Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 19.djvu/849

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UNITED STATES.
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UNITED STATES.

annum, but failed to pass the Senate, which was Republican. At this session of Congress the largest appropriation for rivers and harbors ever known was made. It amounted to $22,227,000, and became law without the President's signature.

At the Democratic Convention of 1888, Cleveland was nominated for President, with Allen G. Thurman, of Ohio, as the candidate for Vice-President. The Republicans nominated Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, and Levi P. Morton, of New York. The Prohibition Party put forward as its candidates Clinton B. Fisk, of New Jersey, and John A. Brooks, of Missouri. The campaign was fought out largely on the tariff questions raised by Cleveland's message of 1887, and resulted in the choice of the Republican candidates, who received 233 electoral votes, as against 168 cast for the Democratic nominees, the popular vote for Cleveland, however (5,540,329), exceeding that of Harrison (5,439,853). The Prohibition ticket received 249,406 votes, and the Union Labor candidate, Alson J. Streeter, 140,935 votes.

XXVI. Administration of Benjamin Harrison (1889-93). Cabinet.—Secretary of State, James G. Blaine, Maine, March 7, 1889. Secretary of the Treasury, William Windom, Minnesota, March 7, 1889; Charles Foster, Ohio, February 21, 1891. Secretary of War, Redfield Proctor, Vermont, March 7, 1889. Attorney-General, W. H. H. Miller, Indiana, March 7, 1889. Postmaster-General, John Wanamaker, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1889. Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin F. Tracy, New York, March 7, 1889. Secretary of the Interior, John W. Noble, Missouri, March 7, 1889. Secretary of Agriculture, Jeremiah M. Rusk, Wisconsin, March 7, 1889.

The administration of Harrison witnessed a remarkable growth of public interest in the foreign relations of the United States, both commercially and otherwise. One cause of this is to be found in the meeting of the so-called Pan-American Congress at Washington, October 21, 1889, under the presidency of Secretary Blaine, which did much to foster a popular sentiment in favor of commercial reciprocity between the United States and the other American republics. This policy, warmly advocated by Blaine, found expression in the so-called ‘reciprocity section’ of the important bill for the revision of the tariff prepared by William McKinley (q.v.). of Ohio, which passed both Houses of Congress and became a law October 1, 1890. (For other provisions of the bill, see Tariff.) Under this section reciprocity treaties were early negotiated with Brazil and Spain, and the principle was thereafter strikingly developed.

Several diplomatic difficulties of more or less seriousness had arisen between the United States and foreign Powers within a few years. Among these had been complications growing out of a state of anarchy on the Isthmus of Panama, the United States Government, in accordance with its treaty obligations, being required to send an armed force to protect the Isthmus. A dispute with Germany over the Samoan Islands (q.v.) in 1889 had also taken a serious aspect, though finally arranged in an amicable manner by a treaty signed at Berlin (February 4, 1890). A serious disagreement with England also arose in 1890-91 regarding the rights of this country acquired in Bering Sea by our treaty with Russia, and was referred to arbitration in 1891. The question was finally settled in 1893. (See Bering Sea Controversy.) The lynching of several Italians by a mob in New Orleans, in 1891, led to something like a diplomatic rupture with Italy, which recalled its Minister from Washington. In October, 1891, difficulties arose with Chile in consequence of a murderous assault upon American seamen in Valparaiso.

In November, 1889, four States, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington, were admitted into the Union. On May 2, 1890. the new Territory of Oklahoma (q.v.) was organized, and Idaho (July 3d) and Wyoming (July 11th) were admitted as States. Other events of importance during Harrison's administration were the passage in 1890 of the Dependent Pension Bill, which nearly doubled the number of pensioners; the repeal of the Bland-Allison Silver Coinage Act; the passage of the Sherman Silver Purchase and Coinage Act, requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase 4,500,000 ounces of silver each month and to coin 2,000,000 ounces into silver dollars each month until July 1, 1891; and the labor disturbances at Homestead, Pa.

The close of Harrison's administration witnessed a serious financial panic. An event of international importance was the overthrow of the monarchy in Hawaii by the foreign residents, and the application made by the new Government for annexation of the islands to the United States. The President sent a treaty of annexation to the Senate (February, 1893), but it was not acted upon. See Hawaiian Islands.

The conventions of the two great political parties had been held in June, 1892. The Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland, of New York, for the Presidency, and Adlai E. Stevenson, of Illinois, for the Vice-Presidency. The Republican Convention renominated President Harrison for the Presidency and selected Whitelaw Reid, of New York, for the Vice-Presidency. The People's Party, or Populists, nominated Generals J. B. Weaver, of Iowa, and James G. Field, of Virginia. The ensuing campaign was largely conducted on the question of the tariff, and resulted in the election of Cleveland and Stevenson, who received 277 electoral votes, as against 145 for Harrison and Reid, and 22 for Weaver and Field.

XXVII. Second Administration of Grover Cleveland (1893-97). Cabinet.—Secretary of State, Walter Q. Gresham, Indiana, March 6, 1893; Richard Olney, Massachusetts, June 10, 1895. Secretary of the Treasury, John G. Carlisle, Kentucky, March 6, 1893. Secretary of War, Daniel S. Lamont, New York, March 6, 1893. Secretary of the Navy, Hilary A. Herbert, Alabama, March 6, 1893. Secretary of the Interior, Hoke Smith, Georgia, March 6, 1893. Attorney-General, Richard Olney, Massachusetts, March 6, 1893; Judson Harmon, Ohio. Postmaster-General, Wilson S. Bissell, New York, March 6, 1893; William L. Wilson, West Virginia, March, 1895. Secretary of Agriculture, J. Sterling Morton, Nebraska, March 6, 1893.

In his second administration the President applied himself particularly to the promotion of tariff and financial reforms, and this period was marked by the intense and persistent opposition of his own party in both Houses of Congress. His earliest act of importance was the with-