登陆注册
15420000000035

第35章 THE PUBLIC DISCONTENTS(5)

A more difficult problem was presented by the Treasury surplus which, by old regulations savoring more of barbarism than of civilized polity, had to be kept idle in the Treasury vaults.The only apparent means by which the Secretary of the Treasury could return his surplus funds to the channels of trade was by redeeming government bonds; but as these were the basis of bank note issues, the effect of any such action was to produce a sharp contraction in this class of currency.Between 1882 and 1889, national bank notes declined in amount from $356,060,348 to $199,779,011.In the same period, the issue of silver certificates increased from $63,204,780 to $276,619,715, and the total amount of currency of all sorts nominally increased from $1,188,752,363 to $1,405,018,000; but of this, $375,947,715 was in gold coin which was being hoarded, and national bank notes were almost equally scarce since they were virtually government bonds in a liquid form.

As the inefficiency of the monetary system came home to the people in practical experience, it seemed as if they were being plagued and inconvenienced in every possible way.The conditions were just such as would spread disaffection among the farmers, and their discontent sought an outlet.The growth of political agitation in the agricultural class, accompanied by a thorough-going disapproval of existing party leadership, gave rise to numerous new party movements.Delegates from the Agricultural Wheel, the Corn-Planters, the Anti-Monopolists, Farmers'

Alliance, and Grangers, attended a convention in February, 1887, and joined the Knights of Labor and the Greenbackers to form the United Labor party.In the country, at this time, there were numerous other labor parties of local origin and composition, with trade unionists predominating in some places and Socialists in others.Very early, however, these parties showed a tendency to division that indicated a clash of incompatible elements.

Single taxers, greenbackers, labor leaders, grangers, and socialists were agreed only in condemning existing public policy.

When they came to consider the question of what new policy should be adopted, they immediately manifested irreconcilable differences.In 1888, rival national conventions were held in Cincinnati, one designating itself as the Union Labor party, the other as the United Labor party.One made a schedule of particular demands; the other insisted on the single tax as the consummation of their purpose in seeking reform.Both put presidential tickets in the field, but of the two, the Union Labor party made by far the better showing at the polls though, even so, it polled fewer votes than did the National Prohibition party.Although making no very considerable showing at the polls, these new movements were very significant as evidences of popular unrest.The fact that the heaviest vote of the Union Labor party was polled in the agricultural States of Kansas, Missouri, and Texas, was a portent of the sweep of the populist movement which virtually captured the Democratic party organization during President Cleveland's second term.

The withdrawal of Blaine from the list of presidential candidates in 1888 left the Republican Convention at Chicago to choose from a score of "favorite sons." Even his repeated statement that he would not accept the nomination did not prevent his enthusiastic followers from hoping that the convention might be "stampeded."But on the first ballot, Blaine received only thirty-five votes while John Sherman led with 229.It was anybody's race until the eighth ballot, when General Benjamin Harrison, grandson of "Tippecanoe," suddenly forged ahead and received the nomination.

The defeat of the Democratic party at the polls in the presidential election of 1888 was less emphatic than might have been expected from its sorry record.Indeed, it is quite possible that an indiscretion in which Lord Sackville-West, the British Ambassador, was caught may have turned the scale.An adroitly worded letter was sent to him, purporting to come from Charles Murchison, a California voter of English birth, asking confidential advice which might enable the writer "to assure many of our countrymen that they would do England a service by voting for Cleveland and against the Republican system of tariff." With an astonishing lack of astuteness, the British minister fell into the trap and sent a reply which, while noncommittal on particulars, exhibited friendly interest in the reelection of President Cleveland.This correspondence, when published late in the campaign, caused the Administration to demand his recall.Aspirited statement of the case was laid before the public by Thomas Francis Bayard, Secretary of State, a few days before the election, but this was not enough to undo the harm that had been done, and the Murchison letter takes rank with the Morey letter attributed to General Garfield as specimens of the value of the campaign lie as a weapon in American party politics.

President Cleveland received a slight plurality in the total popular vote; but by small pluralities Harrison carried the big States, thus obtaining a heavy majority in the electoral vote.At the same time, the Republicans obtained nearly as large a majority in the House as the Democrats had had before.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 时光留下了最真的人

    时光留下了最真的人

    宠你上天没有很浪漫的求婚没有很漂亮的戒指没有很美妙的情话只有一颗爱你的心
  • 丑女翻身记:恶魔少爷别咬我!

    丑女翻身记:恶魔少爷别咬我!

    【全文免费~】这是一千年前她欠下的债。是时候归还了。他是魔君,杀人不眨眼,果断,残暴。她是冥界公主,原本他和她是不可能相遇相爱,但是缘分就是这么巧妙,他们相遇相爱了......只是,命运的齿轮却再度朝着反方向转动。他们,能走到一起么?还是说,他们本就是命运牵错的红线呢......【本书是披着青春校园外套的玄幻小说!有穿越等色彩,星际恋爱,不喜绕道!读者讨论群:457848605】推荐糖糖校园文《女仆在身边:校草大人求放过》
  • 球为我狂

    球为我狂

    这是一本激情四射·演绎青春之歌的书,绿茵场上,他们挥洒的不仅仅是激情,更重要的是他们走出了青春期的烦恼和迷惑,收获了成熟,懂得了理解、关爱和团结。青春无悔,一如流光溢彩的画!
  • 长相思夕别离

    长相思夕别离

    不会写介绍TAT,大概就是有点赵氏孤儿巴啦啦的节奏
  • 首席宠妻:溺爱无边

    首席宠妻:溺爱无边

    他是星云国际总裁,沉稳内敛,是a市女人心目中的男神,却唯独眷恋于她。她是顾氏财阀唯一的继承人,处变不惊,却刻意隐藏身份。酒吧买醉,却不想会招惹上他。一夜沉沦后,她潇洒地丢下一张一千万的支票逃之夭夭,却在一次应酬上碰到了他。【精彩片段:某人把某女逼到墙角,邪魅的眼神直盯她的前月匈:“顾泠风,夏未眠,嗯?我没想到我女人的后台这么大,顾氏财阀总裁,顾氏财阀最高执行者居然愿意委身来当我叶某的助理,好像有点大材小用了嗯?”“那你想怎样?”“不如……”某男凑近某女的耳根,温热的气息喷洒在她的颈间,“来当我的总裁夫人吧……”】
  • 上古世纪之上古九封

    上古世纪之上古九封

    上古年间,源大陆。兽灵、精灵、诺亚、哈里兰四大种族并立。而人族势弱,只能偏居一隅。沦为妖兽血食,人族时时都有覆灭之危。直到人族中一个黑暗祭祀出现,在人类身上实验成功将妖兽封印于人身之中的黑暗巫术后,人族方才有了一丝反抗之力。然而,正在这时,上古神兽鲲鹏现世,横行源大陆,一时间,整个源大陆陷入水深火热之中。最终,鲲鹏的羁傲不逊触怒了整个源大陆。五大族联合之下,方才有了同鲲鹏抗衡之力。然奈何鲲鹏拥有世间极速,展翅一挥间,便有十万八千里。浅游于海,双尾一摆,亦有五万四千里。为世间极速。无奈之下,五大族只得离开源大陆,但五大族从未放弃过回家的旅途。
  • 人罪之花

    人罪之花

    看惯了老套剧情的你,是否想来一次沉沦于黑暗美学的体验,感受人性中的温暖和阴暗面,跟随着我的步伐来看一看吧,我想象的世界里,到底是如何的真实!七原罪,又名为七大罪(傲慢、妒忌、暴怒、懒惰、贪婪、暴食,色欲。安逸闲适的生活滋生堕落,此为原罪——懒惰,它们就像一朵花一样汲取普通人的生命,由上位者来展现它的美丽!3000年的岁月早就让这朵罪之花在圣光明帝国牢牢扎下深根,我要做的就是斩草除根!
  • 陌莲说

    陌莲说

    前世他伤透了她的心,今生相遇一切从头开始。然而生活并非只有浓情蜜意,更有彼此的相互伤害。互相的猜忌,他人的诋毁中伤令她身心俱疲心如死灰。有人云,引魂师是掌管苍生之性命并漠然视之的死神。孰不知,引魂师也只是身受伤害便会流血的血肉之躯。陌莲说,她仅是游离阴阳间饱受孤寂却一笑置之的引魂师。一场爱恋,几段恩怨情仇。前世今生,几度悲欢离合。青山依旧,却已时过境迁。此情仍在,早已物是人非。蓦然回首,难觅那人寻踪。
  • 恶魔的丫头,校草专属小甜心

    恶魔的丫头,校草专属小甜心

    最初的误会,让墨俊辰的人生多了一个白梓悦,他们会发生什么呢?爆笑宠文,欢迎小伙伴们围观。
  • 不朽魔途

    不朽魔途

    在一个不恰当的时间走上一条修炼的路,适逢道魔之战的的江北琅将何去何从。为了生存,浩浩魔途路,他会站在世界之巅?