The Gilded Age Presidencies are generally defined by their laissez faire administrations. This reputation is only partially deserved. America changed at such a pace, it was difficult for government to change with the times. The presidents did push for change. However, the party bosses still had a lot of power. That power would not be completely crushed until the advent of the primary system. Even then, it took almost the entire century to rid the system of the party bosses. The first two presidents of this era battled the party bosses and scored some victories. However, one was assassinated by an insane office seeker while the other was shoved aside by the bosses for being too reformist.
James Garfield (1881): Garfield spent his transition period working on a cabinet designed to pacify all his party’s factions. His last appointment angered New York Party Boss and U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling. The feud peaked when Garfield nominated Conkling’s enemy to be Collector of the Port in New York. This was a highly coveted and highly lucrative post. Garfield outmaneuvered Conkling and the boss decided to resign from the Senate in order to vindicate himself. His home state refused to send him back to the Senate. Garfield won a complete victory. By September of 1881, Garfield would be dead.
Chester Arthur (1881-1885): Garfield’s assassination led to Chester Arthur’s ascension. In the aftermath of the assassination, Arthur pushed a reform agenda. The Pendleton Act created the Civil Service Commission and ended the old spoils system. Garfield was murdered by a disgruntled office seeker. Pendleton took federal job appointments away from the politicians and led to less cronyism and more professionalism in government. Like Garfield, Arthur refused to play ball with the party bosses. It cost him the Republican Nomination for President in 1884.
Grover Cleveland (1881-1885, 1893-1897): Cleveland was the first Democrat since James Buchanan in 1857 to be elected president. He would be the last until Woodrow Wilson in 1912. Cleveland’s first term was rather successful. He pushed for several reforms and was a solid economic manager. When he ran for re-election, he won the popular vote. However, his opponent, Benjamin Harrison, won the electoral college. Cleveland swore he’d return. In 1888, he defeated Harrison and then experienced one of the worst economic downturns in history. Cleveland is the only man to be elected to two non-consecutive terms.
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Harrison’s economic policies helped bring about the Panic of 1893. Harrison supported the McKinley Tariff which dramatically raised tariffs. He supported the Sherman Silver Purchasing Act which led to inflation. Harrison also passed a Civil War Pension which dramatically depleted federal funds. The combination of inflationary government policy, higher taxes in the form of tariffs, and the pension payments combined with railroad failures to send America into it’s worst economic downturn of the 19th Century. Ironically, the current administration is attempting to replicate the economic policies of the Harrison Administration with high spending, high taxes, and inflationary monetary policy.
William McKinley (1897-1901): America’s economy rebounded under McKinley. However, his legacy is entwined with the Spanish American War. McKinley did not want war. He fought in the Civil War and did not want to put people through that again. However, he had no choice once the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor. Americans blamed Spain. The war was on. America clubbed Spain and conquered Guam, The Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Cuba was later granted their independence, but America negotiated the right to lease Guantanamo Bay in perpetuity. Interestingly, historians rank James K. Polk higher than McKinley despite the fact the two men had similar accomplishments.
Showing posts with label Benjamin Harrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benjamin Harrison. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Greatest Inaugural Addresses
I have read every Presidential Inaugural Address from Washington to W. I have seen every Inaugural Address from Kennedy to W (Thank you C-Span). So, here is my list of the five greatest addresses and four honorable mentions...They are arranged chronologically.
1. Thomas Jefferson (1801): Jefferson tried to heal wounds caused by a decade of intense partisanship. People think today's politics are hyper-partisan. However, the 1790s were worse. As Obama has been doing, Jefferson attempted to reach across the aisle and proclaimed one American nation with the refrain, "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists."
2. Abraham Lincoln (1865): The partisanship of Jefferson's time was intense, but not as intense as the 1850s. By 1860, compromise was not possible and war broke out after Lincoln's inaugural in 1861. Speeches do not have to be long to be good. Lincoln's second address was short and to the point. He wanted to heal the nation, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
3. Franklin Roosevelt (1933): FDR reassured a nation deep in despair by promising "that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Compared to the dour Herbert Hoover, this was a breath of fresh air. Additionally, with improvements in technology, we can see and hear FDR's speech today.
4. John F. Kennedy (1961): JFK's inaugural was a call to arms for a new generation. It was a message of hope. Mankind can eliminate poverty and other social problems. Liberty will spread. America's good words would be transformed into good deeds. Kennedy also challenged Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
5. Ronald Reagan (1981): Reagan always performed for his audience. After four years of the Carter Malaise, and almost 20 years of bad luck, divisions, and disasters, Reagan had come on his white horse to set things right. Reagan promised a new beginning. As a result of leftist policies, the economy was shattered and America's prestige abroad at an all time low. Like today, solutions to problems does not come from government. Instead, America's problem was government.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Andrew Jackson (1829): Jackson's election marked the beginning of a new age. (It also led to the greatest party in American History as the White House got trashed). Jackson's address was similar to Reagan's. Liberty is more important than government expansion.
2. Abraham Lincoln (1861): The South left the Union. How would Lincoln respond? He attempted to alleviate Southern worries, but he also let it be known that states can not leave the Union. He asks Southerners to be patriots and appeals to their "better angels."
3. Benjamin Harrison (1889): Harrison was known to be "icy." He was not very likable, but he managed to get elected. Despite his inability to be warm and fuzzy, he gave a pretty good address. It was a celebratory unity speech.
4. Richard Nixon (1969): Nixon came back from the abyss to win the presidency in 1968. During his exile, he became an expert in foreign affairs. Like Kennedy, he appealed to something bigger than himself. It was a "Summons to Greatness." Nixon pushed for a peaceful world. He asked Americans to seize the opportunity for greatness. It was time to end war, "The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker."
1. Thomas Jefferson (1801): Jefferson tried to heal wounds caused by a decade of intense partisanship. People think today's politics are hyper-partisan. However, the 1790s were worse. As Obama has been doing, Jefferson attempted to reach across the aisle and proclaimed one American nation with the refrain, "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists."
2. Abraham Lincoln (1865): The partisanship of Jefferson's time was intense, but not as intense as the 1850s. By 1860, compromise was not possible and war broke out after Lincoln's inaugural in 1861. Speeches do not have to be long to be good. Lincoln's second address was short and to the point. He wanted to heal the nation, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
3. Franklin Roosevelt (1933): FDR reassured a nation deep in despair by promising "that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Compared to the dour Herbert Hoover, this was a breath of fresh air. Additionally, with improvements in technology, we can see and hear FDR's speech today.
4. John F. Kennedy (1961): JFK's inaugural was a call to arms for a new generation. It was a message of hope. Mankind can eliminate poverty and other social problems. Liberty will spread. America's good words would be transformed into good deeds. Kennedy also challenged Americans to "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
5. Ronald Reagan (1981): Reagan always performed for his audience. After four years of the Carter Malaise, and almost 20 years of bad luck, divisions, and disasters, Reagan had come on his white horse to set things right. Reagan promised a new beginning. As a result of leftist policies, the economy was shattered and America's prestige abroad at an all time low. Like today, solutions to problems does not come from government. Instead, America's problem was government.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Andrew Jackson (1829): Jackson's election marked the beginning of a new age. (It also led to the greatest party in American History as the White House got trashed). Jackson's address was similar to Reagan's. Liberty is more important than government expansion.
2. Abraham Lincoln (1861): The South left the Union. How would Lincoln respond? He attempted to alleviate Southern worries, but he also let it be known that states can not leave the Union. He asks Southerners to be patriots and appeals to their "better angels."
3. Benjamin Harrison (1889): Harrison was known to be "icy." He was not very likable, but he managed to get elected. Despite his inability to be warm and fuzzy, he gave a pretty good address. It was a celebratory unity speech.
4. Richard Nixon (1969): Nixon came back from the abyss to win the presidency in 1968. During his exile, he became an expert in foreign affairs. Like Kennedy, he appealed to something bigger than himself. It was a "Summons to Greatness." Nixon pushed for a peaceful world. He asked Americans to seize the opportunity for greatness. It was time to end war, "The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker."
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Underachievers
Continuing the categorization of the 43 presidencies, here are the five guys that were below average. They weren't absolute failures, but they were not successful either. Each one served only one term. They are listed chronologically.
1. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams was a lame duck when he assumed office. Most people voted against him and he ascended to the White House through the mechanisation of Henry Clay. While in office, he did not do much except wait for the whoopin' Jackson would put on him in 1828. The one major piece of legislation was the Tariff of Abominations. This raised tariffs to a ridiculously high rate and caused a rift between north and south.
2. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): The minute Van Buren took office, a depression hit. As such, he got the blame. The depression did not end until he left office. Now, that was not the reason for his inclusion here. During the Amistad Case, he supported slaveholder interests and while in office was a southern lapdog. He lost his re-election bid to William Henry Harrison.
3. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): He took office upon the death of Zachary Taylor. He supported the Compromise of 1850 and the horrible Fugitive Slave Law. On the positive side, he peacefully opened Japan to Western Trade. The Japanese celebrate this event to this day.
4. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Presidents can not fix the economy when it heads south. They can help ease the pain or give people hope. On the other hand, presidents can mess up the economy. Harrison's economic plans did just that. In 1893, a panic hit. His one major success was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which was not really used in the manner it was meant until Theodore Roosevelt.
5. William Howard Taft (1909-1913): The Era of Bungled Diplomacy, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff fiasco, the Income Tax, Dollar Diplomacy, the Ballinger-Pinchot rift, and the Republican Party schism...Taft's Administration sells itself! However, he did bust many monopolies and the country was in decent shape despite the bungling. So, he was not a complete failure!
1. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams was a lame duck when he assumed office. Most people voted against him and he ascended to the White House through the mechanisation of Henry Clay. While in office, he did not do much except wait for the whoopin' Jackson would put on him in 1828. The one major piece of legislation was the Tariff of Abominations. This raised tariffs to a ridiculously high rate and caused a rift between north and south.
2. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): The minute Van Buren took office, a depression hit. As such, he got the blame. The depression did not end until he left office. Now, that was not the reason for his inclusion here. During the Amistad Case, he supported slaveholder interests and while in office was a southern lapdog. He lost his re-election bid to William Henry Harrison.
3. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): He took office upon the death of Zachary Taylor. He supported the Compromise of 1850 and the horrible Fugitive Slave Law. On the positive side, he peacefully opened Japan to Western Trade. The Japanese celebrate this event to this day.
4. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Presidents can not fix the economy when it heads south. They can help ease the pain or give people hope. On the other hand, presidents can mess up the economy. Harrison's economic plans did just that. In 1893, a panic hit. His one major success was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which was not really used in the manner it was meant until Theodore Roosevelt.
5. William Howard Taft (1909-1913): The Era of Bungled Diplomacy, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff fiasco, the Income Tax, Dollar Diplomacy, the Ballinger-Pinchot rift, and the Republican Party schism...Taft's Administration sells itself! However, he did bust many monopolies and the country was in decent shape despite the bungling. So, he was not a complete failure!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Cleveland vs. Harrison
President Grover Cleveland had a pretty successful first term in office. He even got married to a 22 year old! As a result, he easily won renomination for president in 1888. The only question was who would he beat?
The Republicans nominated former senator and Civil War general Benjamin Harrison. His main qualification seemed to be his ancestry. Harrison's grandfather was a founding father and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The big issue was the tariff. Democrats opposed a high tariff while Republicans supported it. Cleveland proposed a dramatic decrease in tariffs claiming it was unjust taxation. Harrison supported the tariff as a way to fund the government. Two weeks before the election, a letter surfaced from a former British citizen asking whom to vote for. The former Brit turned out to be a Republican activist and the letter was sent to the British embassy. The British ambassador endorsed Cleveland.
Harrison won the election, but lost the popular vote by 100,000. Cleveland had lost his home state of New York and that threw the election to Harrison in the electoral college.(This election is very similar to 2000. That year, Al Gore lost his home state and that cost him the election). Mrs. Cleveland promised to return ala MacArthur in the Philippines.
Four years later, the two men squared off again. This time, a third party candidate had emerged. James Weaver represented the Populist Party. The Populists supported unlimited silver coinage, an income tax, eight hour work days, and other "radical" policies.
Weaver put in a good showing. He received over a million votes, four states, 22 electoral votes, and 8 1/2% of the vote. Cleveland won the popular vote by 400,000 votes and won 277 electoral college votes. The uninspired Harrison Administration was at an end. Cleveland is the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms.
The Republicans nominated former senator and Civil War general Benjamin Harrison. His main qualification seemed to be his ancestry. Harrison's grandfather was a founding father and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The big issue was the tariff. Democrats opposed a high tariff while Republicans supported it. Cleveland proposed a dramatic decrease in tariffs claiming it was unjust taxation. Harrison supported the tariff as a way to fund the government. Two weeks before the election, a letter surfaced from a former British citizen asking whom to vote for. The former Brit turned out to be a Republican activist and the letter was sent to the British embassy. The British ambassador endorsed Cleveland.
Harrison won the election, but lost the popular vote by 100,000. Cleveland had lost his home state of New York and that threw the election to Harrison in the electoral college.(This election is very similar to 2000. That year, Al Gore lost his home state and that cost him the election). Mrs. Cleveland promised to return ala MacArthur in the Philippines.
Four years later, the two men squared off again. This time, a third party candidate had emerged. James Weaver represented the Populist Party. The Populists supported unlimited silver coinage, an income tax, eight hour work days, and other "radical" policies.
Weaver put in a good showing. He received over a million votes, four states, 22 electoral votes, and 8 1/2% of the vote. Cleveland won the popular vote by 400,000 votes and won 277 electoral college votes. The uninspired Harrison Administration was at an end. Cleveland is the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms.
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