1. Corruption Plagues the Nation
Topic 2.3

2. Political Corruption Ulysses S. Grant
Popular war hero but a disappointing president
Scandal!!

3. Credit Mobilier Scandal
Government loans given to Union Pacific for TCRR
Union Pac hires out Credit Mobilier company to build tracks the Union Pacific trains would ride on
CM overcharges Union Pac, then bribes key congressmen to keep funds coming
Not investigated until 1872

4. Credit Mobilier Scandal
Discovered they gave stock to representatives of both parties
Including a future President, future Vice President, several cousins of President Grant, and as many as 30 other officials

5. Spoils System
Elected officials appointed friends and supporters, regardless of their qualifications
Ensured a loyal group of supporters in future elections
Led to corruption when jobs were used for personal profit

6. After his election in 1876, Hayes refused to use the patronage system
After his election in 1876, Hayes refused to use the patronage system. Began to reform the civil service or government’s non elected workers
Appointed qualified people, fired employees who were not needed
strengthened the government but helped weaken the Republicans

7. James A. Garfield won In 1880 election, James A. Garfield won
July 2, 1881, Charles Guiteau, a mentally unstable lawyer, shot Garfield
Died 3 month later
Caused a public outcry against the spoils system
Chester Arthur became President

8. Pendleton Civil Service Act
Passed in 1883-Chester Arthur
Created a civil service commission
Classified government jobs and tested applicants’ fitness

9. Pendleton Civil Service Act
Federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds
Could not be fired for political reasons

10. Munn v. Illinois,1877 RR’s were overcharging farmers
Interstate Commerce Commission
Standardized shipping rates
Allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads
Lawyers argued that only federal government could regulate interstate commerce

11. Economic Depression, 1893
Millions of workers lost their jobs had wages cut
Laissez-faire policies
government
offered no help
Coxey’s Army
1894- Jacob S. Coxey called on unemployed workers to march on the nation’s capital
Many small “armies” started out on the protest march, only Coxey’s army reached Washington
Police arrested him and a few others for illegally carrying banners and trampling the grass

12. Growing Cities
Political Machine-was an unofficial city organization designed to keep a particular party or group in power and usually headed by a single powerful boss.
Sometime the boss held public office
More often he handpicked others to run for office and then helped them win

13. Rise of Political Machines
Worked through exchange favors
Used an army of ward leaders
Each managed a city district to handout city jobs and contracts to residents of their ward
In return expected to give votes to machines
Extremely corrupt
Controlled local politics

14. Rise of Political Machines
William Marcy Tweed – Boss Tweed
Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall
Political club that ran New York City’s Democrat Party
You worked for a political machine in hopes of getting a government job that could lead you to big bucks through government corruption.

15. Through countless instances of fraud-many millions of dollars
Political Machines (continued)
Helped many immigrants who were “fresh off the boat” with jobs and housing in exchange for their votes
Tweed and friends padded bills for construction projects and supply contracts with fake expenses and kept the extra money
Through countless instances of fraud-many millions of dollars

16. Political Machines (continued)
The nickname for Tammany Hall was the “Tammany Tiger;” this cartoon shows the Tiger riding on the backs of immigrants from where he gets his power.

17. Political cartoons by German immigrant Thomas Nast helped bring down tweed
Exposed his methods to the public
Depicted Tweed as a thief and a dictator who manipulated New York City politics for his own benefit
Convicted of crimes Tweed died in jail
Tammany Hall dominated New York politics for another half century

18. Thomas Nast
The Man Who Drew Santa Claus!!