Politics in the Gilded Age: Corruption and Reform in America

1. Politics in the Gilded Age 15.3 Typical 2nd home for the wealthy while the working class live in tenements

2. Political Machines • An informal group of politicians who controlled local gov’t… • They took it upon themselves to try to solve “societies problems” which made the people like them. • These “machines” were often corrupt!

3. Influence on Immigrants • Political machines would approach new immigrants and give them jobs, training, help them find housing, food, and supplied them with coal in the winter in exchange for their vote… • This is called graft –giving favors in exchange for votes

4. The Biggest Machine: “Boss” William Tweed • William Tweed • Tammany Hall (Democratic Party Headquarters in NYC) • Used his political power to get jobs for his friends (spoils system) even though they weren’t qualified • He & his friends made a TON of money (called the Tweed Ring) • The most famous case was when he got the city to pay him $13 million to build a new court house; this was several times the actual cost it took to build it and he pocketed the rest of the money

5. His power seemed it would last forever • In 1871Thomas Nast (a political cartoonist) exposed him and his “ring”. This turned public opinion against him • Tweed was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 12 years in prison

7. President Grants administration • Most well known scandal was Credit Mobilier • Union RR set this up to fund building part of RR • CM charged taxpayers $23M over the actual cost that it took to build and pocketed that money • It was found that members of Congress and even the VP were in on the scandal Federal Corruption

8. Whiskey Ring • Grant’s personal secretary was involved as well as other gov’t officials. • Stole taxpayers money, whiskey company bribed gov’t officials in order to keep the liquor taxes that should been going to the national treasury.

9. Reform • Reformers wanted change • Elected President Rutherford B. Hayes 1877, he supported reform of gov’t • Passed executive order prohibiting gov’t employees from managing political parties or campaigns • During election he discovered members of the Republican party (his party) were corrupt and he fired them • First president to do this*

10. Garfield • Short presidency (4 months in he was assassinated) shot July/died Sept (1881) • Shot by Charles Guiteau (man who was denied a job in Garfield's cabinet) • Garfield was against the spoils system… • Chester Arthur (VP) becomes president and is against the spoils system (although he was not at first during the election)

11. Civil Service Reform • Pendleton (from OH) came up with Pendleton Civil Service Act –giving people jobs because they are qualified to do them • This greatly reduced corruption in gov’t and eventually in big business… it is still used today

12. Stop here

13. The National Grange *not in notes/use graphic • Farming organization/union • They were upset with RR corruption • Misuse of land grants (would take more than they needed from farmers) • Unfair prices • Charge farmers high prices for crop travel leaving virtually no profit for them (this was the only travel for them) • Charged different customers different rates allowing them to keep farmers in debt to them • Demanded that the federal gov’t step in and take control of the RR industry

14. Successes of the National Grange Farmers go to court… • Wabash v. Illinois • said that STATES have the right to regulate RR prices (but… prices still varied from state to state so wasn’t effective) • SO…Munn v. Illinois • Said that the FEDERAL gov’t has the right to regulate prices for transport (so now farmers will be charges fair prices) • HOW will the government do this?...

15. ICC- Interstate Commerce Commission (or Act) Congress passed the ICC -1887 which gave the federal gov’t the right to supervise RR activity and rates Hard to enforce b/c of resistance of RRs and they continually took gov’t to court The ICC is not effective until 1906 when Teddy Roosevelt becomes president