1. Politics in the Gilded Age
The Emergence of the Political Machine
Municipal Graft and Scandal
Civil Service Replaces Patronage
Business Buys Influence

2. The Emergence of the Political Machine
An organized group that controlled the activities of a political party in a city.
Offers services to voters and businesses in exchange for political or financial support.
Controlled most local / city governments
Organized like a pyramid.

3. Local Precinct Workers
Pyramid Structure
City Boss
Ward Boss
Local Precinct Workers
and Captains
Immigrants / Working Class

4. Role of the Political Boss
Controls thousands of city jobs
Police, fire, and sanitation departments
Controls business licenses and inspections
Influences courts and municipal agencies
Uses power to build public works
Water works, parks, schools, hospitals etc.

5. Motives of Political Bosses
Money - business would pay for the bosses support or to look the other way
Votes – did good things for people living in their district to reinforce voter loyalty
Influence and Power
Political Support

6. Immigrants and the Political Machine
Bosses frequently 1st or 2nd generation immigrants
Raised in poverty
Worked their way up the machine
Speak the language and understand the challenges for immigrants
Help immigrants find place to live, get them jobs, and to become naturalized
In return the immigrant provides votes

7. Municipal Graft and Scandal
Election Fraud and Graft
Fraud – fraudulent votes cast by ineligible voters i.e. dogs, children, deceased.
Graft – illegal use of political influence for personal gain.
Kickbacks – illegal payments

8. The Tweed Ring Scandal
Tammany Hall – New York City’s powerful Democratic Political Machine
Boss Tweed – William Marcy Tweed, head of Tammany Hall and leader of the Tweed Ring
Tweed Ring – group of corrupt politicians who pocketed as much as $20 million in kickbacks and payoffs.

9. Tweed Ring Scandal
New York County Courthouse cost taxpayers $13 million, actual construction cost $ 3 million
Thomas Nast – political cartoonist who blew the whistle on the corruption of the Tweed Ring and Boss Tweed by publishing telling cartoons about their illegal activities.

10. Thomas Nast Cartoon

11. Who Stole the People’s Money by Thomas Nast

12. Thomas Nast Cartoon

13. Tweed Ring Broken Tweed indicted on 120 counts of fraud and extortion
Sentenced to 12 years
Served 2 and escaped only to be recaptured in Spain because someone ironically recognized him from a Thomas Nast cartoon.

14. Civil Service Replaces Patronage
Patronage – giving of government jobs to people who helped get a candidate elected
Spoils System – “To the Victor goes the Spoils” – the system of rewarding one’s political supporters

15. Problems with the Spoils System
Some government employees were not qualified for their positions
Some used their positions for personal gain
Interfered with daily functioning of government because with each change 1000’s of positions had to be filled, meaning very little got done because the politician spent his time making appointments to the 1000’s of positions

16. Call for Civil Service Reform
Civil Service – government jobs
Merit System – filling government jobs based on qualification, regardless of political views or affiliation

17. Hayes the Reformer Named independents to his cabinet
Named independents to his cabinet
Fired workers who had nothing to do
Set up commission to investigate the national customhouses
Fired the top two officials in New York City’s customhouse based on report
Cleaned up nations customhouses
Upset many in the Political Machine

18. Election of 1880
After much debate between Stalwarts and Mugwumps Republicans compromise
Stalwarts – oppose changes to the spoils system. Supports the use of Patronage.
Mugwumps – want civil service reform
Republicans nominate independent James A. Garfield for President
Nominate Chester A. Arthur for V.P. with ties to the political machine

19. Garfield Wins Presidency
Gives most of patronage jobs to Reform Republicans (Mugwumps)
Garfield is shot twice at a train station by man upset about not getting a government job.
Assassin was a Stalwart and wanted Arthur to become President.
Garfield dies of his wounds 2 ½ months after incident and Arthur becomes President.

20. Arthur Turns Reformer Arthur calls for passage of the Pendleton Act.
Pendleton Act – authorized a bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to federal jobs through the merit system based on performance on an exam.
40% of federal jobs covered then
90% of federal jobs covered today

21. Consequences of Pendleton Act
Increased # of federal jobs held by qualified people
Public administration became more honest and efficient
Politicians had to seek other sources for campaign contributions since they could pressure people with promises of jobs
The alliance between big business and politics become much stronger

22. Efforts to Regulate Tariffs Fail
Tariff – Tax on imports
1884 Grover Cleveland (Democrat) wins Presidency
Supports Tariff Reform (lower tariffs)
Does not have congressional support

23. Election of 1888 Cleveland (Dem) v. Benjamin Harrison (Rep)
Harrison has backing of big business and wins
Cleveland had more popular votes, but Harrison captured more electoral votes
Harrison supports high protective tariffs
McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 – raised tariffs to highest level ever

24. Cleveland Tries Again in 1892
Cleveland ran and won in 1892
Only President to serve two non-consecutive terms (22nd & 24th Pres.)
Supported the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act to lower tariffs, but refused to sign it when congress added a provision to raise federal income tax.
Wilson-Gorman Tariff became law w/o signature.

25. Election of William McKinley
The election of McKinley in 1896 killed tariff reform, because upon his inauguration tariffs were raised again.
However the spirit of reform would live on in the new century.