HIST 1378 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Civil Service Retirement System
19 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
A surprising feature of late 19th century politics was the balance of two-party system. 16 states were solidly republican and 14 states were solidly democratic. Voter turnout in presidential elections between 1860 and 1900 averaged 78% of all eligible voters. Political parties did not take distinct positions on public issues; not too much difference between the two parties. White southerners were loyal to the democratic party. Northerners were loyal to the republican party. One issue that separated the two parties was immigration restriction. Republicans: for sobriety and limitation of alcohol. Democrats saw this as a limitation of rights on immigrants. Party identification was more of a cultural preference than of economic interest. Govt. did very little at this time; little involvement in the lives of americans. Su in the late 19th century was a society without a modern national govt. A great symbolic importance for presidents was their distribution of govt.
