POPULIST PARTY1892 • REACTION TO MCKINLEY TARIFF. • GREW OUT OF FARM ALLIANCE & GRANGE MOVEMENT • OMAHA CONVENTION, CALLED “MASS MEETING ON MANIACS” • CALLED FOR RADICAL REFORM
OMAHA PLATFORM • FREE COINAGE OF SILVER 16 TO 1 • A GRADUATED INCOME TAX • GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF TELEPHONE, TELEGRAPH, & RAILROADS. • NOMINATE JAMES B. WAVER FOR PRESIDENT.
ELECTION OF 1892 • REPUBLICAN RE-NOMINATE HARRISON • DEMOCRATS CLEVELAND • KEY ISSUE TARIFF POLICY • HOMESTEAD STRIKE HURTS HARRISON • CLEVELAND WINS 277 TO 145 • POPULISTS POLL 1 MILLION VOTES.
CLEVELAND’S 2ND TERM • LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR DEBTOR CLASS. • RICHARD OLNEY IS ATTORNEY GENERAL • PANIC OF 1893 HITS HARD
GOLD CRISIS • REPEAL SILVER PURCHASE ACT • BY 1894 GOLD RESERVE DOWN TO $41 MILLION, $350 MILLION DEEMS MINIMUM. • TWO BOND ISSUES RAISED $100 MILLION • J.P. MORGAN LENDS $65 MILLION
COXEY’S ARMY MARCHES • JACOB COXEY LEADS MARCH ON WASHINGTON • GOALS: RELIEVE UNEMPLOYMENT THRU INFLATION. ISSUE PAPER CURRENCY, PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS. • ARRESTED FOR WALKING ON THE GRASS. ARMY COLLAPSES.
THE PULLMAN STRIKE 1894 • EUGENE V. DEBTS LEADS STRIKE • RAILROADS PARALYZED • RICHARD OLNEY ASKS FOR TROOPS • PRES. CLEVELAND SENDS TROOPS ON GROUNDS THAT THE MAIL MUST BE DELIVERED. • 1ST USE OF FEDERAL TROOPS
DEBTS GOES TO JAIL • WENT IN A LABOR LEADER • CAME OUT A SOCIALIST • BECOMES SOCIALIST PARTY CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT.
DEMOCRATIC TARIFF • MCKINLEY TARIFF OF 1890; 48.4% • FED DEFICIT REACHES $61 MILLION IN 1894 • WILSON-GORMAN TARIFF: CUT RATE TO 41.3%, INCLUDES 2% INCOME TAX • CLEVELAND RELUCTANTLY SIGNS IT.
1895 SUPREME COURT ACTS • DECLARES INCOME TAX UNCONSTITUTIONAL • 16TH AMENDMENT IN 1913 WILL ALLOW INCOME TAX.
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF 1894 • DEMOCRATS ARE CRUSHED. • REPUBLICANS HOLD 244 SEATS TO 105
THE SILVER ISSUE 1896 • DEBTORS SEEK CURE-ALL • “COIN’S FINANCIAL SCHOOL” BY WILLIAM HOPE HARVEY • FREE COINAGE OF SILVER AT 16 TO 1 WILL SOLVE ALL ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.
ELECTION OF 1896 • REPUBLICAN’S NOMINATE WILLIAM MCKINLEY OF OHIO • MARK HANNA IS HIS CAMPAIGN MANAGER.
W.J. BRYAN: SILVER MESSIAH • “BOY ORATOR OF THE PLATT” • NOT A CANDIDATE FOR NOMINATION. • “CROSS OF GOLD” SPEECH GIVES HIM THE DEMO. NOMINATION. • POPULIST PARTY ENDORSES BRYAN
CAMPAIGN: GOLD BUGS VS SILVERITES. • MCKINLEY’S FRONT PORCH CAMPAIGN • BRYAN IS EVERYWHERE • BRYAN’S CAMPAIGN “SILVER LUNACY” • MCKINLEY PROMISES “A FULL DINNER PAIL.”
MCKINLEY WINS • 271 TO 176 & BY 610,000 IN POPULAR VOTE. SECTIONAL VOTE. • BRYAN’S CALL FOR SILVER FRIGHTENED VOTERS. • REPUBLICANS RAISE TARIFF TO 46.5% (DINGLEY TARIFF ACT 1897)
INFLATION WITHOUT SILVER • ECONOMY IMPROVES • FARM PRICES RISE. • GOLD DISCOVERIES IN ALASKA FUEL INFLATION.
