Politics In Gilded Age
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Politics In Gilded Age
The paper discusses politics in the Gilded Age. Include major political
events and issues, and the roles of the “bloody shirt,” corruption,
patronage, and reform movements. The term Gilded Age was named for a Mark Twain
book. It meant covered with gold, and was applied to this period as a whole.
This was a period of corruption in sordid politics. The Republicans and
Democrats didn’t really have strong opposing beliefs during this period. The
Republicans supported high tariffs and sound money. The Democrats supported
lower tariffs and expanded currency. Both rural and urban classes supported each
party. They worked with spoils and local issues. Both parties worked to please
everyone, and to attract voters. Since both parties were so close in strength,
it caused the elections to be fought harder. The Republicans used the waving of
the bloody shirt tactic. This meant that they brought back the past in order to
avoid the real issues. They portrayed the Democrats as rebel traitors. The
Republicans were against alcohol. The Stalwarts were led by Senator Conkling
from New York and were the hard core machine of elections. Senator Blaine led
the Half-Breeds from Maine, and they wanted to be in control of it all. The
mugwumps were a group that turned Democrat because of the corruption of the
Republican presidential nominee, Senator Blaine. One president was Grant during
this period. He was elected into office for his past war experience. He had
little knowledge of politics, and depended on his fellow politicians. These men,
in turn, involved in scandals to embezzle money from the government. One was the
Great Mobilier scandal; it dealt with the Union Pacific Railroad. The
Construction Company hired themselves at inflated prices to build railroad
lines, and distributed shares of stock to congressmen. A scandal during
Grant’s second term, was the Whisky Ring. This scandal was uncovered in St.
Louis, and consisted of selling whiskey without the excise tax. In return it
defrauded the government out of millions of dollars. Belknap was selling goods
and trading with the Indians for lower prices. During Grant’s administration
the monetary issues were inflation, cheap money, and greenbacks. The debtors,
especially farmers, wanted cheap money. However, Grant vetoed the bill to print
more money, and supported withdrawing greenbacks from circulation. Hayes won the
disput...
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