Republican Political Positions

Politics and Public Service, The Post-Reconstruction Era

Republican politicians generally supported the following positions in the years following Renconstruction:

• Union war veterans. Republican politicians zealously served the Grand Army of the Republic and funded pensions for the former soldiers; the favor was returned as the veterans voted overwhelmingly Republican.
• The temperance movement. The Republicans laid claim to this position of moral superiority (warranted or not) largely because of their fear of the influx of immigrants; many incoming Germans and Italians loved their beer and wine and usually voted Democratic.
• Conservative monetary policy. Republicans typically opposed issuance of paper currency (greenbacks) and the coinage of silver, preferring the stability of the gold standard
• High protective tariffs. Republicans wanted to use tariffs to shield Northern industries from foreign competition and to gain revenue for the federal government