vcczar Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Sen. Aldrich (RI-R) was one of the Big Four senators that dominate the late Gilded Age/early Progressive Era Senate. There's no real comparable US Senator today with his kind of power. I think FDR so changed the presidency that a group of Senators can't achieve the power that these 4 Senators had. Aldrich is interesting because he was conservative, solidly pro-business, but he supported the income tax and federal reserve, two things endorsed mostly by progressives. He saw them as inevitable and wanted to have the influence in how they were made. With the income tax, he was hoping to keep it extremely low, and hoping to maintain primary revenue from a combination of tariffs and corporate tax. Here are his actions: Aldrich, Nelson W. 1888 blocks tariff reform Aldrich, Nelson W. 1890 adds reciprocity to McKinley Tariff Aldrich, Nelson W. 1896 Encourages McKinley to run on a pro-Gold platform Aldrich, Nelson W. 1897 defeats silverite amdt to Dingley Tariff Aldrich, Nelson W. 1898 Influential Senate Finance Committee Chair. Serves for 13 years Aldrich, Nelson W. 1899 rallies support for Spanish treaty following war Aldrich, Nelson W. 1901 backs Roosevelt off tariff reform Aldrich, Nelson W. 1901 opposes omnibus admission of OK, NM, AZ as states Aldrich, Nelson W. 1901 backs Dept of Commerce bill Aldrich, Nelson W. 1901 sponsors currency bill Aldrich, Nelson W. 1901 member of Senate big 4, pro-business, conservative GOP leaders Aldrich, Nelson W. 1901 helps frame Platt Amendment Aldrich, Nelson W. 1903 plans a Cuban sugar bill Aldrich, Nelson W. 1903 backs Roosevelt off trust regulation Aldrich, Nelson W. 1905 drags feet on Roosevelt's railroad regulation Aldrich, Nelson W. 1906 Opposes Hepburn Act Aldrich, Nelson W. 1908 made head of currency commission, which will recommend a Federal Reserve Aldrich, Nelson W. 1908 rewrites labor & tariff planks at GOP conv Aldrich, Nelson W. 1908 Leads Aldrich-Vreeland Currency Act Aldrich, Nelson W. 1909 role in Payne-Aldrich Tariff Aldrich, Nelson W. 1909 meets with Taft about GOP financial program Aldrich, Nelson W. 1909 consulted by Taft regarding cabinet choices Aldrich, Nelson W. 1909 holds up postal savings plan Aldrich, Nelson W. 1909 Sponsors 16th Amendment, allowing income tax Aldrich, Nelson W. 1910 plan to fund orthodox GOP congressional candidates Aldrich, Nelson W. 1910 logrolls railroad regulation plan for AZ-NM statehood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted September 7 Author Share Posted September 7 I'm not strongly unfavorable of him. I feel about him the way I feel about, say John Kasich. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeP47 Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 22 minutes ago, vcczar said: I'm not strongly unfavorable of him. I feel about him the way I feel about, say John Kasich. TBH I think we're at the same spot even though I marked favorable. He really is probably the definition of a mixed bag, but my thinking is you need people like this to push some of the policies I'm in favor of over the line or else they wouldn't have passed at the time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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