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| | == The Conservative Democrat == | | == The Conservative Democrat == |
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| − | Grover Cleveland 1884: only Democrat elected president between 1860 and 1908; from New York and friendly to business Cleveland was elected for his integrity, support of gold standard, opposition to unions and fed spending"
| + | After Chester Arthur served out the presidential term for the late James Garfield, Republicans were so unhappy with Arthur that they did not renominate him. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party -- which had not won a presidential election in nearly 30 years, turned to a conservative candidate from the Republican state of New York: Grover Cleveland. The Democrats hoped that by nominating Grover Cleveland they could pick up some Republican support and finally win a presidential election. |
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| | + | His opponent was the Republican Senator James Blaine from Maine, who was a moderate. Blaine is best known today for his opposition to the funding of Catholic schools, and he pushed through many state amendments (and nearly succeeded with a constitutional amendment) to prohibit the use of any taxpayer money towards religious schools. |
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| − | Benjamin Harrison "1888: Repub. Pres. from Indiana: favored protective tariffs, veterans pay, but lost Cong. to Dems. in 1890"
| + | Some key eastern Republicans opposed James Blaine due to scandals, and supported Grover Cleveland for president instead. These Republicans were known as the "Mugwumps"; they felt Blaine could not be trusted, and they were probably right! The defection by the Mugwumps to support Cleveland enabled him to win his key home state of New York, despite its Republican tradition at the time. (Today New York is very Democratic.) |
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| | + | The strategy of the Democrats, aided by division within the Republican Party, worked. Cleveland was elected president in 1884 for his integrity, his support of gold standard, his opposition to unions, his opposition to government spending, and his support of free enterprise. He was the most conservative president since James Monroe, even though Cleveland was a Democrat. |
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| − | Panic of 1893 "1893: hundreds of banks and businesses failed, President Grover Cleveland did nothing"
| + | Cleveland then did as he said he would. He vetoed a record number of bills passed by Congress, mostly concerning pensions for Civil War veterans. Cleveland was frugal like most conservatives, and did not want more government spending. |
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| − | James Blaine "Maine moderate Republican Senator, opposed funding of Catholic schools, nominated for Pres. in 1884"
| + | In 1888, Cleveland faced a new Republican candidate, Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland won more votes, but Harrison won more electoral college votes and thus won this close election. Harrison, who was from Indiana and enjoyed the popularity of his grandfather president, favored protective tariffs and increasing veterans pay. |
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| − | Mugwumps "key East. Republicans who opposed James Blaine due to scandals, and supported Dem. Grover Cleveland"
| + | Cleveland came back for a rematch in the presidential election of 1892, and beat Harrison that time. But then he was faced with the financial Panic of 1893, during which hundreds of banks and businesses failed, President Cleveland was criticized for doing nothing, but refusing to bail out the banks is a conservative solution. In fall 2008, President Bush and Congress did bail out the banks, in contrast to Cleveland's conservative approach. |
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| − | Slavery was no longer an issue from the end of Reconstruction through 1900. With the exception of one politician (Democrat Grover Cleveland, who looked like a Republican because he was from New York, favored the gold standard and opposed unions by sending in troops to put down the Pullman Strike in Chicago in 1894), Republicans controlled the White House.
| + | The Panic of 1893 caused a wealthy Ohio populist who had been hurt by it to lead a march on Washington, D.C., setting a precedent for "marching on Washington." Jacob Coxey promised to gather 10,000, but by the time he arrived in D.C. "Coxey's Army" consisted of only 500 people, which is still enough to cause a problem. But the conservative Cleveland held his ground:<ref>http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=583</ref> |
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| | + | :Upon arriving in Washington, Coxey and his supporters demanded that the federal government immediately assist workers by hiring them to work on public projects such as roads and government buildings. The United States Congress and President Grover Cleveland refused. Law enforcement officials arrested Coxey for trespassing on public property. Coxey's Army quickly dispersed upon its leader's arrest. |
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| | + | Historians cite this march on Washington as an example of how Americans increasingly looked to the national government to solve their problems. |
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| | + | Cleveland also held his ground against problems instigated by unions. He put down the (railroad) Pullman Strike in Chicago in 1894. |
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| | == Preparing for the "Turn of the Century" == | | == Preparing for the "Turn of the Century" == |