By: James W. Lloyd Jr. & Taylor D. Robinson The Political Cleanup By: James W. Lloyd Jr. & Taylor D. Robinson

Introduction: During the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes (1877- 1881), the Republican Party was split into two factions:

Stalwarts & Half-Breeds The Stalwarts: * radical republicans * were in opposition to Haye’s efforts to reconcile the South. * opposed all forms of civil-service reform * supported protective tariff & wanted a 3rd term for Ulysses S. Grant * Roscoe Conkling of NY was the prominent Stalwart leader

Stalwarts & Half-Breeds Con’td… The Half-Breeds: * Half-breed = half republican * backed Haye’s lenient treatment of the south * supported civil-service reform * James G. Blaine of ME was the leader of this group (failed to win the party nomination in 1876 and in 1880)

A Third term For Grant ? Cartoon image of Ulysses S. Grant as an acrobat on a trapeze "third term," holding on to "whiskey ring" and "Navy ring," with strap "corruption" in his mouth, holding up other acrobats, Shepard, George M. Robeson, William W. Belknap, Murphy, Williams, and Orville E. Babcock.

Pendleton Act A federal law established in January 16th, 1883, which served as a response to the massive public support of civil service reform that grew following President James Garfield‘s assassination * Government jobs should be awarded on basis of merit * The act provided selection of government employees through competitive exams, rather than ties to politicians or political affiliation. * It made it illegal to fire or demote

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. He is the only president to serve two non- consecutive terms (1885–1889 and 1893–1897) Cleveland was the leader of the pro-business Bourbon Democrats who opposed high tariffs, Free Silver, inflation, imperialism and subsidies to business, farmers or veterans. His battles for political reform and fiscal conservatism made him an icon for American conservatives of the era

Campaign and Election of 1884 The United States presidential election of 1884 saw the first election of a Democrat as President of the United States since the election of 1856. The campaign was marred by exceptional political acrimony and personal invective. *NY Governor Grover Cleveland narrowly defeated Republican former US Senator James G. Blaine of Maine 

Candidates of the 1884 Election Democrat Grover Cleveland Republican James G. Blaine

Campaign & Election con’td: Mugwumps The Mugwumps were Republican political activists who bolted from the United States Republican Party by supporting Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland in the United States presidential election of 1884 * They switched parties because they rejected the financial corruption associated with Republican candidate James G. Blaine.   * In a close election, the Mugwumps supposedly made the difference in New York state and swung the election to Cleveland. 

“The Great American Mugwump”

“The Tattooed Man” 1884 cartoon in Puck magazine ridicules Blaine as the tattooed-man, with many indelible scandals. The cartoon image is a parody of Phryne before the Areopagus, an 1861 painting by French artistJean-Léon Gérôme.

Cleveland Presidency: The ICC The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, also known as an Act to Regulate Commerce, was signed by President Grover Cleveland on February 4, 1887.  * With the enactment of the Interstate Commerce Act, the railroads became the first federally regulated industry in the US This act also created the Interstate Commerce Commission, a five-member committee that would oversee the investigation of railroad abuses and the enforcement of the act.  * It became the model for future government regulatory agencies. *  Its initial purpose to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers.

Cleveland Presidency: Gold Standard One of the most volatile issues of the 1880s was whether the currency should be backed by gold and silver, or by gold alone.  Because silver was worth less than its legal equivalent in gold, taxpayers paid their government bills in silver, while international creditors demanded payment in gold, resulting in a depletion of the nation's gold supply * Cleveland stood firmly on the side of the gold standard, and tried to reduce the amount of silver that the government was required to coin under the Bland-Allison Act of 1878

Gold Standard : Pictures Gold certificates were used as paper currency . These certificates were freely convertible into gold coins. Under a gold standard, paper notes are convertible into pre-set, fixed quantities of gold.

Cleveland Presidency: Civil Rights Cleveland, like a growing number of Northerners (and nearly all white Southerners) saw Reconstruction as a failed experiment, and was reluctant to use federal power to enforce the 15th Amendment  Cleveland had condemned the "outrages" against Chinese immigrants, he believed that Chinese immigrants were unwilling to assimilate into white society. Secretary of State Bayard negotiated an extension to the Chinese Exclusion Act, and Cleveland lobbied the Congress to pass the Scott Act, written by Congressman William Lawrence Scott, which would prevent Chinese immigrants who left the United States from returning. Cleveland signed The Scott Act into law on October 1, 1888.

Civil Rights Con’td… (Dawes Act) Cleveland viewed Native Americans as wards of the state. He encouraged the idea of cultural assimilation, pushing for the passage of the Dawes Act, which provided for distribution of Indian lands to individual members of tribes, rather than having them continued to be held in trust for the tribes by the federal government. Cleveland believed the Dawes Act would lift Native Americans out of poverty and encourage their assimilation into white society, but its ultimate effect was to weaken the tribal governments and allow individual Indians to sell land and keep the money.

Campaign and Election of 1892 In the United States presidential election of 1892, former President Grover Cleveland ran for re- election against the incumbent President Benjamin Harrison, who was also running for re-election. Also, James B. Weaver was the presidential nominee of the Populist Party.  Cleveland defeated Harrison. * the campaign centered mainly on the issue of a sound currency.

Candidates of the 1892 Election Republican Benjamin Harrison Populist James B. Weaver Democrat Grover Cleveland

Cleveland Presidency: Shortly after Cleveland's second term began, the Panic of 1893 struck the stock market, and he soon faced an acute economic depression. The panic was worsened by the acute shortage of gold that resulted from the free coinage of silver, therefore Cleveland called Congress into session early to deal with the problem. In the Senate, the repeal of free coinage was contentious, Cleveland however, convinced enough Democrats to stand by him that they, along with eastern Republicans, formed a 48–37 majority. With the passage of the repeal, the Treasury's gold reserves were restored to safe levels.