chapter 7 part 3. terms to know political machine graft boss tweed patronage civil service...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 7
Part 3
Terms to Know
• Political Machine
• Graft
• Boss Tweed
• Patronage
• Civil Service
• Rutherford B. Hayes
• James A. Garfield
Ore Terms!
• Chester A. Arthur
• Pendleton Civil Service Act
• Grover Cleveland
• Benjamin Jarrison
The Political Machine
• Growing Cities
• Growing Poverty
• Growing Crime
• And insufficient Government response
After the Civil War
• The Political Machine gained control of cities all ov er America
• An organized group that took control of a political party in a city
What the Machines Offered:
• Services to voters and businesses
• In exchange for
• Political or financial support
Machines were like a pyramid
• At the base were the block captains
• They helped the poor and got the votes when the poor became citizens
• At the top was the Boss: He could deliver the votes or the contracts
The Party Boss
• Was sometimes the mayor
• Or could be behind the scenes
• Controlled city jobs
• Licenses
• Could influence the courts
• And city agencies
The Machine
• Built Parks
• Sewer Systems
• Waterworks
• Gave miney to schools
• Hospitals
• Orphanages
The Machine
• By solving urban problems the machine continued to earn voters’ loyalty
Immigrants and the Machine
• Block captains were often recent immigrants themselves
• They understood the problems of the new arrivals
• Helped with jobs, housing, medical care, getting ready for citizenship, education
The immigrants were grateful
• They would vote for whoever the block captain suggested
• Help from the government and the Church was hard to come by
The Machine filled a need
• BUT it WAS corrupt
• Boss Tweed was the most famous of the big party Bosses
• 1869-1871 He led the Tweed Ring
• And defrauded NY city out of a great deal of money
The construction of a courthouse
• Cost $3 million dollars
• BUT the taxpayers ended up paying $13 million for it
• Eventually there was a punlic outcry
Thomas Nast
• A political cartoonist inspired the outcry
1871 Tweed was indicted
• 12 counts of fraud and extortion
• Was sentenced to 12 years in jail
• Was released after one year
• Then was rearrested
Corruption in National Politics
• Patronage: giving government jobs to people who helped others get elected
• Was sometimes called the Spoils System
• Often the people in these jobs were not qualified for the jobs
Reformers
• Tried to end corruption in government
• Tried to end Patronage
• Pushed for civil service reform
• Government jobs should be awarded based on merit
• Political views should not matter
Rutherford B. Hayes
• President 1877-1871
• Awarded government jobs in his cabinet to independents
• Established a commission to investigate the nation’s custom houses for corruption
Garfield 1881
• Was a Republican President who had Arthur (a Stalwart) as his VP
• Had Blaine (a Liberal who stood for reform) as his Sec. of State
Garfield was assassinated in 1881
• By Charles Guiteau
• Guiteau was upset because he did not get a government job that he wanted
• Said, “I am a Stalwart. Now Arthur is President!”
Garfield was shot in July
• Died in September
• Then Arthur was President
The Pendleton Act
• Provided for tests for government jobs
• More of a merit system
• Also a bipartisan Civil Service Commission was appointed to make the appointments
Less financial help
• From people ho[ing for jobs
• So money came from Big Business in exchange for government favors
• Businesses made big campaign contributions and it paid off
Cleveland 1884-88
• The first democrat since the Civil War
• Fought for a lower tariff
• Hurt Big Business
• Lost to Benjamin Harrison in 1888
• Harrison favored a high tariff and was supported by Big Business
NOTE
• Harrison had won the electoral vote but Cleveland had the popular vote
• During Harrison’s term the economy took a tumble
Election of 1892
• Cleveland beat Harrison
• The first President to serve two non consecutive termsThen, Panic of 1893
• And McKinley, a Republican, won in 1896