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The Presidents: 1836-1936 - An Interactive US AAR

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Legislation proposed by the Department of Agriculture:

1. FARM PROTECTION ACT
- Recognition of Farmers Alliances and granting them power to meet with government officials.

2. INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT
- Establishes the Bureau of Interstate Railroad Regulation, to be headed by a commission of five members appointed by the President.
- The BIRR shall ensure fair rates, eliminate rate discrimination, and promote competition.
- The BIRR shall hear complaints and issue cease and desist orders to combat unfair practices.
- The BIRR shall have the right to publish and distribute information on rate discrimination or other unfair practices.
- Railroads shall maintain safe standards in rolling stock, infrastructure, and offices and shall utilize the newest possible technology to ensure and promote safety for employees.
- Railroads acting as common carriers and operating both passenger and freight services shall transport passengers and freight without delay or discrimination.
- Railroads shall respect indivdual, communal, state, or federal objections to construction or improvements on common land. Additionally, landowners and tenants shall be compensated for construction, improvements, or other disturbances or damage.
- Consolidation or common control of parallel railroads is prohibited.
- Trusts or revenue pools shall not be formed between railroads.

3. Tariffs rates for any good or commodity shall not exceed 30%.
 
((Maybe, NO!, and yes... that's all I have to say about those proposals...))
 
Ermm...

Yeah, within two hours of each other will probably have to be stretched, but the update on Hayden is almost done.
 
Hayden (2nd Term): End of an Era​

The election of 1897 proved to be the most hard-fought since that of 1861. The average American, though opposed to the monopolies and their most blatant abuses of power, and further enraged by events at Devine, still felt animosity to anti-trust for its unprecedented intervention in the economy. Despite almost every post-Civil War president’s election-time support of intervention, in practice the economy had been left alone in all but the most extreme situations. Anti-trust was a measure that would intervene in a prosperous situation.
Richard Orleans’ campaign used this distrust of anti-trust to full effect. He portrayed it as being the first step in complete government control of the economy. Walsh had tried state capitalism, and it had failed; now Hayden and Harrison sought to try it again. The Federal-Democratic Party on the other hand, concentrated on Orleans’ weak spot, his position as a Titan of industry. Not many a debate or rally went by without a mention of Devine. In the end, it was Harrison’s clout in New England states that brought the Federal votes from Orleans-Khur to Hayden-Harrison.

election1897.jpg

1. Results for the Election of 1897.​

Joe Hayden thus became the first president since Michael Jamous to be re-elected. His first action was to appoint his Vice-President as head of the team of lawyers and constitutional scholars that would draft up federal anti-trust laws. The team soon became known as “the Trust Busters”, and Harrison, due to being the face of the team and the man who introduced anti-trust, now became known as “Trust Buster” [1]. Hayden’s primary objective thus became to get the laws they created passed.
When the first federal anti-trust law was signed by President Hayden on November 12th 1897, it had been passed by the narrow margin of 212 to 188. The law, called the Harrison Anti-Trust Act, or Harrison Act, which was based on the Herfindahl-Smith Index of Monopoly [2], would break up any company with a HSI number of more than 0.40 into smaller companies. The original company’s stockholders could own at most 30% of the new companies, but were barred from the board of directors of those companies.
The next anti-trust law was signed three days alter, and passed almost unanimously. It originated from Trust Buster William Taggarman; whose prime concern was that anti-trust might become a weapon for corrupt politicians. It barred members of the Federal Government with stocks in a company that operated in the same market as the proposed defendant from filing anti-trust suits. By 1900, 43 states would have similar laws applying to their state legislatures.
The first anti-trust case under the Harrison Act was filed by Harrison himself against Standard Oil. The law was clearly brought to Rockefeller first because of Standard Oil’s involvement at Devine. The Trust Busters had an incredible stroke of luck in that Rockefeller himself had become a supporter of anti-trust as a means of making amends for Devine. Standard Oil’s lawyers were thus left to fight against Harrison without the help of the man who created the company.

sldavislawyer.jpg

2. Samuel Lee Davis, former President and Standard Oil’s Defense Lawyer.​

Samuel Lee Davis’ defense was seriously hampered by John D. Rockefeller’s time on the witness stand, during which Rockefeller essentially said that he believed Standard Oil deserved to be broken up. The case lasted two months before Standard Oil was deemed to be in a monopoly position, and broken into ten different companies. John D. Rockefeller stayed as head of the company, and Standard Oil eventually managed to recover from the initial shock of dismantlement, becoming the world’s foremost oil company again by 1901.
It was the battles against Howard Industries and United Fruit that eventually became the slugfest Harrison had feared and the Titans had been waiting for. Here, Lee Davis took the offense by surprise with his vigor. He initiated a two-pronged assault, first for Howard Industries and United Fruit’s defense by calling into question the definitions used to determine the markets the companies supposedly dominated. Second, he attacked anti-trust itself by calling the constitutionality of the Harrison Act into question.
The battle against United Fruit became a bitter contest between prosecutor Erica Hayden-Vallejo and Davis. The two sparred over constitutional matters with such ferocity, that in one session the judge was forced to eject both Davis and Hayden-Vallejo from the room after the two ended up trading insults instead of arguments. Richard Orleans meanwhile embarked on a persistent campaign to repeal the Harrison Act itself. He came up against the President, who promised to veto any kind of repeal.
It was however, the battle between James Harrison and Alfred Howard that became the centerpiece of the turn of the century’s anti-trust campaign. The reason for this was the bitterness between Harrison and Howard that existed even before anti-trust. Harrison’s first wife, Eveline Howard, Alfred’s sister, had accused Harrison of adultery during their ugly divorce. This had forced Harrison to resign as Senator for Pennsylvania, and had kept him out of politics for 9 years [3].

alfredhoward.jpg

3. Alfred Howard, c. 1900.​

Davis’ market share defense prompted the Trust busters to create an amendment to the Harrison Act, which determined each market. Working with numerous economists and lawyers, the amendment was not finished until May 1899. Until then, Howard, Davis, Hayden-Vallejo and Harrison were indefinitely locked in legal combat. In the State v. Howard Industries case, the deadlock was most evident, as the press, starved for actual legal arguments, resorted to rehashing the Harrison-Howard feud.
Hayden however, had more on his plate than anti-trust. In foreign affairs, the sky continued to grow darker. The Russo-German War began in August 1897, over a border dispute between Germany and Russia. The initial battles went in the Germans’ favor. However, by late 1898, after more than a year of bloodshed, through shear force of numbers the Russian army had occupied most of the Russo-German border, and was poised to overrun East Prussia. Hayden turned a blind eye to the frantic political maneuverings in Europe as the delicate balance of power that kept the continent in swing shifted. He was more concerned with South America.
The battle for influence in Colombia finally began in earnest in 1897, when the UPCA refused to give in to American demands that they cease negotiations with Panamanian nationalists. The UPCA gave the Colombian government the option of signing a trading treaty with them, or having the UPCA invade Panama. With the Americans seemingly too busy talking anti-trust to listen to them, the Colombian government signed the Treaty of Panama.

treatyofpanama.jpg

4. Central American troops at the Colombia-UPCA border during the “Panama Crisis”.​

This forced Hayden to act when Federals, ACP and Democrats alike clamored that American authority and security was under threat. Hayden thus set about undermining the UPCA in Colombia and at home. In Colombia, he had the US 3rd Fleet, which included the second largest warship in the world, the USS Fuller, make a very public pass through the Panama Canal. Two days later, Hayden demanded that Colombia deny the Treaty of Panama. As insurance to the government, Hayden told the Colombian president of his plan to fund Nicaraguan and Salvadorian nationalists in the UPCA.
This insurance worked wonders. The UPCA was forced to withdraw its troops from the Colombian border to deal with rebels who had suddenly acquired modern weapons and abundant supplies. Farther South however, Hayden was forced to accept an erosion of American influence as Brazil and Ecuador both signed military treaties with Chile. He was saved from criticism by his handling of the more significant Panama Crisis, and the continued growth of the economy.
The US economy indeed picked up quickly after the slump of 1893-96. It moved to catch up with lost time, and American GDP grew by 22% between January 1897 and June 1899. Hayden’s second term however, was cut short by the events of June 6th 1899. As the amendment to the Harrison Act was cutting apart Davis’ market definition defense, and the constitutionality argument was reaching its height, the president was shot.

haydenassassination.jpg

5. A drawing of Hayden’s assassination.​

The president was attending a gathering of Democratic supporters when a young man named George Banner showed up. Banner had been kicked out of the ACP for saying that Hayden should “die in office so that we’ll be rid of that socialist bastard”. The local ACP organizer had deemed Banner’s statement to be “not only morally reprehensible, but the most treasonous thing I’d heard since I talked to an anarchist at a party in 1870. Banner evidently decided to take matters into his own hands after being kicked out.
When the president finished speaking, Banner approached him, telling the president’s bodyguards that he wanted an autograph. When the president pulled out his pen, Banner pulled out his gun. The bodyguards were too late to prevent him from firing a shot, and Hayden fell with a bullet lodged firmly in his spine. The president was rushed to a hospital, where he died of complications during surgery. The next day, James Harrison took the oath of office in Washington.

[1] – 50 years later, in 1948, singer-songwriter Joseph Hadley named his band “Comrade Joe and the Trust Busters”, taking for himself a nickname used for Hayden during the last years of his presidency. The band went on to become one of the most influential Rock and Roll bands in history, and its members, including guitarist Buddy Holly and second vocalist and guitar Johnny Cash, went on to become influential musicians in their own right after the band’s breakup in 1954.

[2] – The index was created by Konrad Herfindahl and Jonathan Howard Smith in 1893. The HSI assigned a number from 0 to 1 to companies, with 0 being no share in the designated market, and 1 being complete control. It was the basis for New York’s Anti-Trust laws, but was not afforded official recognition as the method of determining market share until the Harrison Act.

[3] – The situation had reached a head with Howard’s statement during a rally for the 1897 election that Harrison was unfit to rule the country because he “had been married to a lady of high stature and strong morals, and yet still chose to commit adultery with a floozy like his current wife”. Harrison had responded by confronting Howard at his office, demanding that Alfred “take back what he said of Melanie [Harrison]”, and the two ended up in a fistfight which left Harrison with a broken nose and Howard with a fracture in his jaw.

-------------------------------

Exceptional Situation(s):

None I can really think of. Maybe put Lyly’s proposal to an Aye/Nay/Abstain vote.

Vote separately on sections 1, 2 and 3.

I’ll see when I can get the update on Harrison up.
 
Can I just take a moment to say that Germany and Russia are at war! Hayden, and indeed Harrison, may try to turn a blind eye, but we are so bound to European affairs that we may forced into this conflict, especially if Great Britain decides to enter the war, or play some sort of kingmaker. Which is why I, and my venerable grandfather, both opposed getting involved in European affairs. This conflict could have been avoided if we hadn't gotten ourselves involved in Germany all those years ago; and despite our generous support for Germany, he seems to be faltering to the might of the sickly Russian bear! Woe is our foreign policy...
 
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Nay, nay, and nay.

((Yay for Monopolies!))
 
Abstain, Abstain, Abstain
 
Nay, Nay, Aye (eh, limiting tariffs is a good thing...)
 
To the proposals of the Department of Agriculture, with all due respect and concern: Abstain, abstain and nay.

Speaking as the Secretary of the Treasury, it is of paramount importance that our tariff policy be kept flexible. The winds of change cannot be predicted; we must be able to react and adapt to new developments on a whim, rather than being constrained by blanket bans on protectionism.

I am shocked by the sudden death of President Joe Hayden, and under such tragic circumstances. I invite the Houses of Congress to offer their condolences to the late Mr Hayden's wife and wish for swift justice upon his assailant and murderer. I offer my full support to Mr Harrison, and hope that he is able to uphold the great legacy of his predecessor. In my view, that would be best accomplished by finishing what he started: the dismantling of the financial monoliths that strangle our economy and depress our markets.

I will leave the European question to the State Department, but I feel that it is prudent that we expedite the process of peace and bring a resolution to the Russo-German conflict, before it threatens to embroil the United States or threatens its interests.

- Anton Maxim
 
Inaugural Address of James Harrison, June 7th 1899​

My fellow Americans,

Though I may be speaking to you at a time of great sorrow, I am happy. I am happy that ours is a nation that has been given by providence prosperity the likes of which has never before been upon this earth. I am happy that I may follow in the footsteps of men as great Joe Hayden, Jeremiah Williams and Maximilian Mandrake. I am happy and safe in the knowledge that America, no matter how badly we have been beaten by circumstance, will not be engulfed by sorrow for long. Grief is a passing feeling, and to Americans one that is almost always then replaced by renewed vigor.

We are locked in heated disagreement over the nature of our constitution itself, but as Americans we will weather the storm. I for one will not rest until the anti-trust laws I have fought for are accepted even by those who would wish to trash them and consign them to the history books. This nation is based on the ideal of equal opportunity, that all men have a shot at the American Dream. Be it out west on the prairie, or in the east among the great cities, the American Dream drives all men forward, and I promise that no administration of mine will ever take away the lifeblood of the American Spirit.

Beyond our shores, we are assailed by news of war in Europe and rivals to our south. I tell you, fear not. This nation has been assailed by much worse, and it has come out stronger than before. I can only promise this; that I will not tolerate threats to our safety. Whether they come from the old regimes of Europe, or from young upstarts in Chile and Central America, demands to yield American prosperity and security for the goals of others will be met by a resounding no! This nation laid out its creed in 1776 and 1812, that we shall not tolerate foreign oppression. With our armed forces and our British allies, we shall inform the world of this, that if the United States are to be involved in the world, then it shall be on our own terms!

We are coming toward a new century, and our prosperity, resolve and might each speak volumes about what that century will be like. If this century was a British century, then by the grace of Almighty God, the next century will be an American Century!
 
The commerce bills: Nay (organizations by citizens are allowed to meet with government officials without having some kind of specific empowering and acknowledgement over others - although with recent events as they are, the literal exercise of this is understandably left to what is prudent and reasonable.), Aye ((tepid support)), Aye
 
If anyone wants to expand on what their characters (or their characters' offspring) were doing on the night of Dec 1st 1899-Jan 1st 1900, please go ahead.

To give you an idea, from the update: "When [Harrison] finished, he said “a Happy New Century to one and all. Let’s make it a good one”. The following morning, John Fitzgerald Harrison, the president’s 19 year old son, woke up half-naked in a bathtub".
 
At the turn of the century Jeremy Nightmore (my next character) was partying with his friends in New York. He became rather drunk and has a severe memory loss of what happened that night. However he remember waking up in jail and having to telegraph to his father, Congressman Nightmore, to pay his bail again.
 
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