Chapter 10: 1860-1893: The History of the United States of America -- School Reform

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Date Posted: 11:42:33 08/22/13 Thu
Author: edy
Author Host/IP: 199-195-168-213.southwestern-wireless.com / 199.195.168.213
Subject: Chapter 10: 1860-1893: The History of the United States of America

* �John Little, a former slave, wrote: �They say slaves are happy, because they laugh, and are merry. I myself and three or four others, have received two hundred lashes in the day, and had our feet in fetters; yet, at night we would sing and dance, and make others laugh at the rattling of our chains. Happy men we must have been! We did it to keep down trouble, and to keep our hearts from being completely broken that is as true as the gospel! �� [zinn]

*They say John Brown, violent prone activist for abolitionism, agreed with his death sentence, after he was captured and placed on trial. This is what he actually said, �I, John Brown, am quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.� [Zinn]

Chapter 10: 1860 - 1893: The History of the United States of America

�Ya know�, �The Choctaw people owned 6,000 slaves before the war. The Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Catawba, and of course, the Creek fought for the south, during the Civil War. Related interests. However, the Cherokee fought with each other over this. Chief John Ross sided with the Confederacy; Cherokee Stand Watie felt the tribe should be neutral. �So many of the Tribes were not neutral, most siding with the Union, which is a student research project as to why.

The problem with temporary countries is, their money isn�t worth anything. Southern patriots had loaned the south $100,000,000 in return for war bonds. The Confederacy then borrowed $15,000,000 from abroad, and $100,000,000 in taxation. The country will be permanent is why being paid back was expected. But as the war went on, the Confederate dollar bill�s exchange rate into gold, declined. By 1865, $1.00 equaled 1.6 cents in gold.

Meanwhile, prices soared during the war. Simple supply and demand issues. The Confederacies supply issues first and foremost, had been created by the Union Naval blockade; but then as the war continued on, railways and bridges destroyed, how to transport what they did have, foremost food: could not easily be moved from one location to another. Many southerners, for this reason most, starved, as the Confederate soldiers also went hungry often. The best bet for gaining supplies: to capture them from the Union Army.

The North relied on tariffs, war bonds, income tax, and issuing paper money. And all issues were made so much easier to pass, now that the South was not represented in Congress. So now, tariffs spiked all the way to 47% near the end of the war. �The South thought state banks would be more thoughtful to their interests; however, now, the Union created a true National Banking System. 5 or more men, with $50,000. capital, could secure a charter to create a national bank. They must invest one third of their wealth in to government bonds. And they can issue bank notes/loans, up to 90% of the value of the bonds. �..A sound uniform currency for the entire country now.

To pay for the war, the Union created an income tax. $600. to $5,000. incomes, to be taxed 5%; $5,000 or more a year, to be taxed 10%. And Congress issued paper money, called greenbacks, [the paper money had the color green on the back]. The North as well, had concerns about the downgrade of the exchange rate to gold, when it seemed that the north may actually loose the war. At the lowest point, the dollar was only worth 35cents in gold.

The war physically destroyed the south; their money was no more; thus, at the end of the war, almost no one had any money. The North on the other hand had a boom in industry. In Philadelphia alone, 180 new factories opened. The war itself created a demand for products, which also helped. �. Meanwhile, the profiteers, the crooks, took advantage where they could during the war. The Michigan legislature charged that profiteers are �traitors in the disguise of patriots have plundered our treasury.�

The Homestead Act, 1862: gave 160 acres to anyone who paid a small registration fee and lived on his homestead for 5 years. Within the first year, 224,500 acres in Kansas and Nebraska were claimed. �Settlers came out to the open prairies, and built homes out of sod. Any neighbors would have been far and few between; thus the isolation on the plains, all by itself, made life difficult. They had to battle drought, grasshoppers, and even skip farming for a season, so that the soil will become wetter, -- dry farming they referred to it. �By 1867, Oliver H. Kelly founded the Grange, an organization for farmers. They, the Grangers, tended to join the Populist party.

The U.S. Congress also create the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Every state was given 30,000 acres to sell for creation of an agricultural and mechanic arts and engineering classes. �Land Grant Colleges.� ...Farming technology already, no longer needed a massive amount of employees to upkeep the farms; because machines, such as the mechanical reapers, were doing the work now.

1862. Congress granted a charter to build railways from Kansas, all the way to California.
The railroad companies were notorious for being unfair, or rather, corrupt. Low pay, dangerous conditions, for employees.. So when the railroad cut pay, 1877, the response was a nationwide strike, referred to as �the Great Uprising�. There were angry mobs, and the State militias came out.

Samuel Gompers, 1877, created the American Federation of Labor, which still exists today. For better pay, safe working conditions, and an 8 hour day. ...Remember, deplorable conditions at the work place; children working just as adults, but with less pay. Terrifying treatment by U.S. businesses, that can fairly be compared to the evil conditions written about in a Charles Dickens�s novel.

Who is a hero but someone who had to put up with a lot of bad behavior, because he dedicated his entire adult life, to making working conditions and pay, right. And this was Eugene V. Debs, 1855 - 1926. Made a hero, not because he stood for right, but because he was persecuted for doing so. The powers that be jailed him twice unlawfully, and simply lied about his character constantly.

Mr. Debs had been an Indiana congressman, and founded the American Railway Union (ARU). 1893. ..When the Pullman car company cut pay, they held strikes. The company hired ruffians to roll in and cause violence. It was always this way. Strikers were peaceful, which is exactly what Mr. Debs preached; but the press lied; the companies lied; the government lied. Taking advantage of the workers was okay was it? When it isn�t okay, any more then slavery.*

At war�s end, President Lincoln announced his policy of Reconstruction, March 4, 1865, ��With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right��
And this is what he thought: 1. Lincoln offered full pardon for all southerners who take an oath of allegiance to the Union, -- except for high ranking soldiers, and who left the Union army for the Confederate army. 2. When 10% of the voters take the oath, the state can draw up a constitution.

And then President Lincoln was assassinated.

The Radical Republicans, led by Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, wanted to make certain that the freedmen will not be abused. [Is noted also, that the freedmen vote will counter act the southern white vote, -- helpful to the Republicans.] But they also wanted such a firm hand, that truthfully, it appeared to be punishment/revenge. It is noted that the Radical Republicans, were firmly in charge, and everything they wanted was easily passed through, as the southern congressional seats were still no longer there. They were in no hurry to have them back, is likely true; however, there is not excuse to ignore or belittle the fact that a lot of people genuinely did want to make certain that the freedmen will be treated fairly, is so. Their idea of Reconstruction would have 50% of qualified voters take the oath, before all was back to normal. Even before Lincoln died, they pass just this, the �Wade-Davis Bill� of 1864. The freedmen can vote; but the confederate soldiers cannot. Lincoln vetoed this bill because it was too fierce he felt.

April 14, 1865, President Lincoln and his wife attended an English play, �Our American Cousin.� After 10 p.m. a pro southern out of work actor, came into his theatre booth and shot him. ��.President Lincoln�s funeral had a procession all the way from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Illinois. The funeral train stopped in every town along the way, for people to hold their respects. Flags flew at half-mast. Bells rang out.

As bad people who will shoot to kill always have zero common sense. It was Lincoln who had planned on being fairest to the Southern States.

Vice President Andrew Johnson was now President. Johnson kept Lincoln�s cabinet. He offered rewards for the arrest of Jefferson Davis and other Confederate leaders. And then he mostly adopted Lincoln�s Reconstruction Program. The only difference was, he wanted to exclude more ex- Confederate officers from being able to vote or run for office, then Lincoln�s plan. They had to repudiate all their war debts; and they had to ratify the 13th amendment freeing the slaves. Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Virginia all, accepted the conditions, and they created their governments, and filled their Congressional seats.

Meanwhile, The southern currency was gone, and U.S. money was scarce in the south.. Everywhere, plantations and farms, had been burned to the ground. The cities of Atlanta, Georgia, and Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina, were burned. Elderly women, widows, and orphans where everywhere, begging. And many former slaves were displaced. Literally, populations of white and black people were roaming. And starting over, meant from scratch, -- as all they had, including their tools of trade were either stolen or destroyed. In the cities, it was the worst of conditions; and disease took the lives of many people. Crowded, urban areas, 10�s of thousands people died. Two thirds of the freedmen died, and almost that many white people died.

The Freedman�s Bureau was created to help blacks and whites both.

It was argued, that they should �furnish the freedmen with homesteads from�rebel property.� (Of course the 5th amendment wouldn�t allow this. Although the Constitution in full reality, would have everyone of these people taken care of correctly, -- including feelings.)

Now, southern states enacted New Slave Codes. Negros cannot possess firearms, unless licensed. Cannot be on the street past sunset. Cannot travel without a license. Cannot assemble without a white man present. �The black codes had it now, that the black man cannot vote, nor hold public office. Again, the negro vote counteracts their own. There was certain work they weren�t allowed to do as well. And if a black man couldn�t prove he had a job, then he was forced back on a plantation to work there.

At first, no one had enough money to pay employees. So the sharecropping system began. The ex slaves and poor white men would rent land to grow their cotton on. Usually, the landowner would create his own store for them. In consequence, the farmer would always owe far more to the company store then he earned in wages; he could never get even. �I owe my soul to the company store.� As mining or rail companies, will adopt this similar system.

Former slave Millie Freeman. �Everything just kept on like it was. We heard that lots of slaves was getting land and some mules to set up for themselves. I never knowd any what got land or mules nor nothing.� [It is said that some whites gave this promise in hopes of angering negroes, so that they would take their tempers out on the North.]

The Freedmen�s Bureau did open schools for negroes. And during the coming Reconstruction brought to you by the Radical Republicans, the slave codes will be void for a while. Many African Americans, ran for office and won. 16 served in the U.S. Congress.

1865. The southern states showed up to take their seats in Congress, except Texas. Except, Congress would Not allow them to participate. The Slave Codes Proves the south will Not honor freedmen�s rights, is what the Radical Republicans said.
For now on, the south is lower in rank then the territories. �Conquered Provinces.�

Again, the Radical Republicans were absolutely in charge of both Houses in Congress, with out the southern representatives. Many people did agree with President Lincoln�s more compassionate Reconstruction; but these Republicans didn�t vote with Democrats.

So it was, Congress appointed Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens to investigate how exactly they should handle Reconstruction. And Stevens came up with, .. enlarge the Freedmen�s Bureau powers. Any southerner denying a freedman�s rights must be tried in Military Court. ��President Johnson said this military court breaks the constitution, specifically the 5th amendment, so he vetoed this. The Radical Republican were able to override his veto.

Congress created the Civil Rights Bill giving negroes full citizenship, and guaranteed equal treatment. Johnson vetoes this, saying it goes against state rights, -- the right to deny rights? Congress again was able to override Johnson�s veto. [Johnson lost political support when he vetoed the Civil Rights Bill.]

Then, the Radical Republicans created the 14th Amendment, giving freedmen full citizenship. And any state denying negroes their rights, is a state that will loose his representatives in the House of Representatives. And no one can vote who was a part of the Confederate army or government at all. [This would be approximately, the majority of southern men]. And it is against the Law to compensate the south for their slaves or to pay for their war debts. The Radical Republicans had their way with this, but Tennessee was the only state to ratify the 14th Amendment. No other state would. And this stalled Reconstruction.

The election of 1866, and who ever wins the Congressional races will decide whether Reconstruction will be soft or hard. ..Race riots occurred in Memphis and New Orleans. President Johnson�s speech was heckled. �The Radical Republicans won overwhelmingly; and they had the veto override power. Meanwhile, President Johnson vetoed everything; as the Radical Republican over rid every veto. This is what became law:
1. The 10 states who refused the 14th Amendment were all split into 5 military districts. Federal Troops will police.
2. Confederate leaders cannot vote, much less run for public office.
3. Freedman can vote and run for office.
4. States must put freedman�s rights into their state constitutions.
5. States will ratify the 14th Amendment.
Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia were the hold outs, but became a state again, 1870.
The rest of the states were back in the Union by 1868.

This was the period when the Black Codes meant nothing. But only for a while.

1867, and President Johnson vetoed the Tenure of Office Act. He said it is unconstitutional to see a president cannot dismiss important civil officers without the consent of the Senate. So he tested this new law in court, by dismissing an important civil officer, he preferred to see gone. It was supposed to be the Supreme Court�s decision as to whether or not President Johnson is correct.

Instead, the House impeached him! With a trial. However, when the votes came in, they were one short of the 2/3 majority needed to impeach. Impeachment cancelled.
Before the impeachment cancellation, the rumors were, that the reason to impeach him should be his inflammatory rhetoric against Congress.

1868, the presidential election was won by the Radical Republicans; only barely, however. President Ulysses S. Grant, was president now. However, it was noted that the only reason Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour lost this race was the black vote in the south.

The Republican�s enacted the 15th Amendment, saying you cannot deny freedmen their right to vote. As the Black Codes tended to do. Mississippi, Texas, Virginia, now had to enact the 15th Amendment as well; and they did, to be a true state again.

As historians acknowledge, the Civil War era was one of excessive, rampant crookedness. Good people have good intent came to the south to honestly help; however, many came to make money, -- even if they must be unfair to people. As well, during Reconstruction, northerners were elected to southern political seats. If crooked behavior was perceived in a person from the north, he was referred to as a Carpetbagger, [as that is what their luggage looked like]. If the government was perceived crooked, or simply, was run by a northerner, they were then Carpetbag governments. The southerners who went along to get along, with the Carpetbaggers, were referred to as Scalawags. In this climate, it wasn�t surprising to find needless luxuries going to elected officials. Bribery was everyday business. Some investments went to good projects, others were funneled into �my money�, -- going into the pockets of the crooked politicians.

As it was during this time period, within the states as well as the territories, politicians, aka wealthy merchants, and newspaper owners ran their regions as if they had rights to dictatorship. [A newspaper didn�t print but the truth they like, -- free speech was not real.] In essence the governments all over the United States were lawless. Out in the territories, the wealthy merchants were over the top with the idea that they are rulers over their very own dynasty, or something; 1870�s and two county wars in the New Mexican territory, caused by a few money me, who fought to keep business competition away. [The Billy the Kid story is involved with the Lincoln county war, in New Mexico, -- caused by a merchant who had another merchant killed, (Billy�s employer), so that he would not have to have competition.] But this right to dictatorship problem, was everywhere.

Meanwhile the vicious people set their agenda, creating secret societies such as the Ku Klux Klan. They were created to restore order, was a lie. They were Terrorists, who most specifically placed black people in true physical danger, if they attempted to vote.

The end of Reconstruction, 1870, and the Military Enforcement Act was passed, stating that the President can use armed forces if he needs. 1872, the Amnesty Act, almost everyone could vote now in the south, except 500 people.

In all, the cost of the war to the south was extreme suffering, for all people in the south. Plantations were sold off; and smaller farms took hold again. And of course, Sharecropping began.

And already, the horse drawn plow was here, the cultivator. The McCormick Reaper. The refrigerator train car was here. Slavery would have had to end for this reason alone.

After the war, the South made great efforts to diversify their economy, thus more industry came. Steel was the new king now; and Birmingham, Alabama became the steel capital of the south, termed, �the Pittsburg of the South�.

Booker T. Washington had been born into slavery. At wars end he was a teenager. Mr. Washington had not only a very high I.Q., he was very wise; as he understood human nature, and how anyone who prejudices against another is a troubled heart. He pointed out that many slaves did have a trade, did know more then ex slave owners who had planned on not doing any physical work his whole life. After the war, many whites didn�t know how to take care of basic repairs on their farms. �Mr. Washington knew of ex slaves who took care of ex owners, so that they would be okay.

Forgiveness was Mr. Washington�s message; and there was a real and true noble honor to many in the generation of slaves who were freed, and practiced forgiveness.
As a teenager, Booker Washington desperately wanted an education. So with very little funds he traveled across the country to make it to Hampton College for negroes. In St. Louis, traveling, on his way to Hampton, he slept under a boardwalk. �As it was, Booker worked and went to school, holding hours that only a very healthy person could do. Is this fact: We know of Mr. Washington, his contributions were, only because he was young and healthy. �.Ultimately, he opened Tuskegee University in Alabama, [still there, and a stop for the history vacation]. The students built the school themselves. In fact they made the bricks even. He taught his students not merely how to grow a sweet potato, but the best sweet potatoes in the world. This, was one way to rise above racism, he felt.
As Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington had to beg for funds, pitch for success; and in general, had to be a most outgoing personality. He was a brave man; and his actions are why earlier on, some African Americans found their way into the middle class.

By 1890, nasty self hatred had it to bring in the Black codes full force. Now, poll taxing and testing. Mississippi was the first to rev up with this. They even created a �grandfather�s clause�, saying if your granddaddy was not a slave you can vote, -- as the laws were also keeping poor whites from voting. �The Supreme Court, 1915, outlawed the �grandfather�s clause�, allowing poor whites don�t need to vote either, was this: the Supreme Court of this era, had to be corrupt regardless, -- another school project here, is, how did this lawsuit enter the Supreme Court? [All the while, Jim Crow�s absolute abuse and illegalities are with the country until Martin Luther King comes on the scene, many many years later. All the suffering, meanwhile.]

President Grant came into office amidst a ridiculous amount of crookedness. Historians say President Grant was himself, an honest man; but a few in his Cabinet, were not honest.

1872, Congress votes in a big pay raise for themselves. The Treasury Department scandal collected money with commissions. The �Whiskey Ring� allowed whiskey distillers to illegally get out of taxation. �There were bribery scandals, including one from the ex Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy. White collar stealing, was at an all time high.

Most famously Boss William M. Tweed, was a multi millionaire who controlled New York cities political government, Tammany Hall. Absolute crookedness. For instance, a courthouse in 1868 was to cost $250,000. So much was stolen in this deal, that it is believed millions of dollars were stolen. Tweed�s dictatorship like control over New York had ballot boxes stuffed with fake votes. They even bought votes from immigrants.

1840 - 1902, Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for the Harper�s Weekly, is credited for Boss Tweeds infamy. And he is also responsible for the democrat donkey and today�s vision of Santa Clause.

1871, Congress was tired of all the scandals; so they ordered a Civil Service Commission, a committee, to make recommendations as to what to do.

By the next election of 1872, Grant ran for re election for the Republicans. The Liberal Republican Party nominated newspaper owner Horace Greeley; and so did the democrats. Their platform wanted to fight graft and dishonesty in public service. Grant won re- election, but the Democrats won control of the House. [Horace Greeley, big newspaper editor, died before the electoral votes came in, -- although news paper editors can run a newspaper and be in any elected office, does ignore conflict of interest issues dramatically.}

1876 election, and the main campaign wish was to have civil service reforms, [let us be rid of corruption]. Both parties, (well, the Liberal Republicans and the Democrats), called for these reforms. Democrats chose the governor of New York to be their nominee, Samuel J. Tilden, -- as he had gained national attention when he helped break up the Tweed Ring. � The Republicans nominated Ohio Governor Rutherford B. Hayes, who supported a merit system for government jobs, not the Spoils system. ..Tilden received 250,000 more votes then Hayes, but Hayes won the electoral vote, and became the next president. The election was close. �.Rutherford Hayes became the next president. � Well, not so fast. Seeing as Tilden won the popular vote, except, he was short one electoral vote, and all, this had to be contested. 4 states aggravated everything by mailing in 2 separate results. South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, and Oregon. �Ultimately, instead of Tilden receiving his extra electoral vote, Hayes receives what he needed to be the next president. Which is not fair, the Democrats felt; because if you take out the Carpetbagger governments, they would have won!

A panel was created to decide over this matter. They even added 5 Supreme Court Justices, who frankly would make the liberals and conservatives equal. But one Supreme Court Justice, Justice David Davis, left, as he had won a Senate seat. He was replaced with Justice Joe P. Bradley, a Republican at heart. And this made the conservative, liberal count uneven.

Republican Rutherford B. Hayes became president.

The Democrats controlled the House, and for two years, the Senate. They referred to the President as �His Fraudulency� or �Old eight to seven�.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party split entirely in half. The conservative republicans were now the Stalwarts, led by Boss Rosco Conkling of New York. They were also called the Old Guard Republicans. The Stalwarts wanted no reforms to stop crookedness. � The other Republicans were now called the Half breeds. Led by James Blaine of Maine, and John Sherman of Ohio. They agreed some reform was needed. They were not as conservative, but also, almost.

�Granny Hayes�, the Old Guard referred to President Hayes.

And it was with President Hayes, when Reconstruction officially ended. Troops were withdrawn, the carpetbag governments were now gone.

President Hayes stopped the Spoils System originally placed in by Andrew Jackson. No mass political firings. �� And now: a test for employment was created for some government workers. The Merit system for hiring was introduced. �Hayes removed Republican Chester A. Arthur from his job as Collector of Customs in New York, claiming he was too connected with Boss Conkling.

Wage earners and farmers needed cheap loans/cheap money. 1877, there were a series of railway strikes; disorder was threatened. Hayes sent out federal troops against the strikers.

Hayes did not run for re election; thus, 1880, the Republicans wanted Ulysses Grant to be their candidate, but the half breeds blocked this. The Republican convention nominated war veteran General James A. Garfield of Ohio. To appease the Stalwarts, the vice presidential nominee was Chester A. Arthur. �The Democrats chose General Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania. And the two parties spoke nothing of real issues. A third party did. The Greenback Labor Party. They sought labor legislation, regulation of big business, and an income tax, -- would help the people.

Republican Garfield became president.

7-2-1881, and President Garfield was shot by a mentally unbalanced office seeker. He died in September. Chester A. Arthur, Stalwart, became president.

Arthur created the Pendleton Act, 1883. So now a bi partisan commission was created regarding examination for some more government job applicants. To make government more honest is more efficient.

Well, Chester Arthur was too much the reformer for the Stalwarts.

James G. Blaine became the Republican�s candidate in 1884. Blaine was �handsome, colorful, and persuasive,�� Called the �Plumed knight from the state of Maine.�. The true reformers would have voted for him, except he was accused of less then legal business practices. Seen as a tool for big business, the mugwumps, progressives, left the Republican party for the Democratic party, -- which is why this name was given to them.

The democrats chose Grover Cleveland, mayor of Buffalo, governor of New York, who will reform government. And he is credited for helping be rid of the Tammany Hall corruption. �We love him for the enemies he has made.�

Cleveland�s private life was used against him in the election. But Mr. Blaine said at a speech to a Protestant group, �the democrats are the party of rum, Romanism, and Rebellion.� �The Romanism part lost him the Catholic vote. Democrat Grover Cleveland won the election. For the first time in 23 years, a democrat is president. Civil war memories were fading.

�A public office is a public trust.� Cleveland would say. He supports civil service reform, expanding the testing for the government employee applicant program. �To conserve the national resources, he recovered 80,000,000 acres or more, in land illegally held by railroads, lumber companies, and cattle interests. He created the 1887 Federal division of Forestry. �And then he antagonized veterans by rejecting their special bills requesting they also deserve a pension. 200 claims; he rejected them all.

The Presidential Succession Act, of 1886, came about, stating, if both the president and vice president die in office, the President�s cabinet will choose who to replace them. .. The Electoral Count Act, 1887, which corrected the problem of states sending in more then one voting result. This act tells the governors to only send 1 result, if he has to choose which one he wants, himself. ..The Hatch Act, 1887. Helped the nation�s farmers; and this act also created experimental farms. ..The Interstate Commerce Act,
1887. Eliminated unfair business practices in the railroads.

President Cleveland wanted to lower tariffs. Congress did not allow; and this issue is why it is said he lost the next election.

1888, and Cleveland did win the popular vote, 100,000 strong. However, the Republicans won the electoral vote, and won the election. Republican Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison became president. The Congress also was solidly Republican.

And what did Republican [Stalwart/Old Guard] Benjamin Harrison do, but return to the Spoils system!

Harrison passed the Dependent Pension Act, granting pensions to every veteran, who served for 90 days or more. They raised tariffs from 38% to 50%, in 1890.
The Old Guard Republicans also passed, 1890, the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, which appealed to mining interests and progressives, who wanted more money in circulation, as they thought prices for their farm goods would rise for them.* [Not knowing how the economy works, -- did the mining interests have a view for the progressives to see?] �The Sherman anti trust act, ..made to protect the public from monopolies.
The Old Guard had gone for the populist vote. They kept their promise to the veterans, farmers, and wage earners in consequence.

Tariffs were raised; the consequences: terrible inflation. America, as the land of opportunity: 1892, Henry Demarest Lloyd wrote the �Wealth Against Commonwealth�, observing everywhere man is poor. Basically, the American dream does not yet exist.

Poverty was extreme; wage earners earned very little. Jobs were disappearing due to technological advances. The corporations were huge now, as they are today. And they were callous. Child labor was commonplace. Still took 5 people at least, to support one family. Conditions were dangerous.

1892, the Populist Party sprang up in defense of farmers and wage earners. They nominated James B. Weaver as their presidential nominee. The Republicans re nominated Benjamin Harrison; and the Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland. The Populists gained seats in Congress, but Cleveland won the presidency.

Cleveland went right back to it: Finally, Congress agreed to lower tariffs just a little. Just a little wasn�t good enough, so the president didn�t sign nor reject the bill; he simply ignored it, and after 10 days it becomes law. �And powerful lobbies exist already. The Sugar industry received the tariff they wanted.

Conservatives felt Cleveland didn�t keep his campaign promise to significantly lower tariffs. And although the lower classes would not particularly benefit from an income tax, they thought they would. An income tax was put into place. 2cents tax on incomes over $4,000 a year. The Supreme Court said direct taxation is illegal. So the income tax went away. The lower classes blamed the President for this.

1893. 2 months after Cleveland entered into the presidential office, the stock market crashed. 4,000,000 people became unemployed. Farm prices were so low, that farmers could not afford the freight to market. �.Eugene V. Debs created the American Railway Union, the ARU. � The Pullman train car company had built one of those company towns, where the workers lived in Pullman�s homes, and they shopped at Pullman�s stores. Pullman slashes wages, but not rents nor store goods. And when the ARU held strikes, Pullman hired thugs to come and discredit Mr. Debs, who was against all forms of violence. �.Debs isn�t supposed to strike. Cleveland throws him in jail. [Although Pullman paid lowest wages as possible, is stealing, criminal neglect murderer level.]

And why would a nation be fair to Mr. Debs when the American Natives were being treated as they were, through out this entire period. The big plan was: to be rid of all the natives, and throw them on reservations. .The Indian Wars were mostly non stop through out this entire period. The Indian Wars were actually many wars. To name but a few: apache Wars, 1851 to 1900; Jicarilla Wars, 1854; Sioux Wars, 1859-189-. The Battle of Big Horn. The Cheyenne. The Comanche of North Texas; 1875, the last free band of these Plains Indians gave up. 1876, Sioux leaders Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull refused government orders to take their people to a reservation. This battle the red men won, and all U.S. soldiers died, including General George Custer. Yuma wars, 1850; Black Hawk�s War 1865-1872. �There were so many; and this destruction, this fighting had been going on out west now for a century and more. The casualties: entire families on both sides.

1920 Census, and the entire American Native/Indian population was only 245,000. By 1950, the population was up to 350,000 people. Apparently, it was a holocaust. These statistics are devastating.

Murdering civilians at all, is why spiritually, people also do not survive eternally; after they fought in the name of war. Never will be wrong in his mind, then. Much less, murdering families for the purpose of making an entire race extinct, -- which is an accusation out there, concerning the United States government; if true, the U.S. did have a Hitler mentality in the governments. As the Buffalo almost became extinct, it is said, because the white man used this as one way to make the Red man�s race extinct. [Anyone who eats a buffalo is a jerk, 2012.] Living eternally, has more successes through out his forever life, is a better deal, even if you must be made a victim, then simply being the guy who victimizes, and then dies eternally, -- no longer has any empathy to understand empathy.

Murder is wrong. Ignore the golden rule at all, can be you, even after you learned that the golden rule is fact only? Is why war for now on, will not be allowed as an option.

It is a terrifying account. To hear, as we must hear to all the suffering that has occurred on this earth to every single human being on earth. Most of this fighting was with the Plains Indians, the Cheyenne, the Ponca, Arapaho, Sioux, Crow, Blackfoot. They had been nomadic, living off the buffalo, which they depended on for clothing, their tee pees so on. ..In the Southwest the Pueblos were not nomadic. They were on and at their property. However, the Southwest groups today, are also on reservations,-- little countries within a country. Again, this story is very big, and needs to be told in full, by the differing Tribes, preferably. �.Dawes Act of 1887, gave Indian family leaders the right to own land. Later, more land was taken away, and reservations shrank. 1934, the Wheeler-Howard act encouraged self government. 1953: Congress mandated federal supervision over the Tribes must end.

President Hayes said, 1877, �Many, if not most, of our Indian wars have had their origin in broken promises and acts of injustice on our part.�

And here is why for example: 1889, and President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed free homesteads of 160 acres are available at 12 o�clock noon. 50,000 to a 100,000 people were at the border, ready to race and claim their land. Get ready, set, go! And they were off. Too many people. Not everyone were able to claim some land. These settlers were referred to as the Oklahoma Sooners.

Chief Joseph of the Nez Peirce, who were from the Oregon Territory, surrendered finally, after many battles. He had tried to take his people to Canada. It was the last of the fighting against the native people. 1877. After surrendering, Chief Joseph stated his famous quote: "Our Chiefs are killed. �It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."

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Re: Chapter 10: 1860-1893: The History of the United States of America -- points, 11:47:12 08/22/13 Thu