Thursday, June 30, 2011

The "Roaring Twenties" come crashing down: The Election of 1928

Calvin Coolidge and the Republican party had controlled the 1920's, and for the party, the election of 1928 would be no different. Determined not to run again, the Republicans nominated Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover to run for the high office, and Kansas senator Charles Curtis was chosen as the vice president. As for the Democrats, continued prosperity did not bode well for them, and New York governor Al Smith was chosen to run for president on the first ballot, while Senator Joe Robinson of Arkansas was chosen as the vice presidential nominee. The campaign largely focused on Al Smith's religious affiliation: Catholic. Many Americans feared Smith would take orders from Rome on policy, and Hoover and the Republicans spread fear and anti-Catholicism swept the nation. Protestants came out in full force to stop Smith, and it worked, as Hoover won nearly 58% of the popular vote and won an electoral college landslide 444-87, even winning Smith's home state of New York. Hoover was popular after his relief efforts during World War I and not being involved in the scandals the plagued Harding's administration. As Hoover took office, prosperity continued and America grew, but by the fall of 1929, things started turning for the worse, and in October, the stock market crashed. With millions of Americans losing everything they owned in what became know as the Great Depression, Hoover was seen as the reason for the downfall. For most of Hoover's term, the Depression was the focus of his administration. Hoover largely felt the economy would rebound without heavy government interference, and was reluctant to introduce programs giving handouts to citizens, an opposite belief than Franklin D. Roosevelt would try a few years later. Hoover did stop reparation payments left over from WWI, but this did little to help. Also, Hoover believed that giving money to the citizens would decrease the amount of citizens who sought jobs, and this would prove to be the case in the decades to follow. By 1932, Hoover had decided to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, and also raised the corporate tax rate. Some of these policies helped, but it was viewed as too little too late by many. One last stain on the Hoover administration was when the "Bonus Army" marched on Washington, demanding payment of WWI bonuses. When Hoover refused to meet with them, Douglas MacArthur was sent out to meet the crowd, and a brawl ensued between the Army and the citizens and many were wounded, hurting Hoover's public image. Many poor people began to associate Hoover with the Depression, naming towns "Hoovervilles" and so forth. By the time of the 1932 election, Americans wanted change in the White House. As for campaign items from the 1928 election, buttons are rather scarce, except a few single picture ones and word pins. Any jugate button of Hoover and Curtis or Smith and Robinson are hard to find and often very pricey. Many paper items like posters and sheet music are more common and won't cost your arm and leg, just one of your limbs. I have included some of my paper items in this blog, like a Hoover/Curtis poster, Smith/Robinson poster, a piece of Smith sheet music, a Smith silk handkerchief, a Hoover home sign, and an ad saying Hoover will win the election based on a straw poll. As for buttons, I have included a Smith button with a Derby hat attached, something he was famous for wearing. I did not include a Hoover pin, but I do own a couple common word pins. This campaign also produced some anti-Catholic items supporting Hoover, such as a button saying "A Christian in the White House" and so forth.






Wednesday, June 29, 2011

"Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge:" The Roaring Twenties

After the death in office of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge had taken over the presidency. During the remainder of his brief first term, Coolidge was mostly having to deal with the scandals that had plagued Harding, such as Teapot Dome. But entering the summer of 1924, the economy was doing well, and even amidst the scandals, it seemed Coolidge could win the office in his own right. Opposing Coolidge was Democrat John W. Davis, a New York lawyer, and a conservative Democrat. Davis was not nationally known and had never held any high political office. Charles Bryan was chosen as the vice presidential nominee, William J. Bryan's brother. As for the Republicans, Coolidge was highly favored and nominated easily, running with Charles Dawes. The campaign was fairly mild, with Coolidge's popularity and the famous slogan "Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge" turned the voters out in favor of Coolidge. The Democrats had divided, and Robert LaFollete ran as a third party. On election day, Coolidge won big, carrying almost 55% of the popular vote, defeating Davis by more than 7 million votes, and winning in the electoral college 382-126, with LaFollete winning one state. The roaring twenties helped Coolidge win re-election. As for his second and full term, continued prosperity lead to Coolidge remaining popular. Tragedy struck though early in his term as his son died from an infection, deeply saddening Coolidge. Coolidge lowered taxes, signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, gave American Indians citizenship, and largely lead a hands-off approach to government. Even though he was popular, Coolidge declined to run for re-election in 1928, and retired home to Vermont. As for campaign items, many Coolidge word pins and single picture buttons are very affordable. Any button with both Coolidge and Dawes on them are rare. Some items like sheet music or posters can be reasonably priced and not too scarce. John W. Davis items are a different story. Any Davis item is expensive and rare, especially jugate buttons. Like the Cox-Roosevelt items from 1920, Davis items rival in price any other buttons in the hobby. Democrats did not pay to have thousands of Davis buttons produced for the election, so finding one is hard to do. I personally do not own any Davis items. For Coolidge, I have pictured some items I own, including buttons, sheet music, posters, and a bell that promotes Coolidge.



















Monday, June 27, 2011

A Return to Normalcy: Ohio presents two candidates for President

With the end of World War I in 1919, Americans were looking for a return to the days that many of them remembered, before war and when life was simpler. As for Woodrow Wilson, he was stricken with bad health and almost a non-factor in the White House, with his wife Edith controlling who he saw and what he signed. However, when the League of Nations was rejected by the Senate, Wilson was devastated, and considered running for a third term in 1920 to persuade Congress to allow American entry into that body. Other Democrats talked Wilson out of the idea, and at the convention, nominated Ohio Governor James M. Cox and assistant secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt as vice president. For the Republicans, there was a chance they could win the White House back, and the talk of returning to prosperous times helped their cause. The convention was held in Chicago during a heat wave, and when several candidates deadlocked, a compromise choice was made. Winning the nomination was Ohio senator Warren G. Harding, and Massachusetts governor Calvin Coolidge was chosen to run on the ticket for VP. Warren Harding famously campaigned from his home in Marion, OH instead of traveling the country giving speeches. After the passage of the 19th amendment in 1919, women were now allowed to vote, and going in to the 1920 election, many women threw their support behind Harding. Some of the campaign issues dealt with America's involvement in the world and the League of Nations was one of the biggest issues. Cox supported joining the League, while Harding wanted to keep America out of any commitment. On election day, Harding and Coolidge won in a landslide, with Harding carrying almost 60% of the popular vote. Harding's term started off very well, holding the Washington Naval Conference in the fall of 1921, limiting the number of ships the world powers could have. Harding also had a prominent cabinet, with men like Charles E. Hughes as Secretary of State, Andrew Mellon as Treasury Secretary, and Herbert Hoover as Commerce Secretary. By 1922 and 1923, many scandals started to emerge, such as Teapot Dome and the Veteran's Bureau scandal. Harding's Interior Secretary, Albert Fall, had been involved in shady land deals and made hundreds of thousands of dollars off illegal sales, while the head of the Veteran's Bureau sold surplus items for a lot more than it cost the government to buy them. Harding was also rumored to be a womanizer, allegedly having a love child. Harding was on a west coast trip in late July of 1923 visiting Alaska and then Washington and California. While in San Francisco, Harding fell ill, and died on August 2, 1923. Many accused his wife of poisoning him, but all indications are some sort of heart problem. Harding's legacy continues to be tainted and he is often considered one of the worst presidents in history, a title which may not be entirely fair. As for campaign items from this election, it doesn't get any better or more rare. Any button showing both Harding and Coolidge on it are extremely rare, often requiring thousands of dollars to buy. As for word pins and single picture Harding buttons, they can be found for relatively cheap, and some of the Harding-Coolidge word pins are very common and worth less than $5 due to the number produced. For Democrat candidate James Cox, there is hardly another candidate where items are so hard and expensive to acquire. Any picture button of Cox often takes a few hundred dollars to purchase, while items showing Cox and running mate Franklin D. Roosevelt are going to break the bank, especially buttons, most in the $20,000-$40,000 range in a good market. Some of the items shown here are common, such as Harding word pins and single picture pins. The poster is a little more rare, as paper items showing both candidates are hard to find in great condition from this long ago. I also have a copy of Leslie's Illustrated magazine from March 5, 1921, an inauguration special edition. There is also a ribbon from Harding's 1923 west coast trip I own. For Cox items, I have a cut out from a 1920 Literary Digest showing Cox and Roosevelt at the top discussing some of Cox's issues he supports heading into the election. This campaign produced very few jugate button designs from either candidate, and that's why they are highly collectible and valuable, not to mention both Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt went on to become president. I also have several paper items related to Harding, which I will include in a later blog. I also included a cigar band showing Harding.













Sunday, June 26, 2011

"He Kept us out of War:" For the moment....

Woodrow Wilson and the Democrats had been pretty successful during his first term, and even though war had broken out in Europe, at the time called the Great War, Wilson had managed to keep America out of the conflict. By the time of the election in November of 1916, the United States was still not involved in the conflict, although some weapons and supplies had been going over to Europe. Challenging Wilson for the Republicans was Supreme Court justice Charles Evans Hughes, stepping down from the bench to run for the presidency. Hughes was fairly popular, and gained the support of both William H. Taft and Teddy Roosevelt. One of the main issues in the election was the war in Europe and what to do about it. Wilson and the Democrats campaigned for neutrality and doing everything possible to avoid a conflict, while Hughes and the Republicans campaigned for greater mobilization in case war broke out. On election day, it appeared that Hughes had defeated Wilson, winning many states along the east coast and the Midwest, but it was the west coast and California that handed Wilson the election, winning that state by just less than 4,000 votes, out of over 1 million cast. This was the closest election between 1876 and 2000, with Wilson defeating Hughes in the electoral college 277-254. Many newspapers had printed headlines about Hughes' victory, much like what would happen in the 1948 election between Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey. Wilson became the first Democrat re-elected to consecutive terms since Andrew Jackson in 1832. For Wilson, the cries of peace proved to be futile, as Wilson was forced to enter America into the war in Europe after such events as the sinking of the Lusitania and Germany's continued U-boat attacks. Shortly after America entered the war, the tide changed for the Central Powers, and the team of America, France, Great Britain, and Italy was able to defeat Germany and her allies, and by the end of 1918, the war was over. Also during this time, Russia underwent the Bolshevik Revolution, turning the country into a communist nation. American forces were involved in the Russian Civil War. As for Wilson, he headed for Paris in 1919 to push world peace and his Fourteen Points. However, Wilson was in poor health and had to make concessions on many of his policies he wanted to pass, but he did get his League of Nations idea passed. On a speaking tour in 1919 in Colorado supporting the League, Wilson suffered a stroke, and was virtually paralyzed the remainder of his term. He left office in 1921 a sick man, living in D.C. the rest of his life, dying in 1924. As for Charles E. Hughes, he was appointed Secretary of State in 1921 by Warren Harding, and continued in Calvin Coolidge's administration in the same post. In 1930, Hughes was appointed to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by Herbert Hoover. Many campaign items from this election are common, especially single picture buttons in the 7/8" size. Any Wilson jugate showing him with his VP Thomas Marshall are more rare, while items like sheet music supporting Wilson can be found pretty easily. For Hughes items, some of the larger pins and jugates are worth more. The ultimate Wilson button is a coattail, showing him with James M. Cox for Governor of Ohio. The items shown here are pretty common for both Hughes and Wilson. The exception is the larger 1-1/4" Hughes button, and any button from Hughes over 7/8" is scarce. As for the Wilson items shown, some of these could be from 1912, as it's hard to tell unless it gives a war reference. I also have a 1916 election pocket guide, showing Hughes and Wilson and giving all the results from 1789-1912. I also have several items from Wilson like sheet music and paper items, but I will blog on them later.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Three's a Crowd: The 1912 election

Entering the 1912 political season, it appeared that Theodore Roosevelt was going to be able to wrestle away the Republican nomination from his successor, William H. Taft. However, many Republicans held the party line and backed Taft at the convention, winning the nomination to run again in the election. Roosevelt decided to join the Progressive Party and run as a third-party candidate, campaigning with Hiram Johnson under the Bull Moose banner. The Democrats realized they had a golden opportunity to win back the White House due to the split in the Republican party, nominating a Washington outsider, New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt became more famous when he was shot in October 1912 making a campaign speech but continued giving the speech while bleeding. Taft was pretty much never considered as having a shot at winning, and campaigned quietly. On election day, Wilson carried a huge majority in the electoral college, winning 40 states, but only 40% of the popular vote, due to the three-way split of votes. Taft won only two states, the poorest showing ever by an incumbent president. Roosevelt did slightly better, carrying 6 states and 28% of the vote. With Taft and Roosevelt's vote totals put together, Wilson would have been defeated, but the split in the Republican party allowed him to win in a landslide. Wilson's first term was eventful, and shortly after the beginning, war broke out in Europe, and it was a constant wonder in America if Wilson would draw the states into the war. Wilson's first wife, Ellen, also died during his first term, but he married later on in the term. Wilson also had some trouble with Mexico, after Pancho Villa raided towns in New Mexico, Wilson ordered his capture, but he was able to allude the American forces. The Federal Reserve was also created under Wilson, putting America back under a federal bank. Teddy Roosevelt strongly criticized Wilson's failure to build up the military in case of having to enter the war, but Wilson wanted peace on all fronts. As far as campaign items go for this election, some are common, and some are very scarce. Many of the Wilson buttons, like the ones pictured in this blog, are pretty common and often can be found for under $25 a piece. There are not a lot of Taft items from this election, and some of his items are hard to tell between 1908 and 1912. As for Teddy Roosevelt, almost any button or campaign item dealing with his 1912 run are rare, especially picture buttons. I have included a picture of a button from his 1912 campaign, but I do not own this item, I just thought it would be nice to include an item of his in this blog. A button like this would bring $2000-$3500 in a good auction. There are many Wilson items from this campaign, but it can be difficult to determine whether the item is 1912 or 1916, because he ran with the same vice president in both elections, Thomas R. Marshall. I also have several other items of Wilson's campaign, like sheet music and paper items, but I will do a blog on those items later. I also included a neat item I have from this election that is for all the candidates, a booklet that gives a brief biography of what all the candidates support, titled "Presidential Pointers." The 1912 election proved an end to Roosevelt's political career, although there was a chance he could get the 1916 nomination before eventually backing out. Roosevelt died in 1919 at a fairly young age, one of the most popular presidents in history. As for Taft, his career was not over, and in 1921, president Warren G. Harding nominated him to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a post he held until 1930.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Three Strikes and You're Out!

Theodore Roosevelt was very popular and well like heading into the election year of 1908, but had made it clear he would not run again. Hand picking his successor, Roosevelt decided William Howard Taft was the best man to take his place and continue his policies. Taft had been Secretary of War and also territorial governor of the Philippines. Opposing Taft in the election was none other than William Jennings Bryan, trying for the third time to capture the White House, and like the previous two times, he would find success hard to come by. With Roosevelt's backing, Taft won fairly easy, carrying all the north and almost the entire Midwest. For Bryan, this would prove the last time he ran for president, although he considered a run in 1920. Bryan went on to serve in Woodrow Wilson's administration and became famous for arguing in the Scopes Monkey Trial in the early 1920's, dying shortly after the verdict was announced. Taft and his running mate, James Sherman, took office in March of 1909, and Roosevelt left soon to travel the world. Taft's presidency was fairly controversial, as he alienated conservatives and progressives like Teddy Roosevelt. Taft was a strict believer in the judicial system, and never attacked business in public the way Roosevelt had. When Roosevelt returned from his safari, he discovered Taft had backed off of some of his policies, and by the time the 1912 election rolled around, Roosevelt had formed his own party to oppose Taft. Most Bryan items from this election are common, unless it's a jugate button of larger sizes or some 3-D items and posters, which can be more rare. The easiest way to tell which election a Bryan item is from is his age and the VP candidate on jugate items. He ran with three different VP candidates, Sewall, Stevenson, and Kern, so knowing this can help you identify which campaign the item belongs to. As for Taft items, many single picture buttons can be found for less than $20, with some larger and more colorful jugates being very expensive, and any 3-D items or posters can be considered scarce. Some of the items shown here are a few common Taft buttons, a Taft postcard, a Taft poster, a Taft cigar band from his pre-presidential days, and a couple Bryan postcards from 1908. The only item shown that would be considered rare or scarce is the Taft/Sherman poster, since paper items from over 100 years ago are hard to find in good shape.


















Thursday, June 23, 2011

Changing of the Guard: Teddy Roosevelt and the Election of 1904

After serving in the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt had become nationally famous, and was chosen to run as William McKinley's VP in the 1900 election. Shortly into McKinley's second term, he was assassinated, and Roosevelt was sworn in as president. Teddy went right to work in his first term, busting trusts, or large corporations, forcing many to break up into smaller entities. During his first term, Roosevelt also managed to get the construction of the Panama Canal underway, although some consider the dealings shady at best. Heading into the summer of 1904, there was little question that Roosevelt would be re-nominated, and sure enough, he was. Charles Fairbanks was chosen to run with Roosevelt as vice president. Opposing the duo was New York judge Alton B. Parker, a relatively unknown candidate who had been out of politics for several years. Henry Davis was chosen to run as VP, and at 81 years old, remains the oldest person to ever run for VP in history. William Jennings Bryan opposed Parker, thinking he was too much aligned with supporting the gold standard. Roosevelt won the election easily, carrying the entire North, Midwest, and West coast, and Parker won the southern half of the nation. Roosevelt's second term was very successful too. He helped negotiate peace between Russia and Japan, added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, passed the Pure Food and Drug Act, and became famous for his policy of "Speaking Softly and Carry a Big Stick" diplomacy. Although popular and almost guaranteed of winning another term, Roosevelt declined to run in 1908 and hand picked William H. Taft to take his place. Teddy Roosevelt was very adventurous and was willing to try many things, including being the first president to ride in an automobile, fly in an airplane, and leave the United States while in office. Being the youngest man to ever hold office, Roosevelt was more energetic than his predecessors and it showed, going on African safaris and traveling the world after he left office. However, Roosevelt became discouraged with the way the country was going during Taft's administration, and in 1912, he would be back in the middle of a presidential election. Some of the items pictured here are fairly common, and Roosevelt items like this can be acquired for a reasonable price considering the age and popularity of TR. The Alton Parker items are more scarce, especially jugate buttons with both candidates, but there are some that can be found for under $25. Roosevelt items are highly sought after, so any button besides the standard jugates or single picture pins are pricey. There are also many figural or 3-D items of Teddy Roosevelt that are very collectible.


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

McKinley v. Bryan: Round 2

After William McKinley's successful first term, including victory in the Spanish-American War, the Republicans re-nominated McKinley easily, this time running with NY Governor Theodore Roosevelt, who had gained fame during the war. Opposing McKinley was none other than William Jennings Bryan, setting up a rematch of the 1896 election, with the same result. Once again, Bryan and the Democrats pushed the free silver issue, and many Bryan campaign buttons from the 1900 election have silver backgrounds. The Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson for Vice President, who had served as VP under Grover Cleveland. Bryan was also opposed to what he considered McKinley's imperialism, colonizing Cuba and the Philippines. McKinley was able to garner thousands of votes from the soldiers, and once again carried the North and Midwest, giving him an electoral college victory of 292-155, and a popular vote margin of 52% - 45%. McKinley's second term would be cut short by an assassin, Leon Czolgosz, when McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. The assassin shot McKinley, but the wounds were not severe enough to kill the president instantly. McKinley lingered on, but died September 14, 1901, eight days after being shot. Theodore Roosevelt became president after McKinley's assassination. McKinley's death was tragic for the nation, and he was mourned for several days. There are many campaign items from this election, and some of the most valuable and sought after buttons are from this election period. You can also find many mourning related items to McKinley's death, such as music and the black memorial pin shown are fairly common items. A few buttons in the hobby, such as the eclipse button showing both McKinley and Bryan on it, are very rare and very expensive. Also, most large size jugates showing McKinley and Roosevelt are highly sought after. Shown here are a few examples from the 1900 election, a larger 1-3/4" Bryan button, with a silver background, a McKinley/Roosevelt jugate, a memorial pin, a piece of sheet music with McKinley's favorite hymns, and a Bryan/Stevenson jugate.





Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Gold and Silver: The election of 1896

Precious metals were beginning to play a huge role in politics towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the election of 1896 was not exempt. Currently serving in the White House was Grover Cleveland, but after the Panic of 1893 and considering he had served two terms, Cleveland opted not to run again. The Democrats turned to 36 year old William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, the youngest major party candidate to ever run. Bryan was the "silver" candidate, famously making his "Cross of Gold" speech at the Democratic National Convention that year, calling for America to come off the gold standard. Running for the Republican party in 1896 was Ohio Governor William McKinley, who supported the gold standard. Bryan and the Democrats came up with the "16 to 1" ratio, based on the claim that 16 silver-backed dollars could be printed for every one dollar backed by gold. Bryan traveled the country making speeches, a first, since it was often believed to be undignified to stump for yourself. Meanwhile, McKinley stayed at his home and gave front porch speeches from his Canton, Ohio residence. In the end, McKinley proved victorious, carrying most of the North and Midwest. McKinley's term was filled with much excitement, most notably the Spanish-American War fought with Spain, in Cuba and the Philippines. In 1898, the USS Maine was sunk in Havana, most likely an internal explosion, but Americans wanted war, and they got it. The U.S. forces made quick work of the Spaniards in Cuba, where Theodore Roosevelt led his famous Rough Riders up San Juan Hill. The Philippines proved more difficult, but mostly in the later years under colonial rule in the early 1900's. The successful war made McKinley popular, and he would seek re-election in 1900. As for William Jennings Bryan, he too would seek to win back the Democratic nomination in 1900. The items shown here are pretty common. By the 1896 election, the process of making buttons and the celluloid technology had finally met, and this is often called the "golden era" for political collectors, as buttons like this would become common until the present time. There are many fine examples of buttons from the 1896 election, very colorful with very graphic designs. One company in particular, Whitehead and Hoag, developed many of the most famous campaign buttons. Pictured here is a William Jennings Bryan button, and two William McKinley buttons, and one McKinley stick pin. Items like these are fairly common and easy to find. Buttons were mass produced for this election, and thousands are still around today. Some larger size jugates and 3-D items are more scarce, but most items from this campaign are very affordable. There are many items showing the "16:1" slogan on them, which are Bryan related items.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Republicans take back the White House: The presidential election of 1888

Although Grover Cleveland was a popular president and the economy was in good shape, the election of 1888 would not grant him another term, at least this time. Cleveland was nominated for re-election on the first ballot at the Democratic National Convention that year, and Allen Thurman was nominated as vice president. Running for the Republican Party was Indiana Senator Benjamin Harrison, grandson of former president William Henry Harrison. Once again, the election proved to be very close, with Cleveland actually winning the popular vote, but losing in the electoral college. Harrison managed to win New York, Cleveland's home state, giving him the election. The tariff was a hot issue in 1888, with Cleveland wanting to lower it to reduce taxation, and Harrison supporting the high tariff to promote commerce and keep wages up. Upon leaving the White House in the spring of 1889, Cleveland's wife, Frances, promised they would be back, and it became true in the next election. The administration of Benjamin Harrison is often remembered for Congressional legislation passed during his term, such as the McKinley Tariff, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. Harrison was also president when the most states were admitted to the Union: 6. Harrison was also the first president to have his voice recorded and was in office when electricity was installed in the White House. This item pictured is a token/medal from Harrison's 1888 campaign, showing him and his vice president, Levi Morton. Tokens and medals from this election are somewhat common, and a few can be found for less than $25. This one is a little more scarce since it pictures both candidates. Any items like posters, bandannas, 3-D items, or lapel items showing both candidates and their VP's are rare and normally over $100.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Ma Ma where's my Pa! Gone to the White House Ha Ha Ha!

In the presidential election of 1884, there was a glimpse of dirty politics and trying to find flaws in each candidate like never seen before, and the trend would continue to the present. Succeeding James Garfield in office was Chester A. Arthur, and while his term was fairly successful, especially in civil service reform, Arthur had made it clear he was not going to seek re-nomination for the Republican Party in the next election. Running for the Republicans was James G. Blaine from Maine, former Speaker of the House. The Democrats eventually settled on Grover Cleveland, politician from New York, having held offices such as sheriff, mayor, and governor. During the campaign, Republicans accused Cleveland of having an illegitimate child, which may have been true. They used the slogan, "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa!" taking a shot at Cleveland. Cleveland and the Democrats fired back that Blaine had been involved in railroad profit kickbacks and was an immoral man, using the slogan, "Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, the continental liar from the state of Maine." The election of 1884 was very close, with Cleveland winning less than .5% of the popular vote, and winning in the electoral college by a vote of 219-182, winning the state of New York by less than 1,000 votes. Finally, a Democrat had won office for the first time since the Civil War began. Cleveland's first term in office included many merit based appointments, showing a trend that was going against the spoils system and giving friends government jobs. Cleveland also became unpopular by vetoing many bills in Congress that wanted to give Civil War veterans a pension, and also vetoed bills helping farmers out during tough times. Cleveland had entered the White House in 1885 as a bachelor, but that soon changed, and in 1886, Cleveland married Frances Folsom, becoming the first and only president to be married in the White House. Some issues like tariff reform and the continuing battle between the gold or silver standard hindered Cleveland's chance for re-election in 1888, and he was narrowly defeated, but just for a short time. The two items pictured here are medals/tokens from the 1884 campaign. The Blaine/Logan token is on the left, and the Cleveland/Hendricks token is on the right. Items like these normally had small holes drilled in the top so a ribbon or string could be put through and worn around your neck to show support for the candidate. Many Cleveland and Blaine items are rare, except the tokens, like these pictured, often under $50. Ribbons, jugate ferrotypes, and any 3-D items from the period are normally considered scarce.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Winfield S. Hancock and the election of 1880

In my previous blog, I discussed James Garfield and some of his policies and presidential administration. His opponent in that election was General Winfield Scott Hancock, who had won fame during the Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg. Hancock's name had been proposed before to run as the Democratic nominee, but he had never secured enough delegates until the 1880 election. Hancock, although from the North, had supported some Southern ideas, making him popular nationwide. In the election of 1880, Garfield managed to win the popular vote by .1%, making it a virtual tie, with Garfield winning 2,000 more votes than Hancock. In the electoral college however, Garfield was able to capture the entire North and Midwest to win the election. Hancock went on after the election to serve as President of the National Rifle Association, before dying in 1886. The election of 1880 showed the Democrats were getting closer to being able to win the presidency, which Republicans had held since 1861. In almost every election until Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for the presidency, the country was split in two, with the Republicans dominating the North and the Democrats controlling much of the South. This particular item is a token/medal and very common. Most Hancock items are scarce, especially ribbons or posters. Most tokens like this are not hard to find.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Politics in the Gilded Age: James A. Garfield




In the 1876 presidential election, there was much controversy surrounding the outcome, with a compromise made to allow Republican Rutherford B. Hayes to become president over Samuel J. Tilden, who may have actually won the election, but three disputed states all went to Hayes. By the time of the 1880 election, Hayes had made it clear that he was not going to seek the nomination, and Ulysses S. Grant was seeking a third term. Having traveled to Europe after his presidency through the late 1870's, Grant had regained much of his popularity and was considering a run at a third term. James A. Garfield was relatively unknown, but made a favorable impression on the convention during a nomination speech for another candidate. With the convention deadlocked between two factions, one known as the Stalwarts, the nomination went to Garfield. As a compromise, Chester A. Arthur, one of the Stalwart members, was chosen to run with Garfield as the vice presidential nominee. Garfield won a close election over Democrat Winfield S. Hancock, a popular war hero, whom I will write about in the next blog. Garfield's presidency was cut short, and he really only served four months. As Garfield was leaving a train station, he was shot at close range. The bullet did not do significant damage, but the doctors could not locate the bullet, and Garfield was incapacitated for almost three months before dying in September of 1881, six months into his term. Garfield died a martyr, and his death stunned the nation. This particular item is two separate prints from 1881, one of Garfield and one of his wife, Lucretia. Items like this are affordable and often less than $25 in this condition. I have some other Garfield items also.



Thursday, June 16, 2011

Post-Civil War era: Ulysses S. Grant

The Civil War between 1861-1865 provided many military heroes to the victors, the Union army. Names such as William T. Sherman, George H. Thomas, Joshua L. Chamberlain, Ambrose Burnside, George Meade, Philip Sheridan, and the most revered of them all, Ulysses Simpson Grant. Incumbent Andrew Johnson was not about to be nominated as the Republican candidate in 1868, and Grant was the obvious choice due to his popularity in the North. Countering Grant was New York Governor Horatio Seymour, who had often opposed many of Lincoln's actions during the war. The election was actually pretty close considering Grant's popularity and some southern states not voting since they had not been reconstructed. Grant won easily in the electoral college, but the popular vote only tallied 52% for Grant. Grant's presidency has often been labeled as a failure and one of the worst in history. There were many scandals that hindered Grant, but he still won again easily in the 1872 election due to his popularity, this time over Horace Greeley, newspaper editor from NY. This item pictured is a token/medal showing Grant on the front and the year 1868. On the back it reads "If it Takes All Summer," one of his famous 1864 slogans from Virginia. Many Grant items are rare and hard to come by, unless it is a token or medal like this one, which are usually under $50. Items for Horatio Seymour and Horace Greeley are also rare and often require the buyer to spend over $100 on any single item.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The first Republican candidate: John C. Fremont

The days of the Whig party were shortening after Winfield Scott's loss to Franklin Pierce in the 1852 presidential election, and a new party was formed in 1854, and in 1856, the Republican party ran its first candidate in a presidential election, nominating military man John Charles Fremont. Known as "The Pathfinder" for his expeditions in California and fame won in the Mexican War, Fremont was chosen over more notable figures, like William H. Seward, or Samuel Chase, men who would become prominent in the next presidential election. It was going to be hard for the Republicans to win in their first attempt, but Fremont seemed like a popular choice. Running for the Democratic party in 1856 was Pennsylvanian James Buchanan, who had an impressive resume. Having served as James K. Polk's Secretary of State and Franklin Pierce's Minister to Great Britain, Buchanan was a popular choice for Democrats and had been out of the country for some controversial bills passed in America, like the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. This was also the first time in history that a major party passed over the incumbent, deciding not to nominate Franklin Pierce. The ticket for the Democrats was weighted along North-South lines, with Buchanan from PA and the vice-presidential nominee John C. Breckinridge from the slave state of Kentucky. There was also a third party in this election, headed up by former president Millard Fillmore, called the American Party, or Know Nothings. The election was fairly close, but a trend started to emerge this election and would last well into the 1900's. The Democrats under Buchanan won every southern slave state in the Union, and Fremont won 11 states, all in the midwest or northeast, all free states. This trend would continue for decades, as the south voted overwhelmingly Democrat and the north voted Republican. Buchanan won less than 50% of the popular vote, but won enough to carry the election. Fremont later went on to serve in the Civil War for the Union and was a Major General, but was famously removed after freeing the slaves in Missouri, and saw little action after 1862. This item is a token promoting Fremont, and simply lists his birth date on the front. Most items from this election are rare, especially Buchanan items, but some Fremont medals or tokens like this are affordable and less than $50.

Old Rough and Ready

With James K. Polk refusing to seek re-election in 1848, the Democrats turned to Michigan senator Lewis Cass. The Whigs, sticking with their military hero strategy, nominated General Zachary Taylor, who had won fame in the war with Mexico. Taylor was very unpolitical, and had in fact never voted in his life. Taylor didn't even realize he had been nominated for a long time, since in those days the postage had to be paid by the addressee, and Taylor was getting so much mail due to his popularity that his official notification as Whig candidate went unopened for several weeks. The Whig campaign that year was simple: promoting Taylor's popularity, not his political beliefs. Taylor won the election fairly easy over Cass. Taylor's presidency was rather short, but one main issue of the day, slavery, was a major problem in 1850. When California wanted to enter the Union as a state, the question of Free or Slave once again hit the nation. Taylor wanted to admit California as a free state with no questions asked, but southern congressmen were not so pleased. What eventually came out of this was what is now known as the Compromise of 1850. California joined the Union as a free state, the Fugitive Slave Act was enacted, and the slave trade in Washington, D.C. was banned. However, Taylor was opposed to signing the Compromise, as he just wanted CA to be admitted to the Union and none of the slavery issues attached to the bill. But as fate would have it, another Whig president, like Harrison before him, and less than 10 years later, would die in office. On July 4, 1850, Taylor was attending a ball in the capital city, and it was unusually hot, and Taylor downed a pitcher of milk and ate a bowl full of cherries. A few days later, Taylor was very sick, and died on July 9. His Vice-President, Millard Fillmore, happened to disagree with Taylor and supported the Compromise of 1850, and signed it into law. Had Taylor lived, the Civil War might have started 10 years earlier. He earned the nickname "Old Rough and Ready" for his style in battle, often wearing plain clothes and a straw hat. This item I have is a print from Graham's magazine in 1847, showing Taylor ready for battle. It has a facsimile signature at the bottom, and is really not worth a whole lot, this is basically just a period item showing Zachary Taylor that was taken out of a magazine and is not a campaign item from 1848. Most Taylor items are rare, especially ribbons showing his picture. There are a couple medal/token versions under $100, but besides that all Taylor items are very pricey.

James K. Polk: Darkhorse candidate

In the election of 1844, the Whigs chose to pass over current Whig president John Tyler and nominated Henry Clay, who had previously run for president twice before with no luck. The frontrunner for the Democrats that year was Martin Van Buren, the former president. However, the Texas annexation issue was the talk of the day in 1844, and Van Buren came out against annexing Texas into the Union. This upset most southern Democrats, who wanted to add Texas and ultimately another slave state. The convention was held in Baltimore that year, and after the7th ballot, there was a dead lock between Michigan senator Lewis Cass and Martin Van Buren. Still alive and very influential at the time was former president Andrew Jackson, from Tennessee, who happened to recommend James K. Polk, a fellow Tennessean, previous Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the House. Polk eventually received the nomination, and George Dallas of Pennsylvania was chosen to run as Vice President. The election of 1844 was very close, and more than likely a third party determined the outcome. Polk won New York by a very few thousand votes, and the Liberty Party candidate, James Birney, won enough votes in NY from Clay to prevent him from winning the state and the election. Polk was a very successful one-term president. He acquired the Oregon territory, (present day Washington state and Oregon) lowered the tariff, and added the entire west as we know it through victory in the war with Mexico, modern day California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah. Polk was determined not to seek another term in 1848, and retired to his home in Nashville after leaving office in March of 1849. He died only three months after leaving office. This particular print is a Currier and Ives portrait of all the presidents from Washington through Polk, and at the bottom reads President-elect Polk, meaning this print was produced between November 1844 and March 1845. Any James K. Polk related items are hard to come by, and anything under $100 is especially scarce.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Oldest to Newest: A journey through American politics

This may take a while, but I am going to try to upload 100 items, or groups of items, that I highly enjoy owning. It will not be in a particular order, say item #88 could be like my #5 most favorite item. I am going to list them in chronological order most likely. So here goes #100. This is a token/medal from William Henry Harrison's 1840 campaign against Martin Van Buren. Up to this time, campaigning was not really a part of running for office, and the candidate would often let others speak for them. But starting in 1840, the campaign as we know it today basically started, and items like this began appearing frequently. Ribbons, medals, sheet music, brooches, brochures, log cabins, and hard cider were commonly used in 1840 to promote Harrison for president. William H. Harrison was also the first Whig to be elected President, but ultimately only served one month in office after catching cold and pneumonia at the inauguration. This particular medal is very common and considering the age very affordable, often being found in the $25-$50 range depending on condition. There are many examples of medals from Harrison's 1840 campaign, and this happens to be the oldest item I own. "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" became one of the most famous campaign slogans in history during this election.