The Wonders of the Age
...lamed much of the problem on the spoils system, the practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs. 4. Charles Guiteau, shot the President. Garfield died two months later. The assassination sparked new efforts to end the spoils system. 5. The Interstate Commerce Commission oversaw the railroad commerce. The Sherman Antitrust Act prohibited businesses from trying to limit or destroy competition. Section 2 1. William Tweed – carried corruption to new extremes. Ida Tarbell – targeted the unfair practices of big business. Progressive – forward-thinking people who wanted to improve American life. Robert La Follette – had a lot of fighting spirit and lowered railroad rates. Wisconsin Idea – series of Progressive reforms who improved American life. 3. Bosses controlled work done locally and demanded payoffs from businesses. City bosses were popular with the poor, especially with immigrants. They provided jobs and made loans to the needy. They handed out extra coal in winter and turkeys at Thanksgiving. In exchange, the poor voted for the boss or his chosen candidate. 4. They raked the dirt, or muck, and exposed it to public view. They exposed corruption and other problems of the late 1800s and early 1990s 5. Progressives wanted the government to act in the public interest, for the good of the people. Both religion and science inspired Pr...