Political and Economic Challenges

Corruption Plagues National Politics The presidencies of Hayes, Harrison, Garfield and Arthur were plagued by corruption, so distrust in government continued to grow. Once again, the spoils system was a problem. Spoils system rewarding political supporters with government jobs. These slights in government were showcased to the public by political cartoonists such as Joseph Keppler and Thomas Nast. Nast targeted NYC politician William ‘Boss’ Tweed to expose his illegal activities.

Corruption Plagues National Politics The disdain for political corruption pushed many officials to support civil service reform, focusing on the federal jobs within the executive branch. Reform began when Chester Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883. This act set up a commission to write a civil service exam. Individuals who wanted to work for the government had to take the exam. Jobs were then given on one’s performance on the exam.

Corruption Plagues National Politics While Democrats and Republicans disagreed over the tariff issue (whether they should be high or low), independent parties gained support over their dislike for the gold standard. Gold standard= gold is used as the basis for the nation’s currency. The Coinage Act of 1873 stopped the acceptance of silver as value for coins. Those that supported the use of silver for money (known as bi-metallism) hoped to cause inflation so prices would rise and increase their incomes. These were generally farmers.

Farmers Face Problems Farmers were hurt by the following: High railroad rates for the transport of their crops; Low crop prices at market; High interest rates charged by banks. Farmers blamed big businesses for the hardships they faced.

The Growth of the Populist Party 1867– Patrons of Husbandry (the Grange) Goal= reduce freight rates Created cooperatives 1880s– Farmer’s Alliances Groups formed across the South to advocate for lower freight rates, interest rates and higher prices. 1892– People’s (Populist) Party

The Growth of the Populist Party As these groups grew, their members realized the need for a political base in order to have their voices and ideas heard. Goals of the Populist Party: End political corruption Increase the money supply (bi-metallism) Government ownership of railroads In the 1896 election, the Populists supported William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate.

The Election of 1896 The Republicans chose William McKinley as their candidate. McKinley was supported by the big business leaders and raised 30x the amount of funding as Bryan. This extra money would allow the Republicans to spend more on propaganda to sway voters. While Bryan toured the nation gaining support, McKinley let others do the campaigning for him. The Republicans cast Bryan and the Populists as a threat to the U.S.