In the politics of representative democracies , a political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives (such as money or political jobs) and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity. The machine's power is based on the ability of the boss or group to get out the vote for their candidates on election day.
138-577: Francis Hague (January 17, 1876 – January 1, 1956) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the Mayor of Jersey City from 1917 to 1947, Democratic National Committeeman from New Jersey from 1922 until 1949, and Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1924 until 1949. During his 30 years as mayor, Hague established reforms and innovations that upgraded the city's infrastructure and services, including
276-410: A Bronx County Democratic leader who ran the borough from 1922 until his death in 1953, Safire wrote "the so-called 'independent' voter is foolish to assume that a political machine is run solely on good will, or patronage. For it is not only a machine; it is an army. And in any organization as in any army, there must be discipline." Political patronage, while often associated with political machines,
414-419: A commission model under the recently adopted Walsh Act . This act would place all executive and legislative powers in a five-man commission, each of whom would head a city department. The five commissioners would choose one of their colleagues to be mayor. The vote for charter change passed, and the stage was set for Frank Hague's rise to power. In 1913, the first election for the city commission saw 91 men on
552-720: A "cushy" job with plenty of patronage opportunities. During the Wittpenn administration, Hague also became friendly with Wittpenn's secretary – a Presbyterian Sunday school teacher named A. Harry Moore . The resulting battle for control of the Hudson County Democratic machine would ironically result in one of the greatest boosts to Hague's rise to power – the Walsh Act of 1911 . In 1909 Davis, seeing support for Hague increasing, supported Wittpenn's re-election against former mayor Fagan. Hague's second ward produced
690-625: A $ 50,000 altar to a local Catholic church. In 1941, Dartmouth professor Dayton David McKean wrote The Boss , a book about Hague's political machine, in which he estimated his amassed wealth at four million dollars on an annual mayoral salary of $ 8,000 a year. He also had the support of a significant faction of Republicans which dated to his initial election as mayor, when he cut a deal with Governor Walter Edge in which Edge effectively ceded North Jersey to Hague in return for keeping South Jersey for himself. Also, as public safety commissioner (a post he held throughout his entire tenure), he controlled
828-416: A battalion chief on the city fire department, had been on "sick leave" for three years at full pay. Hague reconciled with Wittpenn to support his re-election in 1911. Wittpenn then supported Hague's nomination for Commissioner of Streets and Water. Both were elected. The new position greatly expanded Hague's patronage authority. While City Hall employed a few dozen custodians, there were hundreds of workers in
966-491: A boss. All there is to it is having friends, doing things for people, and then later on they'll do things for you ... You can't coerce people into doing things for you—you can't make them vote for you. I never coerced anybody in my life. Wherever you see a man bulldozing anybody he don't last long. Theodore Roosevelt , before he became president in 1901, was deeply involved in New York City politics. He explains how
1104-480: A city, county, or state". William Safire , in his Safire's Political Dictionary , defines "machine politics" as "the election of officials and the passage of legislation through the power of an organization created for political action". He notes that the term is generally considered pejorative, often implying corruption. Hierarchy and discipline are hallmarks of political machines. "It generally means strict organization", according to Safire. Quoting Edward Flynn ,
1242-408: A coalition of farmers, city-dwelling laborers and Irish Catholics. Both parties worked hard to build grassroots organizations and maximize the turnout of voters, which often reached 80 percent or 90 percent of eligible voters. Both parties used patronage extensively to finance their operations, which included emerging big city political machines as well as national networks of newspapers. Behind
1380-555: A combination of name-recognition, business contacts and financial resources, and the role of personal political machines. The phrase is considered derogatory "because it suggests that the interest of the organization are placed before those of the general public", according to Safire. Machines are criticized as undemocratic and inevitably encouraging corruption. Since the 1960s, some historians have reevaluated political machines, considering them corrupt but efficient. Machines were undemocratic but responsive. They were also able to contain
1518-458: A contentious issue the extension of slavery to the territories . On the other hand, many Democrats feared industrialization the Whigs welcomed....For many Democrats, the answer to the nation's social ills was to continue to follow Thomas Jefferson's vision of establishing agriculture in the new territories in order to counterbalance industrialization. In 1848 a major innovation was the creation of
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#17328019861061656-467: A friend – had practically given his livelihood to aid a brother." In the succeeding municipal election of 1905, which saw the return of incumbent Fagan to the office of mayor, Hague was elected to a fourth term as constable. Hague rose through the Democratic machinery of Hudson County , which drew much of its strength by providing newly arrived immigrants with rudimentary social services. Hague took
1794-665: A full term. During this period, the Republican Party only elected one president ( Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956) and was the minority in Congress all but twice (the exceptions being 1947–49 and 1953–55). Powerful committee chairmanships were awarded automatically on the basis of seniority, which gave power especially to long-serving Southerners. Important Democratic leaders during this time included Presidents Truman (1945–1953), John F. Kennedy (1961–1963), and Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969). Republican Richard Nixon won
1932-461: A hierarchical system with a " boss " who held the allegiance of local business leaders, elected officials and their appointees, and who knew the proverbial buttons to push to get things done. Benefits and problems both resulted from the rule of political machines. This system of political control—known as " bossism "—emerged particularly in the Gilded Age . A single powerful figure (the boss)
2070-537: A job as a bill collector for a local brewery, leaving him with time to spend in the streets and the local taverns which were hubs of political activity. He also spent his time cleaning up the loose ends of the Second Ward's south-end Democratic Club to consolidate his power. As a reward for his efforts in turning out votes in the 1905 election, Bob Davis named Hague as the party leader for the Second Ward and arranged for Hague to be appointed as Sergeant at Arms for
2208-441: A lawyer named Thomas J. Brogan , who had served as Hague's personal attorney in corruption hearings, to an associate Justice seat on the state's Supreme Court. Less than a year later Brogan was named as Chief Justice. In at least two instances of alleged voting fraud in the 1930s ( Ferguson v. Brogan , 112 N.J.L. 471; Clee v. Moore , 119 N.J.L. 215; In re Clee , 119 N.J.L. 310), Brogan's court issued extraordinary rulings in favor of
2346-496: A maternity hospital named after his mother, Margaret Hague. During the 1936 campaign Hague provided 150,000 adults and children to cheer Roosevelt during a visit. Hague's use of voter fraud is the stuff of legend. In 1937, for instance, Jersey City had 160,050 registered voters, but only 147,000 people who were at least 21 years old—the legal voting age. FDR, a close political ally, was an active protector of Hague. In 1938, for example, Postmaster General James A. Farley reported to
2484-510: A movement. Reformers eager to turn their programs into legislation called for a more active government. But Democrats tended to oppose programs like educational reform and the establishment of a public school system....Nor did Jackson share reformers' humanitarian concerns. He had no sympathy for American Indians , initiating the removal of the Cherokees along the Trail of Tears . The party
2622-800: A necessary source of government revenue. They supported the Independent Treasury (the Jacksonian alternative to the Second Bank of the United States) not as a scheme to quash the special privilege of the Whiggish monied elite, but as a device to spread prosperity to all Americans . Sectional confrontations escalated during the 1850s, the Democratic Party split between North and South grew deeper. The conflict
2760-491: A pejorative sense. The terms "machine" and "boss" in the 19th century were negative epithets used by their reform-minded opponents. However in the 20th century these became standard terms for scholars and analysts who sometimes emphasized their positive contributions. The Encyclopædia Britannica defines "political machine" as "a party organization, headed by a single boss or small autocratic group, that commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of
2898-590: A private suite at the Plaza Hotel . His wealth has been estimated to have been over $ 10 million at the time of his death, although his City salary never exceeded $ 8,500 per year and he had no other legitimate source of income. During the height of his power Hague's political machine, known as "the organization", was one of the most powerful in the United States controlling politics on local, county, and state levels. Hague's personal influence extended to
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#17328019861063036-507: A prizefighter, he arranged to become manager for Joe Craig, a professional lightweight boxer. Craig was successful enough to allow Hague to buy a few suits that made him appear successful. In 1896, Hague's apparent prosperity gained him the attention of local tavern owner "Nat" Kenny who was seeking a candidate for constable in the upcoming primary to run against the candidate of a rival tavern owner. Kenny provided Hague with $ 75 to "spread around", and Frank Hague quickly won his first election by
3174-524: A pro-slavery constitution on Kansas; acquire Cuba (where slavery already existed); accepting the Dred Scott decision of the Supreme Court; and adopting a federal slave code to protect slavery in the territories. President Buchanan went along with these demands, but Douglas refused and proved a much better politician than Buchanan, though the bitter battle lasted for years and permanently alienated
3312-464: A ratio of three-to-one. Hague's victory in the Constable election brought him to the attention of Hudson County Democratic political boss "Little Bob" Davis, and Davis asked Hague to help get out Democratic votes for the upcoming 1897 Mayoral election. Hague's efforts were credited with generating large voter turnout in the Second Ward for the 1897 and 1899 elections. As a reward for his work, Hague
3450-477: A reduced role for the government in the economy, and a liberal policy for the sale of public lands to encourage settlement; they opposed high tariffs to encourage industry. The Jackson policies were kept, such as Indian removal and the Trail of Tears . Van Buren personally disliked slavery but he kept the slaveholder's rights intact. Nevertheless, he was distrusted across the South. The 1840 Democratic convention
3588-401: A strong party whip structure. Machines sometimes have a political boss , typically rely on patronage , the spoils system , "behind-the-scenes" control, and longstanding political ties within the structure of a representative democracy. Machines typically are organized on a permanent basis instead of a single election or event. The term "machine" usually is used by its reform-minded enemies in
3726-437: A win, there was less need to recruit new members, as this only meant a thinner spread of the patronage rewards to be spread among the party members. As such, later-arriving immigrants, such as Jews, Italians, and other immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe between the 1880s and 1910s, saw fewer rewards from the machine system than the well-established Irish. At the same time, the machines' staunchest opponents were members of
3864-872: A woman to provide assistance for her son, who had been arrested for passing a forged check. The son, Red Dugan, had been a classmate of Hague's in school. According to the Boston Evening Transcript of October 4, 1904, Dugan had deposited a forged check for $ 955 in the Peoples Bank of Roxbury, Massachusetts , and convinced the bank manager to let him withdraw $ 500. Hague ignored a subpoena to testify in Hudson County Court and traveled to Massachusetts to provide an alibi for Dugan. Hague and another deputy sheriff, Thomas "Skidder" Madigan, claimed that they had seen Dugan in Jersey City on
4002-427: A young (35 years old) upstart, Congressman William Jennings Bryan made the magnificent "cross of gold" speech, which brought the crowd at the convention to its feet and got him the nomination. He would lose the election, but remained the Democratic hero and was renominated and lost again in 1900 and a third time in 1908. Grover Cleveland led the party faction of conservative, pro-business Bourbon Democrats , but as
4140-448: Is not essential to the definition for either Safire or Britannica . A political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives—money, political jobs—and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over member activity. Political machines started as grass roots organizations to gain the patronage needed to win the modern election. Having strong patronage, these "clubs" were
4278-618: Is used as a shield against federal and state laws against the practice. In the 1960s and 1970s, Edward Costikyan , Ed Koch , Eleanor Roosevelt , and other reformers worked to do away with Tammany Hall of New York County . To a lesser degree, the Democratic Party machines in Kings, Bronx, and Queens counties continued until the end of the 1980s. Japan's Liberal Democratic Party is often cited as another political machine, maintaining power in suburban and rural areas through its control of farm bureaus and road construction agencies. In Japan,
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4416-544: The 1866 elections , the Radical Republicans won two-thirds majorities in Congress and took control of national affairs. The large Republican majorities made Congressional Democrats helpless, though they unanimously opposed the Radicals' Reconstruction policies . The Senate passed the 14th Amendment by a vote of 33 to 11 with every Democratic senator opposed. Realizing that the old issues were holding it back,
4554-597: The 1894 House elections , the agrarian element, marching behind the slogan of free silver (i.e. in favor of inflation), captured the party. They nominated William Jennings Bryan in the 1896, 1900, and 1908 presidential elections, although he lost every time. Both Bryan and Wilson were leaders of the progressive movement in the United States (1890s–1920s) and opposed imperialistic expansion abroad while sponsoring liberal reforms at home despite supporting racism and discrimination against African Americans in government offices and elsewhere. Starting with Franklin D. Roosevelt ,
4692-655: The 65th Congress ) in 15 of the 36 Congresses elected owing largely to their dominance of the Solid South , although only in five of these they formed the majority in the Senate . Furthermore, the Democratic Party was split between the Bourbon Democrats , representing Eastern business interests, and the agrarian party elements representing poor farmers in the South and West. After the Republican landslide in
4830-420: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) to coordinate state activities in the presidential contest. Senator Lewis Cass , who held many offices over the years, lost to General Zachary Taylor of the Whigs. A major cause of the defeat was that the new Free Soil Party , which opposed slavery expansion, split the Democratic vote. The Free Soil Party attracted Democrats and some Whigs and had considerable support in
4968-583: The Democratic-Republican Party , founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1793, and had largely collapsed by 1824 . It was built by Martin Van Buren who assembled many state organizations to form a new party as a vehicle to elect Andrew Jackson of Tennessee. The pattern and speed of formation differed from state to state. By the mid-1830s almost all the state Democratic parties were uniform. The spirit of Jacksonian democracy animated
5106-634: The Second Party System ), under Presidents Andrew Jackson , Martin Van Buren , and James K. Polk , the Democrats usually bested the opposition Whig Party by narrow margins. Before the American Civil War , the party generally supported slavery or insisted it be left to the states. After the war until the 1940s, the party opposed civil rights reforms in order to retain the support of Southern white voters. The Republican Party
5244-627: The War Democrats , who supported the military policies of Republican President Lincoln; and the Copperheads , who strongly opposed them. In the South party politics ended in the Confederacy . The political leadership, mindful of the fierce divisions in antebellum American politics and with a pressing need for unity, rejected organized political parties as inimical to good governance and as being especially unwise in wartime. Consequently,
5382-916: The depression of 1893 deepened his enemies multiplied. At the 1896 convention , the silverite-agrarian faction repudiated the President and nominated the crusading orator William Jennings Bryan on a platform of free coinage of silver . The idea was that minting silver coins would flood the economy with cash and end the depression. Cleveland supporters formed the National Democratic Party (Gold Democrats), which attracted politicians and intellectuals (including Woodrow Wilson and Frederick Jackson Turner ) who refused to vote Republican. Political machine While these elements are common to most political parties and organizations, they are essential to political machines, which rely on hierarchy and rewards for political power, often enforced by
5520-837: The gold standard and opposed Bimetallism . They strongly supported reform movements such as Civil Service Reform and opposed corruption of city bosses, leading the fight against the Tweed Ring . The leading Bourbons included Samuel J. Tilden , David Bennett Hill and William C. Whitney of New York, Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland, Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware, Henry M. Mathews and William L. Wilson of West Virginia, John Griffin Carlisle of Kentucky, William F. Vilas of Wisconsin, J. Sterling Morton of Nebraska, John M. Palmer of Illinois, Horace Boies of Iowa, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar of Mississippi and railroad builder James J. Hill of Minnesota. A prominent intellectual
5658-560: The popular vote in 2000 and 2016 but lost the Electoral College in both elections (with candidates Al Gore and Hillary Clinton , respectively). These were two of the four presidential elections in which Democrats won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College , the others being the presidential elections in 1876 and 1888 . The modern Democratic Party emerged in the late 1820s from former factions of
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5796-453: The 1790s to the 1960s. From 1872, Tammany had an Irish "boss". However, Tammany Hall also served as an engine for graft and political corruption, perhaps most notoriously under William M. "Boss" Tweed in the mid-19th century. Lord Bryce describes these political bosses saying: An army led by a council seldom conquers: It must have a commander-in-chief, who settles disputes, decides in emergencies, inspires fear or attachment. The head of
5934-581: The 1830s, the Locofocos in New York City were radically democratic, anti-monopoly and were proponents of hard money and free trade . Their chief spokesman was William Leggett . At this time, labor unions were few and some were loosely affiliated with the party. The Presidency of Martin Van Buren was hobbled by a long economic depression called the Panic of 1837 . The presidency promoted hard money based on gold and silver, an independent federal treasury,
6072-552: The 1910 gubernatorial election leaving a vacuum in the power structure of the Hudson County Democrats. Wittpenn quickly endorsed the idea of converting Jersey City to a commission form of government, but was opposed by forces, including Hague, attempting to take control of the party. Hague campaigned heavily against the idea in the Horseshoe, claiming that such a system of citywide elected commissioners would erode
6210-633: The Constitution: that all efforts of the abolitionists or others, made to induce congress to interfere with questions of slavery, or to take incipient steps in relation thereto, are calculated to lead to the most alarming and dangerous consequences, and that all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of the people, and endanger the stability and permanency of the Union, and ought not to be countenanced by any friend to our political institutions. The Panic of 1837 led to Van Buren and
6348-589: The Davis men." Wilson's reform-minded term as Governor saw the establishment of Presidential primary elections, introduced workers' compensation , and brought about passage of the Walsh Act which provided for a non-partisan commission form of municipal government that was greatly reflective of his academic writings in Congressional Government . "Little Bob" Davis died of cancer shortly after
6486-619: The Deep South, where small-town machine politics are relatively common, also feature what might be classified as political machines, although these organizations do not have the power and influence of the larger boss networks listed in this article. For example, the " Cracker Party " was a Democratic Party political machine that dominated city politics in Augusta, Georgia , for over half of the 20th century. Political machines also thrive on Native American reservations, where tribal sovereignty
6624-512: The Democratic Party came in the late 1850s as Democrats increasingly rejected national policies demanded by the Southern Democrats. The demands were to support slavery outside the South. Southerners insisted that full equality for their region required the government to acknowledge the legitimacy of slavery outside the South. The Southern demands included a fugitive slave law to recapture runaway slaves; opening Kansas to slavery; forcing
6762-611: The Democratic Party halted all operations during the life of the Confederacy (1861–1865). Partisanship flourished in the North and strengthened the Lincoln Administration as Republicans automatically rallied behind it. After the attack on Fort Sumter , Douglas rallied Northern Democrats behind the Union, but when Douglas died the party lacked an outstanding figure in the North and by 1862 an anti-war peace element
6900-556: The Democratic Party left it powerless. Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States. Douglas campaigned across the country calling for unity and came in second in the popular vote, but carried only Missouri and New Jersey. Breckinridge carried 11 slave states , coming in second in the Electoral vote, but third in the popular vote. During the Civil War , Northern Democrats divided into two factions:
7038-511: The Democratic Party was the party of the "common man". It opposed the abolition of slavery. From 1828 to 1848, banking and tariffs were the central domestic policy issues. Democrats strongly favored—and Whigs opposed—expansion to new farm lands, as typified by their expulsion of eastern American Indians and acquisition of vast amounts of new land in the West after 1846. The party favored the war with Mexico and opposed anti-immigrant nativism . In
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#17328019861067176-467: The Democratic machine, in one case asserting that the district superintendent of elections had no authority to open ballot boxes, and in another case ruling that the boxes could be opened, but no one had the right to look inside. Brogan also assigned himself to the Hudson County jurisdiction, thereby controlling the local grand jury process and squelching other election fraud cases. The beginning of
7314-467: The Democrats control of every Southern state (by the Compromise of 1877 ), but the disenfranchisement of blacks took place (1880–1900). From 1880 to 1960, the " Solid South " voted Democratic in presidential elections (except 1928). After 1900, a victory in a Democratic primary was " tantamount to election " because the Republican Party was so weak in the South. After being out of office since 1861,
7452-493: The Democrats tried a " New Departure " that downplayed the War and stressed such issues as stopping corruption and white supremacy , which it wholeheartedly supported. President Johnson , elected on the fusion Union Party ticket, did not rejoin the Democratic Party, but Democrats in Congress supported him and voted against his impeachment in 1868. After his term ended in 1869 he rejoined the Democrats. War hero Ulysses S. Grant led
7590-584: The Democrats won the popular vote in three consecutive elections, and the electoral vote (and thus the White House) in 1884 and 1892. Although Republicans continued to control the White House until 1884, the Democrats remained competitive (especially in the mid-Atlantic and lower Midwest ) and controlled the House of Representatives for most of that period. In the election of 1884 , Grover Cleveland ,
7728-488: The Democrats' drop in popularity. The Whigs nominated William Henry Harrison as their candidate for the 1840 presidential race. Harrison won as the first president of the Whigs. However, he died in office a month later and was succeeded by his Vice President John Tyler . Tyler had recently left the Democrats for the Whigs and thus his beliefs did not align much with the Whig Party. During his presidency, he vetoed most of
7866-548: The Hudson County Democratic Party from Wittpenn. This allowed him to significantly influence the makeup of the commission in this overwhelmingly Democratic city. He soon built the organization into one of the most powerful political machines in the country. Hague himself became very wealthy, owning a $ 125,000 summer home in Deal , living in a large apartment in the best building in the city, and able to give
8004-527: The New Jersey State Assembly. Hague broke ties with "Boss" Davis in 1906 over a difference of opinion on a candidate for appointment to the city Street and Water Board. As a result, Hague supported H. Otto Wittpenn for mayor in the 1907 election. Wittpenn was a reformer who opposed the control Davis held over Hudson County politics. Over the objections of Davis, newly elected Mayor Wittpenn appointed Hague as chief custodian of City Hall –
8142-563: The Northeast. Former Democratic President Van Buren ran as the Free Soil nominee in 1848 and finished second ahead of Cass in the anti-slavery states of Vermont and Massachusetts and in his home state of New York. Had Cass won New York as Polk had 4 years prior, he would have won the election. Free Soils warned that rich slave owners would move into new territories such as Nebraska and buy up the best lands and work them with slaves. To protect
8280-474: The Northern and Southern wings. When the new Republican Party formed in 1854 on the basis of refusing to tolerate the expansion of slavery into the territories, many northern Democrats (especially Free Soilers from 1848) joined it. The formation of the new short-lived Know-Nothing Party allowed the Democrats to win the presidential election of 1856. Buchanan, a Northern " Doughface " (his base of support
8418-611: The Republican-controlled legislature gerrymandered a district within Jersey City in 1871 to concentrate and isolate Democratic, and mostly Catholic, votes. By age 14, Hague was expelled from school before completing the sixth grade for poor attendance and unacceptable behavior. He worked briefly as a blacksmith's apprentice for the Erie Railroad . While training at a local gym for his own potential debut as
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#17328019861068556-466: The Republicans to landslides in 1868 and 1872 . When a major economic depression hit the United States with the Panic of 1873 , the Democratic Party made major gains across the country, took full control of the South, and took control of Congress. The Democrats lost consecutive presidential elections from 1860 through 1880, nevertheless Democrats have won the popular vote in 1876 . Although
8694-544: The Republicans won their biggest landslide ever, taking full control of the House. The Democrats lost nearly all their seats in the Northeast. The third party Populists also were ruined. However, Cleveland's silverite enemies gained control of the Democratic Party in state after state, including full control in Illinois and Michigan and made major gains in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and other states. Wisconsin and Massachusetts were two of
8832-450: The Ring is such a commander. He dispenses places, rewards the loyal, punishes the mutinous, concocts schemes, negotiates treaties. He generally avoids publicity, preferring the substance to the pomp of power, and is all the more dangerous because he sits, like a spider, hidden in the midst of his web. He is a Boss. When asked if he was a boss, James Pendergast said simply, I've been called
8970-581: The Street and Water Department. Hague's work as head of the Department of Street Cleaners even convinced The Jersey Journal to endorse him as a "reform candidate" in the next election. In the spring of 1913, having gained confidence in his own ability to assure himself a place on the commission, Hague supported the renewed effort to change the Jersey City government from the Mayor-Council model to
9108-564: The Texas issue. John Mack Faragher 's analysis of the political polarization between the parties is: Most Democrats were wholehearted supporters of expansion, whereas many Whigs (especially in the North ) were opposed. Whigs welcomed most of the changes wrought by industrialization but advocated strong government policies that would guide growth and development within the country's existing boundaries; they feared (correctly) that expansion raised
9246-503: The Whig Party, which finally collapsed in 1852, fatally weakened by division on slavery and nativism . The fragmented opposition could not stop the election of Democrats Franklin Pierce in 1852 and James Buchanan in 1856 . The eight years during which Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan held the presidency were disasters; historians agree that they rank as among the worst presidents. The Party increasingly split along regional lines on
9384-641: The White House in 1968 and 1972, leading to the end of the New Deal era; however, the party became extremely successful in the House, holding it with a majority for 42 years (from 1953 until the Republican Revolution in 1995). Democrats have won five out of the last twelve presidential elections, winning in the presidential elections of 1992 and 1996 (with Bill Clinton , 1993–2001), 2008 and 2012 (with Barack Obama , 2009–2017), and 2020 (with Joe Biden , 2021–2025). Democrats have also won
9522-505: The agrarian and strict constructionist orthodoxies of the past and embraced commerce, technology, regulation, reform and internationalism. The movement attracted a circle of outstanding writers, including William Cullen Bryant , George Bancroft , Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne . They sought independence from European standards of high culture and wanted to demonstrate the excellence and exceptionalism of America's own literary tradition . In economic policy, Young America saw
9660-605: The annual end-year gift in 1989, LDP Party Headquarters gave $ 200,000 to every member of the Diet. Supporters collect benefits such as money payments distributed by politicians to voters in weddings, funerals, New year parties among other events, and ignore their patrons' wrongdoings in exchange. Political ties are held together by marriages between the families of elite politicians. Nisei , second generation political families, have grown increasingly numerous in Japanese politics, due to
9798-416: The artisan and the ordinary farmer – by ending federal support of banks and corporations and restricting the use of paper currency , which they distrusted. Their definition of the proper role of government tended to be negative, and Jackson's political power was largely expressed in negative acts. He exercised the veto more than all previous presidents combined. Jackson and his supporters also opposed reform as
9936-417: The ballot competing for five available seats on the commission. Hague finished fourth with 17,390 votes and was elected to the five-man commission. The only Wittpenn-supported candidate, A. Harry Moore , was also elected. As a result of having garnered the most votes (21,419) former mayor Fagan became the first mayor under this new form of government, and the only Republican to hold that title in Jersey City for
10074-533: The bill into law in 1854. The Act opened Kansas Territory and Nebraska Territory to a decision by the residents on whether slavery would be legal or not. Previously it had been illegal there. Thus the new law implicitly repealed the prohibition on slavery in territory north of 36° 30′ latitude that had been part of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Supporters and enemies of slavery poured into Kansas to vote slavery up or down. The armed conflict
10212-506: The blame. The party polarized between the pro-gold pro-business Cleveland faction and the anti-business silverites in the West and South. A fierce struggle inside the party ensued, with catastrophic losses for both the Bourbon and agrarian factions in 1894, leading to the showdown in 1896. Just before the 1894 election, President Cleveland was warned by an advisor: Aided by the deep nationwide economic depression that lasted from 1893 to 1897,
10350-448: The commission. Moore topped the poll, and traditional practice called for him to be appointed mayor. However, when the commission met for the first time on May 11, Hague was chosen as the new mayor. Technically, Hague's only responsibility as mayor was to appoint the school board. Otherwise, he was merely first among equals, with no powers over and above the other four commissioners. However, soon after taking office, he wrested control of
10488-408: The common heelers. Many machines formed in cities to serve immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th century who viewed machines as a vehicle for political enfranchisement . Machine workers helped win elections by turning out large numbers of voters on election day. It was in the machine's interests to only maintain a minimally winning amount of support. Once they were in the majority and could count on
10626-421: The construction of parks, schools, and public housing. He also worked to secure funding for public works projects and attracted new businesses to the city, which helped to boost its economy. Simultaneously Mayor Hague had a dark reputation for corruption, extortion and bossism and has been called "the grandaddy of Jersey bosses". By the time he left office in 1947, he enjoyed palatial homes, European vacations, and
10764-539: The convention, including those on slavery, taxes, and the possibility of a central bank. Regarding slavery, the Convention adopted the following resolution: Resolved, That congress has no power under the Constitution, to interfere with or control the domestic institutions of the several states, and that such states are the sole and proper judges of every thing appertaining to their own affairs, not prohibited by
10902-457: The day of the alleged offense. Both were threatened with perjury charges. Upon returning to Jersey City, Hague was found guilty of contempt of court for ignoring the subpoena. He was fined $ 100 and stripped of his duties as Deputy Sheriff. In spite of the resulting press coverage of the event, Hague was more deeply embraced by his constituency. Thomas Smith wrote: "But to the residents of the Horseshoe, Frank Hague had gone out of his way to help
11040-485: The effort to implement a new constitution , which streamlined state government and made it less vulnerable to control by locally based bosses like Hague. For example, county prosecutors were now directly accountable to the state attorney general. It also set up a new state Supreme Court , which was given supervision over the state's judges. As the first Chief Justice, Driscoll appointed an old Hague foe, Arthur T. Vanderbilt . Driscoll also installed voting machines throughout
11178-614: The end for Hague came in 1943, when former governor Walter Edge was returned to office. Edge's attorney general, Walter Van Riper , initiated several prosecutions of Hague cronies. Hague retaliated by having his handpicked U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey bring federal indictments against Van Riper, but Van Riper was acquitted. Edge also initiated reforms in the civil service, freeing it from Hague's control. Edge's successor, fellow Republican Alfred Driscoll , succeeded in further curbing Hague's power over state government. He led
11316-400: The enemy of individual liberty. The 1824 " corrupt bargain " had strengthened their suspicion of Washington politics. ... Jacksonians feared the concentration of economic and political power. They believed that government intervention in the economy benefited special-interest groups and created corporate monopolies that favored the rich. They sought to restore the independence of the individual –
11454-474: The few states that remained under the control of Cleveland's allies. The opposition Democrats were close to controlling two-thirds of the vote at the 1896 national convention , which they needed to nominate their own candidate. However, they were not united and had no national leader, as Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld had been born in Germany and was ineligible to be nominated for president. However,
11592-769: The following 75 years. Hague was named public safety commissioner, with control over the police and fire departments. In the same year, Hague cemented his control of the Hudson County political machine by securing for himself the leadership of the Hudson County Democratic Organization Executive Committee. Hague immediately set about reshaping the corrupt Jersey City police force with tough Horseshoe recruits. Hague spearheaded crackdowns on prostitution and narcotics trafficking , earning him favor with religious leaders. These enforcement acts went as far as Hague himself marching across local Vaudeville stages personally directing
11730-432: The influence of the working-class and consolidate power among the city's elite. Wittpenn's opponents successfully petitioned for a change in the date of the vote on the charter change, moving it from September to mid-July, and the proposal was defeated. As a result of this campaign, Hague came under the scrutiny of The Jersey Journal , which had supported the proposed charter change. It was reported that Hague's older brother,
11868-480: The informal or extralegal aides provided by machines. In the 1940s most of the big city machines collapsed, with the exception of Chicago. A local political machine in Tennessee in the 1930s and 1940s was forcibly removed in what was known as the 1946 Battle of Athens . Smaller communities such as Parma, Ohio , in the post–Cold War era under Prosecutor Bill Mason's "Good Old Boys" and especially communities in
12006-507: The issue of slavery in the territories. When the new Republican Party formed in 1854, many anti-slavery ("Free Soil") Democrats in the North switched over and joined it. In 1860 two Democrats ran for president and the United States was moving rapidly toward civil war. The 1840s and 1850s were the heyday of a new faction of young Democrats called " Young America ". It was led by Stephen A. Douglas , James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce and New York financier August Belmont . This new faction broke with
12144-476: The key Whig bills. The Whigs disowned him. This allowed for the Democrats to retake power in 1845. Foreign policy was a major issue in the 1840s as war threatened with Mexico over Texas and with Britain over Oregon. Democrats strongly supported Manifest Destiny and most Whigs strongly opposed it. The 1844 election was a showdown, with the Democrat James K. Polk narrowly defeating Whig Henry Clay on
12282-521: The largest plurality of Wittpenn votes of any of Jersey City's 12 wards. Davis then arranged the appointment of Fagan to the Hudson County Tax Board. When Wittpenn's administration began facing troubles, including Fagan's discovery of a Pennsylvania Railroad property that had paid no taxes for four years, Wittpenn blamed Davis. Seeking to curb the influence of Davis, Wittpenn announced his candidacy for Governor, stating "I have endured
12420-553: The law! These boys go to work!" – speech on city government to the Emory Methodist Episcopal Church in Jersey City, November 10, 1937. History of the Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties of the United States political system and the oldest active political party in the country , as well as in the world. The Democratic Party
12558-799: The lead of the Fire-Eaters by walking out of the Democratic National Convention at Charleston 's Institute Hall in April 1860. They were later joined by those who, once again led by the Fire-Eaters, left the Baltimore Convention the following June when the convention rejected a resolution supporting extending slavery into territories whose voters did not want it. The Southern Democrats, also referred to as Seceders, nominated John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky,
12696-465: The machine as long as possible, but patience is no longer a virtue." Davis, in turn, prevailed upon Woodrow Wilson , then President of Princeton University , to oppose Wittpenn's candidacy. Wilson's victory was overwhelming even in Hague's ward, despite heavy-handed tactics used there. The Jersey Journal wrote: "Cops on duty were using clubs and blackjacks to assist Mayor Wittpenn and Frank Hague defeat
12834-450: The machine worked: The organization of a party in our city is really much like that of an army. There is one great central boss, assisted by some trusted and able lieutenants; these communicate with the different district bosses, whom they alternately bully and assist. The district boss in turn has a number of half-subordinates, half-allies, under him; these latter choose the captains of the election districts, etc., and come into contact with
12972-599: The machines. In the 1930s, James A. Farley was the chief dispenser of the Democratic Party's patronage system through the Post Office and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) which eventually nationalized many of the job benefits machines provided. The New Deal allowed machines to recruit for the WPA and Civilian Conservation Corps , making Farley's machine the most powerful. All patronage
13110-670: The main driving force in gaining and getting out the "right party vote" in the election districts. The term "political machine" dates back to the 19th century in the United States, where such organizations have existed in some municipalities and states since the 18th century. In the late 19th century, large cities in the United States— Boston , Chicago , Cleveland , Kansas City , New York City , Philadelphia , St. Louis , Memphis —were accused of using political machines. During this time "cities experienced rapid growth under inefficient government". Each city's machine lived under
13248-479: The middle class, who were shocked at the malfeasance and did not need the financial help. The corruption of urban politics in the United States was denounced by private citizens. They achieved national and state civil-service reform and worked to replace local patronage systems with civil service . By Theodore Roosevelt 's time, the Progressive Era mobilized millions of private citizens to vote against
13386-399: The national level, influencing federal patronage, and presidential campaigns. Francis "Frank" Hague, born in Jersey City, was the fourth of eight children to John D. and Margaret Hague (née Fagen), immigrants from County Cavan , Ireland. He was raised in Jersey City's Second ward, an area known as The Horseshoe due to its shape which wrapped around a railroad loop. The ward was created when
13524-598: The necessity of a modern infrastructure with railroads, canals, telegraphs, turnpikes and harbors. They endorsed the " market revolution " and promoted capitalism . They called for Congressional land grants to the states, which allowed Democrats to claim that internal improvements were locally rather than federally sponsored. Young America claimed that modernization would perpetuate the agrarian vision of Jeffersonian democracy by allowing yeomen farmers to sell their products and therefore to prosper. They tied internal improvements to free trade , while accepting moderate tariffs as
13662-493: The new groups. Hague had little tolerance for those who dared oppose him publicly. He relied on two ordinances of dubious constitutionality to muzzle critics. A 1920 ordinance effectively required people making political speeches to obtain clearance from the chief of police. A 1930 ordinance gave the public safety commissioner—Hague himself—the power to turn down permits for meetings if he felt it necessary to prevent "riots, disturbances or disorderly assemblage." The latter ordinance
13800-565: The nomination, Hague offered to organize the biggest political rally anyone had ever seen if Roosevelt would launch his presidential campaign in New Jersey. When Roosevelt formally began his campaign with an event at the Jersey Shore town of Sea Girt, Hague's machine made sure there were several thousand Hudson County voters looking on and cheering. Hague's support was rewarded with funding for a massive medical center complex complete with
13938-443: The overwhelming northern opposition to equal rights for black men. When Whig Vice President Millard Fillmore replaced Taylor, Democrats in Congress led by Stephen Douglas passed the Compromise of 1850 designed to avoid civil war by putting the slavery issue to rest while resolving issues involving territories gained following the War with Mexico. However, in state after state the Democrats gained small but permanent advantages over
14076-730: The party dominated during the Fifth Party System , which lasted from 1932 until about the 1970s. In response to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression , the party employed social liberal policies and programs with the New Deal coalition to combat financial crises and emergency bank closings, with policies continuing into World War II . The party kept the White House after Roosevelt's death in April 1945, electing Harry S. Truman in 1948 to
14214-576: The party from the early 1830s to the 1850s, shaping the Second Party System , with the Whig Party as the main opposition. After the disappearance of the Federalists after 1815 and the Era of Good Feelings (1816–1824), there was a hiatus of weakly organized personal factions until about 1828–1832, when the modern Democratic Party emerged along with its rival, the Whigs. The new Democratic Party became
14352-466: The party platforms, acceptance speeches of candidates, editorials, pamphlets and stump speeches , there was a widespread consensus of political values among Democrats. As a textbook coauthored by Mary Beth Norton explains: The Democrats represented a wide range of views but shared a fundamental commitment to the Jeffersonian concept of an agrarian society . They viewed the central government as
14490-541: The passing of the coffin. One woman present held an American Flag and a sign that read, "God have mercy on his sinful, greedy soul." Hague was interred in a large mausoleum at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City. Hague's pride and joy was the Jersey City Medical Center , which he began creating almost as soon as he became mayor. By the 1940s it had grown into a 10-building complex that provided virtually free medical care to Jersey City residents. At
14628-451: The police department's lackadaisical work ethic, punishing offenses that had gone unpunished for years. He also made much-needed improvements to the fire department; at the time he took office Jersey City's fire insurance rates were among the highest in the nation. Upon discovering in early 1916 that millions of pounds of munitions were being stockpiled on the Jersey City waterfront, Hague travelled to Washington, D.C. to register concerns for
14766-629: The presence of a "third ticket," Kenny's ticket was able to oust the Hague/Eggers ticket from power, ending Hague's 32-year rule. Kenny soon set up a machine which proved every bit as corrupt as Hague's, but far less efficient at providing services. Hague died on New Year's Day in 1956 at his 480 Park Avenue duplex apartment in Manhattan, New York City. While hundreds gathered to see the casket depart Quinn's funeral home on Academy Street in Jersey City, only four men were seen to remove their hats for
14904-438: The president that a Jersey City machine functionary was reading the mail of one of Hague’s political enemies. Emphasizing that he had hard evidence, Farley proposed prosecuting Hague for both mail tampering and tax evasion. Roosevelt vetoed the idea responding to Farley: “Forget prosecution. You go tell Frank to knock it off. … But keep this quiet. We need Hague’s support and we want New Jersey.” In 1932, Governor Moore appointed
15042-591: The pro-slavery incumbent vice president, for president and General Joseph Lane , former governor of Oregon, for vice president. The Northern Democrats proceeded to nominate Douglas of Illinois for president and former governor of Georgia Herschel Vespasian Johnson for vice president, while some southern Democrats joined the Constitutional Union Party , backing former Senator John Bell of Tennessee for president and politician Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice president. This fracturing of
15180-428: The races after 1872 were very close they did not win the presidency until 1884 . The party was weakened by its record of opposition to the war, but nevertheless benefited from White Southerners ' resentment of Reconstruction and consequent hostility to the Republican Party. The nationwide depression of 1873 allowed the Democrats to retake control of the House in the 1874 Democratic landslide . The Redeemers gave
15318-462: The reforming Democratic Governor of New York, won the Presidency, a feat he repeated in 1892 , having lost in the election of 1888 . Cleveland was the leader of the Bourbon Democrats . They represented business interests, supported banking and railroad goals, promoted laissez-faire capitalism, opposed imperialism and U.S. overseas expansion, opposed the annexation of Hawaii , fought for
15456-729: The safety of his constituents. His meetings with Congressmen resulted in no action, Congress having decided that Jersey City was an "appropriate port." Hague's concerns were shown to be valid in July 1916 when the Black Tom explosion sent shrapnel flying across the city. In 1917, Hague, with his reputation as the man who cleaned up the police force, ran for reelection. He put together a commission ticket called "The Unbossed." The ticket consisted of him, Parks Commissioner Moore, Revenue Commissioner George Brensinger, ex-judge Charles F.X. O'Brien and City Clerk Michael I. Fagan. It swept all five spots on
15594-540: The same time, as Dennis R. Judd and Todd Swanstrom suggest in City Politics that this view accompanied the common belief that there were no viable alternatives. They go on to point out that this is a falsehood, since there are certainly examples of reform oriented, anti-machine leaders during this time. In his mid-2016 article "How American Politics Went Insane" in The Atlantic , Jonathan Rauch argued that
15732-478: The second-worst American big-city mayor to have served between the years 1820 and 1993. "We hear about constitutional rights, free speech and the free press. Every time I hear those words I say to myself, 'That man is a Red, that man is a Communist.' You never heard a real American talk in that manner." – speech to the Jersey City Chamber of Commerce, January 12, 1938. "Listen, here is the law! I am
15870-491: The shut down of "girlie shows." At the heart of this change was an inner cadre of officers known as the Zeppelin Squad or "zepps" who were personally loyal to Hague alone. The "zepps" would spy on, and report back to Hague about other members of the department. Eventually, Jersey City had one patrolman for every 3,000 residents, causing a marked decline in the city's once-astronomical crime rate. Hague took steps to curb
16008-639: The spending demands of special interests. In Mayors and Money , a comparison of municipal government in Chicago and New York, Ester R. Fuchs credited the Cook County Democratic Organization with giving Mayor Richard J. Daley the political power to deny labor union contracts that the city could not afford and to make the state government assume burdensome costs like welfare and courts. Describing New York, Fuchs wrote, "New York got reform, but it never got good government." At
16146-508: The state legislature. Hague was able to stay in power despite a nearly constant effort to turn him out of office from 1921 onward. He was also able to avoid prosecution despite numerous federal and state investigations in part because he took most of his kickbacks in cash. However, from the early 1940s onward, many of the city's longer-tenured ethnic groups started moving to the suburbs. They were replaced by Poles, Italians, Eastern Europeans and African-Americans. Hague never adapted his methods to
16284-467: The state, which made it harder for corrupt politicians to steal elections. Seeing the writing on the wall, Hague abruptly announced his retirement in 1947. However, he was able to have his nephew, Frank Hague Eggers , chosen as his successor. It was generally understood that Hague still held the real power. This ended in 1949 when John V. Kenny , a former Hague ward leader alienated by the appointment of Eggers, put together his own commission ticket. Due to
16422-601: The time of its completion, the Medical Center was one of the biggest medical facilities in the country and included the Medical Center Hospital, Pollak Chest Diseases Hospital, Murdoch Hall, and Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital, named in honor of Hague's mother. The buildings, funded in part through federal funds obtained by Hague, are known for their Art Deco details, including marble walls, terrazzo floors, etched glass, and decorative moldings. Even at
16560-524: The time the Medical Center was too large to operate cost-effectively. In 2005 the 14 acre complex (much of which had fallen into disuse) was sold to a private developer who began converting two towers into a luxury condominium complex called the Beacon . A 1993 survey of historians, political scientists and urban experts conducted by Melvin G. Holli of the University of Illinois at Chicago ranked Hague as
16698-419: The two departments with the most patronage appointments in the city. This post also placed responsibility for maintaining public order in his hands. Hague soon extended his influence statewide by helping to elect his "puppets" as governor. In the 1919 gubernatorial election, Hague endorsed State Senator Edward I. Edwards and aggressively campaigned for him. Edwards carried Hudson County by 50,000 votes, which
16836-487: The white farmer it was essential therefore to keep the soil "free"—that is without slavery. In 1852, with a less well known nominee than Van Buren, the free soil movement was much smaller, consisting primarily of former members of the Liberty Party and some abolitionists. It hedged on the question of full equality, as the majority wanted some form of racial separation to allow space for black activism without alienating
16974-463: The word jiban (literally "base" or "foundation") is the word used for political machines. For decades, the LDP was able to dominate rural constituencies by spending heavily on rural areas, forming clientelist bonds with many groups and especially agriculture. Japanese political factional leaders are expected to distribute mochidai (literally snack-money) funds to help subordinates win elections. For
17112-486: Was Bleeding Kansas and it shook the nation. A major realignment took place among voters and politicians. The Whig Party fell apart and the new Republican Party was founded in opposition to the expansion of slavery and to the Kansas–Nebraska Act . The new party had little support in the South, but it soon became a majority in the North by pulling together former Whigs and former Free Soil Democrats. The crisis for
17250-528: Was Woodrow Wilson . Republican Benjamin Harrison won a narrow victory in 1888. The party pushed through a large agenda, and raised the McKinley Tariff and federal spending so high it was used against them as Democrats scored a landslide in the 1890 elections. Harrison was easily defeated for reelection in 1892 by Cleveland. The Bourbons were in power when the Panic of 1893 hit and they took
17388-487: Was appointed as a deputy sheriff at a salary of $ 25 per week. Over this time, Hague took a leadership role in the Second Ward Democratic club. In the 1901 Mayoral election, Republican Mark M. Fagan was elected. Hague's second ward was one of only two that voted Democratic. Hague survived a Republican challenge for a third term as Constable the following year. As a ward leader, Hague was approached by
17526-610: Was at the center and was bound together to a complex organization of lesser figures (the political machine) by reciprocity in promoting financial and social self-interest. One of the most infamous of these political machines was Tammany Hall , the Democratic Party machine that played a major role in controlling New York City and New York politics and helping immigrants, most notably the Irish, rise up in American politics from
17664-488: Was enough for him to win statewide by just under 15,000 votes. Hague proclaimed himself leader of the New Jersey Democratic Party, and Edwards allowed him to recommend dozens of appointments to high state offices. Democrats won five out of eight gubernatorial races between 1919 and 1940, more often than not due to massive landslides in Hudson County. However, he was never able to extend his dominance to
17802-413: Was founded in 1828. It is also the oldest active voter-based political party in the world. The party has changed significantly during its nearly two centuries of existence. Once known as the party of the "common man", the early Democratic Party stood for individual rights and state sovereignty, and opposed banks and high tariffs. In the first decades of its existence, from 1832 to the mid-1850s (known as
17940-528: Was gaining strength. The most intense anti-war elements were the Copperheads. The Democratic Party did well in the 1862 congressional elections , but in 1864 it nominated General George McClellan (a War Democrat) on a peace platform and lost badly because many War Democrats bolted to National Union candidate Abraham Lincoln. Many former Douglas Democrats became Republicans, especially soldiers such as generals Ulysses S. Grant and John A. Logan . In
18078-530: Was in the pro-slavery South), split the party on the issue of slavery in Kansas when he attempted to pass a federal slave code as demanded by the South. Most Democrats in the North rallied to Senator Douglas, who preached " Popular Sovereignty " and believed that a Federal slave code would be undemocratic. In 1860 , the Democrats split over the choice of a successor to President Buchanan along Northern and Southern lines. Some Southern Democratic delegates followed
18216-439: Was known for its populism. Historian Frank Towers has specified an important ideological divide: Democrats stood for the 'sovereignty of the people' as expressed in popular demonstrations, constitutional conventions, and majority rule as a general principle of governing, whereas Whigs advocated the rule of law, written and unchanging constitutions, and protections for minority interests against majority tyranny. At its inception,
18354-519: Was organized in the mid-1850s from the ruins of the Whig Party and Free Soil Democrats. It was dominant in presidential politics from 1860 to 1928. The Democrats elected only two Presidents during this period: Grover Cleveland (in 1884 and 1892) and Woodrow Wilson (in 1912 and 1916). Over the same period, the Democrats proved more competitive with the Republicans in Congressional politics , enjoying House of Representatives majorities (as in
18492-488: Was papered over at the 1852 and 1856 conventions by selecting men who had little involvement in sectionalism, but they made matters worse. Historian Roy F. Nichols explains why Franklin Pierce was not up to the challenges a Democratic president had to face: In 1854, Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois—a key Democratic leader in the Senate—pushed the Kansas–Nebraska Act through Congress. President Franklin Pierce signed
18630-423: Was screened through Farley, including presidential appointments. The New Deal machine fell apart after he left the administration over the third term issue in 1940 . Those agencies were, for the most part, abolished in 1943, and the machines suddenly lost much of their patronage. The formerly poor immigrants who had benefited under Farley's national machine had become assimilated and prosperous, and no longer needed
18768-533: Was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States , but continued to be enforced for several years after that decision. The police were also allowed to stop and search anyone without probable cause or a warrant after 9 pm. In 1932, Hague, a friend of Al Smith, backed Smith against Franklin D. Roosevelt during the race for the Democratic nomination. When Roosevelt won
18906-446: Was the first at which the party adopted a platform. Delegates reaffirmed their belief that the Constitution was the primary guide for each state's political affairs. To them, this meant that all roles of the federal government not specifically defined fell to each respective state government, including such responsibilities as debt created by local projects. Decentralized power and states' rights pervaded each and every resolution adopted at
19044-653: Was weakest in New England , but strong everywhere else and won most national elections thanks to strength in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia (by far the most populous states at the time) and the American frontier . Democrats opposed elites and aristocrats, the Bank of the United States and the whiggish modernizing programs that would build up industry at the expense of the yeoman or independent small farmer. The party
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