One of the quickest and best ways to get a feel for the overall course of American political history is to read through the inaugural addresses of the presidents on the Bartleby "Great Books Online" site. Please select *one* of the inaugural addresses from the period we have been studying. Read through the address and cite here a line that seems to you particularly important. Try to find a line that might help you and others reading the blog prepare for one of the exam study questions, e.g., the question on the quality of the men elected to the presidency during this period. Garfield's address might be particularly useful since his time as president was so brief and there is little else to evaluate him on.Ulysses S. Grant: First Inaugural Address, Second Inaugural Address
Rutherford B. Hayes
James A. Garfield
Grover Cleveland: First Inaugural
Benjamin Harrison
From President Hayes Inaugural address: “I am sincerely anxious to use every legitimate influence in favor of honest and efficient local self-government as the true resource of those States for the promotion of the contentment and prosperity of their citizens.”
ReplyDeleteI am commenting on this passage, not so much because of anything Pres. Hayes did specifically, but because I know that he never made good on this campaign promise. The States have no rights today, no way could they have had any after the civil war. This is just more lip service. There is NOTHING that is not regulated by the FEDERAL government. The air we breath, the water we drink, the cars we drive, and even what we watch on TV is controlled by Big Brother. Even when states have attempted to pass laws their own voters petition to get on the ballets, in comes “The man” to say, “Sorry if 64% of your voters feel that way, daddy said no!” I wouldn't want to be a citizen of any other country, but I sure don't believe we live in a democracy.
From McKinleys 1st- "The responsibilities of the high trust to which I have been called—always of grave importance—are augmented by the prevailing business conditions entailing idleness upon willing labor and loss to useful enterprises. The country is suffering from industrial disturbances from which speedy relief must be had. Our financial system needs some revision; our money is all good now, but its value must not further be threatened."
ReplyDeleteI don't think he was rightfully president... I think Bryon should have been. It's too bad that a 3rd party will probably never win office. However, this seems to be one thing a president as stuck to, as McKinley pulled the country from a recession.... but I think ever since this country has only gone downhill.
-Chad Pederson