1890 - Billion Dollar Congress: Concerned with the Treasury surplus , The Republican Majority enacted new spending provisions to compensate civil war veterans < pension fund cost $135 Million a year!>
- McKinley Tariff Bill > 48. 4% in return for the Sherman Silver Purchase Act < Logrolling>
1892 - Election: Harrison ( R) v. Cleveland (D) v. Weaver (P)
*Major Issue Was The Tariff
Cleveland 's first challenge in his second term was the Depression of 1893 so he repealed the silver Purchase Act.
Supported the gold Standard , and Borrowed gold from private Bankers <65 Million > restored confidence in the Economy
Depression led to labor protests including the Pullman strike in Chicago in 1894 which was led by Eugene V. Debs (head of the American Railway Union).
Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld sympathized with the striking workers but U.S. Attorney General Richard Onley called out federal troops to quell the strike when a federal court injunction to cease striking was defied by Debs
Also, Jacob S. Coxey led a march Washington by the unemployed of Ohio
1894 - Wilson-Gorman Tariff > 41.3% which led to a Republican victory in the Congressional election
1896 Election: McKinley ( R ) v. Bryan ( D ) & ( P )
* Major issue: Free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16>1
1897 - Dingley Tariff > 46.5%
1890 - Gold Standard Act passed ( helped by an increase in the International Gold Supply )