Political maneuvering of the late 19th century

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Political maneuvering of the late 19th century
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Benjamin Harrison and the Republicans 1889-1893

• Republicans reclaim the White House and Congress.
• Thomas (Czar) Reed. Republican Speaker of the
  House. Responsible for reorganizing House rules
  for the majority party.
• Billion-dollar Congress.

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Domestic legislation

• Reduce the Surplus in the budget.
• Pension Act of 1890. Increased pensions for
  Civil War vets.
• Money matters.
• Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890. Increased
  government purchases and coinage of silver.
  Supported by Southern and Western

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Silver and gold

• Farmers. Thought it would raise prices and ease
  debt payments.
• Inflation
• McKinley Tariff Bill of 1890. Raised tariffs to
  a peacetime high. Caused a backlash in the
  Mid-West which could be seen in the election of
  1890.

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The Populist Challenge

• Mainly farmers from the West and South.
• Platform
• Free and unlimited coinage of silver 161
• Graduated income tax.
• Government ownership of the telephone, telegraph
  and railroads.

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Election of 1892

• James Weaver. Good showing in the election. 22
  electoral votes and over 1 million popular votes.
  All farming states. (mid-west and west)
• White Southerners did not support due to Southern
  African-American farmers supporting the Populist
  Party.
• Grover wins again.

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Significance of the Election of 1892

• Disenfranchisement of blacks and Jim Crow.
• Democrats get another crack at the White House.
• Strong showing for a third party, with the hope
  of 1896 on the horizon.
• Backlash from the Homestead Strike.

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Clevelands SecondAdministration

• Depression of 1893 Brought on by
  overspeculation, overbuilding, labor strife, and
  farm problems.
• Gold reserves dropped to a dangerously low level
  as people traded in paper for gold.
• Repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890

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More Grover

• Deal with J. P. Morgan. When you sup with the
  devil, it is best to use a long spoon.
• Coxeys Rebellion.
• Pullman Strike. Federal troops used. The mail?
• Eugene V. Debs. Socialist to be.

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Out with Grover

• Wilson-Gorman Act
• New slightly lower tariff and a tax of 2 on
  incomes over 4000. (The Supreme Court found the
  tax violated the direct tax clause of the
  Constitution. 16th Amendment)

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Election of 1896

• Lets fill in the blanks.