History 1302 Flashcard

Because of the ruling in Wabash case, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, the first federal law to regulate the railroads. the Act established the nation's first regulatory agency, the interstate commerce commission to investigate and oversee railroad activities.

The depression raised the " money question" that continued to come up for twenty years. At the root of this issue was a long period of deflation following the Civil War. Price levels dropped because of production of goods was growing faster than the supply of money. Farmers are not necessarily hurt by a general deflation if all prices fall equally and farmers debt level are low. Wheat, Corn, and Cotton prices, however, declined more than other prices in the late 19th century, and farmers also had borrowed heavily to expand production. They were thus caught in a debt squeeze-their mortgage payments reminded high while the prices they received fell.

In the aftermath of Reconstruction, Rutherford admirably embodied the " party of morality". He brought to the White House in 1877 a new style of uprightness, a sharp contrast to the graft and corruption of the Grant administration. the son of an Ohio farmer, Haynes entered politics as a Whig, but became one of the early Republicans, was wounded four times in the Civil War, and was promoted to major-general. As a member of the House of Representatives for one term ( 1865-1867), he supported the congressional Reconstruction program. Elected governor of Ohio, he served three terms. Haynes's presidency suffered from the manner from his election. He was derided as the " de facto President" and " His Fraudulence" and did not pursue a second term.

There were five presidents. Rutherford B Haynes ( Republican, 1877-1881) James A. Garfield ( Republican 1881) Chester A. Arthur ( Republican 1881-1885) Grover Cleveland ( Democrat, 1885-1889 Benjamin Harrison ( Republican 1889-1893) Haynes, Garfield, and Harrison boasted distinguished war records. Haynes served as governor three terms of Ohio and Garfield did well as a congressional leader. Arthur, despite his reputation as a machine politician, demonstrated fine administrative skills as head of New York customs house. Cleveland made his mark as reform mayor of Buffalo and governor of New York. None of these men were charismatic leaders, but circumstances, more that personal qualities, explain why none of these presidents made a large mark on history.

The President's most demanding job was to dispense political patronage. Under the spoils system, government jobs were treated as rewards for those who had served the winning party. Reform of this system became urgent after President Garfield was shot July 2. 1881 as he was leaving for a vacation in New England. Charles J. Guiteau, a deranged lawyer and disappointed office seeker, shot Garfield in the back. Suffering through the summer, Garfield died o September 19. 1881 and was succeeded by Vice President, Chester A. Arthur.

As a result of the death of Garfield. Congress passed the Pendleton Act to reform civil service. The act created a bipartisan Civil Service Commission to administer competitive examinations and appointed officeholders on the basis of merit. Initially, the act affected only about 14,000 of some 100,000 governments offices, but it laid the basis for the later expansion of the civil services.

Arthur was a better president than many had expected. Deftly, he established his independent of Conkling. Conservative in outlook, he reserved Garfield'd foreign policy initiatives on Latin America, but he approved the construction of the modern American navy. Arthur worked to lower the tariff, and in 1883, with his nacking Congress passed the Pendleton Act to reform civil service.

The Democrat governor of New York, narrowly defeated Republican James G. Blaine. Largely because of the continuing divisions in the Republican party. The first democrat since 1861, Cleveland was slow and ponderous, known for his honesty, stubbornness, and hard work. His term in the White House from 1885-1889 reflected the Democratic party's desire to curtail federal activities. Cleveland vetoed more than two-thirds of the bills presented to him, more than all his predecessors combined. Forthright and sincere, he brought a new respectability to a Democratic party still tainted by its link with the secession. Working long into the night, he reviewed veteran's pensions and civil-service appointments. He continued Arthur's naval construction program and forced railroads, lumber, and cattle companies to surrender millions of acres of fraudulently occupied public domain. Late in1887, he devoted his annual message to an attack o the tariff, " the vicious, inequitable, and illogical source of unnecessary taxation", and committed himself and the Democratic party to lowering the tariff.

Democratic leaders hoped not, and, eager to embarrass the Republicans and block Republicans sponsored laws, the democrats in Congress used minority tactics, especially the "disappearing quorum" rule, which let members of the House of representatives join in the debate but then refuse to answer the roll call to determine whether a quorum was present. On Jan. 29 189-, they fell two short votes of a quorum and speaker of the House Thomas B. Reed, a crusty veteran of Maine politics, made congressional history. " The Chair", he said, "disrespects the clerk to record the following names of members present and refusing to vote. Democrats shouted " Czar! Czar!" a titled stuck to Reed for the rest of his life.

The McKinley Tariff Act, The Republicans passed which raised tariff duties about 4 percent, higher than ever before; it also included a novel reciprocity provision that allowed the president to lower duties if other countries did the same. Dependent Pensions Act , granted pensions to Union army veterans and their widows and children. The pensions were modest 6 to 12 dollars a month. Sherman Antitrust, Passed by congress in 1890, this act was first major U.S attempt to deal legislatively with the problem of the increasing size of business. It declared illegal " every contract, combination in form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce", Penalties for violations were strict, ranging from fines to imprisonment and even dissolution of guilty trusts. The law was weakened when Supreme Court, In United States V. E.C Knight and Co. , drew sharp distinction between manufacturing and commerce and ruled that manufacturing was excluded from its coverage. Sherman Silver purchase Act, An act attempted to resolved the controversy over silver coinage. Under it, the U.S Treasury would purchased 4.5 million ounces of silver each month and issue legal tender for it. The act pleased opponents of silver because it did not call for free coinage; it pleased proponents because it brought up most nation's silver production.

Though E.C Knight Co. controlled 98 percent of all sugar refining in the country, the court drew sharp distinction between manufacturing and commerce and ruled that manufacturing was excluded from its coverage.