Person (B) P514 Garfield and Arthur to P 520 Billion Dollar Congress

Please be sure to make 4 copies of this sheet and your primary source *Extras*
Joe Springer Hr. 2 APUSH

Please Use Complete sentences to define the historical significance of the following

James A. Garfield
Nominated from the republicans in the election of 1880; Won waving the bloody
shirt (was an army general) immediately ensnared in a political conflict between
secretary of state, James G. Blaine and Blaine’s Stalwart nemesis, Senator Roscoe
Conkling.

Charles Guiteau
Shot Garfield in the back in a Washington railroad station. Guiteau wanted the
Conklingites to get all the good job, and thought that killing off Garfield would do it.
Guiteau’s attorneys argued the insanity plea, one of the first cases to do so.

Chester A. Arthur
An unlikely instrument of reform. Observers underestimated him thinking he was a
rich snob. He surprised everyone by prosecuting several fraud cases and giving his
former stalwart pals the cold shoulder.

The Pendleton Act (And its effects)

So called Magna Carta of Civil service reform. Made compulsory campaign
contribuations from federal employees illegal, and it established the Civil Service
commission to make appointments to federal jobs on the basis of competitive
examinations rather than “pull”

Please use complete sentences to explain the significance of these people/terms

James G. Blaine – (profile)

Was in pursuit of party’s presidential nomination for a while and finally got it in
1884. Was the clear frontrunner for nomination in Republican convention in
Chicago.

Mulligan Letters
Written by Blaine to a Boston Businessman and linking to the powerful politician to
a corrupt deal involving federal favors to a southern railroad. At least one of the
documents ended with “Burner this letter”

“Mugwumps”
A word of Indian derivation meant to suggest that they were “sanctimonious” or
“holier-than-thou”

Grover Cleaveland (Profile)

Victory Starved democrats turned enthusiastically to a noted reformer, Grover
Cleaveland. Cleaveland was a solid but not brilliant lawyer of 47, burst from the
mayor of Buffalo to governor of New York and then Presidential nomination in 3
short years. Republicans began digging up dirt on him though and discovered he
had a illegitimate son. The democrats were demoralized
“RRR” –
The phrase “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion” was shortened to “RRR”. It was a
phrase shouted as an insult to the Democratic Party.

The election of 1884-

One of the most degrading in history, both parties just trashed each other. Blaine
took the Republican votes taking just about the entire north and western states, but
Cleveland took the win dominating the south and squeezing New York in for the
Presidency.

Please use Complete Sentences to explain the following regarding the Cleveland
Presidency

Describe Cleveland – Beliefs and principals

Cleveland was a man of principles, most of them safely orthodox by the standards
of his day. Summed up his political philosophy in 1887 when he vetoed a bill to
provide seeds for drought ravaged Texas Farmers.

Cleveland and military pensions-

Gave Cleveland some of his most painful political headaches. The politically
powerful Grand Army of the Republic routinely lobbied hundreds of private pension
bills through a compliant Congress.

Cleveland and the Veto-

The conscience-driven President read each bill carefully, vetoed several hundred of
them, and then laboriously penned indv. veto messages for Congress.

Explain the economic surplus of the American Government

During the civil war, tariff schedules had been jacked up to new high levels, partly
to raise revenues for the insatiable military machine. Once the war had ended
however, the tariffs did not, and soon the Treasury was running an annual surplus
amounting to an embarrassing $145 Million.

What was Cleveland’s Position on the Tariff?

Cleveland had known little and cared less about the tariff before entering the White
house. Yet as he studied the subject, he was much impressed by the arguments for
the downward revision of the tariff schedules. Lower barriers would mean lower
prices for consumers and less protection for monopolies. Most important though,
they would mean an end to the Treasury surplus, a standing mockery of Cleveland’s
professed belief in fiscal orthodoxy and small-government frugality.

Please use complete sentences to describe the election of 1888. Be sure to

include “Repeaters” in your answer.
The specter of a lowered tariff spurred the Republicans into frantic action. They
made alliances with bis business, they raised a war chest of some $3 million, largely
by frying out the fat of nervous industrialists. The money was widely used to line up
corrupt “voting cattle” known as “repeaters” . On Election day Harrison beat out
Cleveland 233 to 168 in electoral votes. Cleveland became the first sitting president
to be elected out of office since Martin Van Buren.

In the Space bellow please summarize the political, social, and economic trends in
your section. You will begin your discussion Monday with this portion