Garret Hobart
Encyclopedia
Garret Augustus Hobart was the 24th Vice President of the United States
, serving from March 4, 1897 until his death. He was the sixth American vice president to die in office.
Hobart was born in Long Branch
, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore
. He grew up in nearby Marlboro. After attending Rutgers College
, Hobart read law with prominent Paterson
attorney Socrates Tuttle
. Hobart both studied with Tuttle, and married his daughter
. Although he rarely set foot in a courtroom, Hobart became wealthy as a corporate lawyer.
Hobart served in several local political offices, and in both the New Jersey General Assembly
and the New Jersey Senate
. Despite his brief tenure in each house, he became Speaker of the first, and president of the latter. Hobart was a longtime party official, and New Jersey Republicans went to the 1896 Republican National Convention
determined to nominate the popular lawyer as vice president. Hobart's political views were similar to those of the Republican presidential candidate, William McKinley
, and McKinley and his close adviser, future senator Mark Hanna
, decided to have the convention select Hobart. Hobart emulated his running mate with a front porch campaign
, though spending much time at the campaign's New York City
office. McKinley and Hobart were elected.
As Vice President, Hobart proved a popular figure in Washington and was a close adviser to McKinley. Hobart's tact and good humor were valuable to McKinley, as in mid-1899 when Secretary of War
Russell Alger failed to understand that McKinley wanted him to leave office. Hobart invited Alger to his New Jersey summer home, and broke the news to the secretary, who submitted his resignation to McKinley on his return to Washington. Hobart died in November 1899 at age 55; his place on the Republican ticket in 1900 was taken by New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt
.
, New Jersey
, to Addison Willard Hobart and the former Sophia Vanderveer. Addison Hobart descended from the early colonial settlers of New England; many of the Hobarts served as ministers. Addison Hobart came to New Jersey to teach at a school in Marlboro. The Vanderveers had been 17th century Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam
(today New York City
) who had moved to Long Island
and then to New Jersey. When Addison and Sophia Hobart married in 1841, they moved to Long Branch, where Addison founded a primary school. Garret was born in Long Branch on June 3, 1844. Three children survived infancy; Garret was the second of three boys.
Garret initially attended his father's school in Long Branch. The Hobart family moved to Marlboro in the early 1850s; Garret was sent to the village school. Childhood tales of the future vice president describe him as an excellent student, in both day and Sunday School
, and a leader in boyhood sports. Recognizing Garret's abilities, his father sent him to a well-regarded school in Freehold
, but after a disagreement with the teacher, the boy refused to return and was sent to a school in Matawan
, boarding there during the week. He graduated from that school in 1859 at age 15, but being thought by his parents too young to go to college, remained home for a year studying and working part-time. Garret Hobart then enrolled in Rutgers College
. He graduated in 1863 at age 19, finishing third in his class. He received his diploma from Theodore Frelinghuysen
, Hobart's predecessor as vice-presidential candidate from New Jersey, who had run unsuccessfully with Henry Clay
in 1844. In later life, Hobart was a generous donor to Rutgers, received an honorary degree after becoming vice president, and shortly before his death was elected a trustee.
, offered to take Garret into his office to read law. Tuttle was a prominent Passaic County
lawyer who had served in the legislature. Hobart supported himself during his time of study in Paterson
by working as a bank clerk; he later became director of the same bank. Hobart was admitted to the bar as an attorney in 1866; he became a counsellor-at-law in 1871 and was made a master in chancery in 1872.
In addition to learning law from Tuttle, Hobart also fell in love with his daughter. Jennie Tuttle Hobart
remembered, "When this attractive young law student appeared in our home I, then a young girl in my teens, unexpectedly played a rôle of importance by losing my heart to him". The two were married on July 21, 1869. The Hobarts had long been Democrats; Garret Hobart's marriage into the Republican Tuttle family converted him to that party.
Socrates Tuttle was influential in Paterson, which worked to Hobart's benefit. According to Michael J. Connolly in his 2010 article about Hobart, the future vice president "benefitted greatly from Tuttle's beneficence". In 1866, the year he became a lawyer, Hobart was appointed grand jury
clerk for Passaic County. When Tuttle became mayor of Paterson in 1871, he made Hobart city counsel. A year later, Hobart became counsel for the county Board of Chosen Freeholders
.
In 1872, Hobart ran as a Republican to the New Jersey General Assembly
from Passaic County's third legislative district. He was easily elected, taking nearly two-thirds of the vote. At the time, the Assembly was elected annually and he was successful in winning re-election the following year, although his margin of victory was cut in half. In 1874, still only age 30, he was voted Speaker of the Assembly. At the time, it was customary to step down after two terms, and Hobart did so, although Magie maintains that he was urged to seek re-election. Instead, he campaigned for the Republican nominee for his seat, who was elected. In 1876, Hobart was nominated for the New Jersey Senate
seat for Passaic County. He was elected to a three-year term, and was re-elected in 1879. In 1881 and 1882, he served as President of the Senate, becoming the first man to lead both houses of the legislature. In 1883, he was the Republican nominee in the legislative election for United States Senate
. As the Democrats had gained control of the legislature, a Republican had no chance of election—the nomination was simply a way of honoring Hobart for his political service. When Hobart was asked his feelings about the nomination, he responded, "I do not worry about things that do not come my way." The "complimentary" nomination would prove to be Hobart's only electoral defeat.
Despite his success, Hobart said of his involvement in public affairs, "I make politics my recreation." He devoted most of his time to a law practice which according to Hobart's legislative biography was highly profitable. He was rarely seen in a courtroom; his official biography for the 1896 campaign admitted that "he has actually appeared in court a smaller number of times than, perhaps, any lawyer in Passaic County". Hobart's real work was in advising corporations how to accomplish their aims, yet remain within the law. He also had a lucrative business acting as court-appointed receiver of bankrupt railroads. Hobart reorganized them, and restored them to fiscal health. He often invested heavily in them; his success made him wealthier. In addition to the railroads for which he served as receiver, he was president of the Paterson Railway Company, which ran the city's streetcars, and as a board member for other railroads.
One reason for Hobart's success both the private and public sectors was his genial personality. He worked well with others, and was noted for tact and charm. Senator Mark Hatfield
, in his book on American vice presidents, suggests that these qualities would have made Hobart successful in Washington had he run for Congress. Hatfield states that the reason why Hobart chose not to move from state to national politics before 1896 was a reluctance to leave a comfortable life and successful law practice in Paterson. Instead, he continued to involve himself in New Jersey Republican politics; he was widely regarded as Northern New Jersey's
most influential Republican. Beginning in 1876, he was a delegate to every Republican National Convention
in his lifetime. He was a member of the New Jersey Republican Committee from 1880 to 1891, resigning the position as he became more deeply involved in Republican National Committee
affairs—he was New Jersey's representative to the committee after 1884, rising to become vice chairman.
in New York in March 1895. During the lunch, industrialist and future senator Mark Hanna
interrupted them to ask what Garret Hobart thought of the possible presidential candidacy of Ohio
Governor William McKinley
—Hanna was one of McKinley's principal backers. Garret Hobart ducked the question, but Jennie Hobart believed that to have been the first of a chain of events which elevated Garret Hobart to national office.
In 1895, Republican John Griggs was elected governor of New Jersey
; his campaign was managed by Hobart. The successful campaign led to speculation in the newspapers that Hobart would be a candidate for vice president. Hobart was an attractive candidate as he was from a swing state, and the Griggs victory showed that Republicans could hope to win New Jersey's electoral votes, which they had not done since 1872. Another reason for a Hobart selection was his wealth; he could be expected to spend generously on his own campaign. New Jersey Republicans were anxious to nominate Hobart, both to see one of their own elevated to national office, and in the hope that having Hobart on the national ticket would attract voters who would cast their ballot for other Republicans. According to Hanna biographer Herbert Croly
, Garret Hobart was an early supporter of McKinley, who helped to assure New Jersey's support for him at the Republican convention
. Historian Stanley Jones, in his study of the 1896 election, asserts that Hobart had stopped off in McKinley's hometown of Canton, Ohio
en route to the convention in St. Louis, and that the future vice president was selected several days in advance, after Speaker of the House
Thomas Reed
of Maine
turned down the second place on the ticket. Croly states that McKinley and Hanna desired an easterner on the ticket to balance it and assure support in the mid-Atlantic states. As many New York delegates had voted against McKinley at the convention, favoring favorite son
and political boss Senator Thomas Platt, giving the state the vice presidential nomination would be an unmerited reward. According to Croly,
McKinley was nominated for president on the first ballot. Although Hobart described his subsequent first-ballot nomination for vice president as a tribute from his friends, Hatfield noted, "it came equally as a tribute from [Hanna, who] wanted a ticket to satisfy the business interests of America, and Hobart, a corporate lawyer, fit that requirement perfectly". Although a Hobart nomination had been talked about at least since Griggs' victory the previous November, Hobart expressed reluctance in a letter to his wife from the convention in St. Louis: "It looks to me I will be nominated for Vice-President whether I want it or not, and as I get nearer to the point where I may, I am dismayed at the thought ... If I want a nomination, everything is going my way. But when I realize all that it means in work, worry, and loss of home and bliss, I am overcome, so overcome I am simply miserable. Despite Hobart's expressed hesitation, he was welcomed home by a crowd of 15,000 at the Paterson Armory. City officials, feeling they had insufficient fireworks to properly honor Hobart, obtained more from New York City.
According to historian R. Hal Williams, the Republicans left St. Louis in June with "a popular, experienced [presidential] candidate, a respected vice-presidential nominee, and an attractive platform". Many Republicans were convinced the election would be fought over the issue of tariff
s, and they anticipated an easy victory in the election. On June 30, 1896, Hobart journeyed by train to McKinley's hometown of Canton, Ohio
, where he was met at the station by his running mate
. McKinley drove Hobart to his home, where Hobart followed McKinley in speaking to a delegation which had arrived to greet the Ohioan. Hobart only remained in Canton a few hours before returning east. According to Magie, Hobart made the trip "to pay his respects to the head of the ticket and to consult with him upon important matters". McKinley biographer Margaret Leech recorded that the two men were friends almost as soon as they met.
had led to hard times in the United States, and the effects were still felt in 1896. One proposal to cure the economic malaise was "Free Silver
"; that the government would accept silver bullion and return it to the depositor, struck into silver dollars
. At the time, the silver in a dollar coin was worth $.53. Implementation of the proposals would increase the money supply and cause difficulties in international trade with nations that remained on the gold standard
. Proponents argued that the increased money supply would stimulate the economy. President Grover Cleveland
was firmly for the gold standard, a stance which bitterly divided the Democratic Party. Most Republicans were for the gold standard, though some from the West were "Silver Republicans". McKinley had expected the election to be fought on the tariff issue, and favored high rates. Instead, the Democrats in early July nominated an eloquent silver supporter for president, former Nebraska
Congressman William Jennings Bryan
, whose Cross of Gold speech
at the convention catapulted him to the nomination. The selection of Bryan prompted a wave of popular support for the Democrats.
Hobart was a strong supporter of the gold standard; and insisted on it remaining a major part of the Republican campaign even in the face of Bryan's surge. In his speech responding to the formal notification of his convention victory, Hobart stated, "An honest dollar, worth 100 cents everywhere, cannot be coined out of 53 cents worth of silver plus a legislative fiat. Such a debasement of our currency would inevitably produce incalculable loss, appalling disaster, and National dishonor." McKinley was not as strong a supporter of the gold standard as Hobart, and considered modifying some of Hobart's expressed views on the gold standard before the acceptance was printed for public distribution. Hobart insisted on it being printed without change, saying, "I think I know the sentiment of Eastern men better than you can, and with this knowledge and my convictions I must retain the statements as I have written them." According to Connolly, "Though a protectionist, Hobart believed the money issue, not tariffs, led to a November Republican victory, and, in denouncing silver, his rhetoric far outstripped William McKinley."
Together with Pennsylvania Senator Matthew Quay
, Hobart ran the McKinley campaign's New York office, often making the short journey from Paterson for strategy meetings. The vice-presidential candidate emulated McKinley in giving speeches from his front porch
; unlike McKinley he also addressed rallies. In October, he made a short tour of New Jersey to give speeches, expressing relief to his wife when the tour came to a close. On November 3, 1896, the voters cast their ballots; a nervous Hobart spent the day at his office. Special telegraph wires had been attached to his home; at 8:30 in the evening they conveyed the news that McKinley and Hobart had won. The following week, Vice President-elect Hobart attended Rutgers' 130th anniversary celebrations as guest of honor. The member of the Class of 1863 was now Rutgers' most prominent graduate.
predicted, "Garret A. Hobart will not be seen or heard until, after four years, he emerges from the impenetrable vacuum of the Vice Presidency."
from the Executive Mansion (as the White House was still formally known). The asking price was $10,000 per year; the vice president bargained Cameron down to $8,000 (equal to the vice presidential salary) by suggesting that the public might assume he stole the excess. Among the frequent visitors at what came to be known as the "Cream White House" was Hanna, now a senator, who would come by for breakfast and talk with the Vice President until it was time for both to go to the Senate.
The President and Vice President were already friends from the campaign; after the inauguration, a close relationship grew between the two men, and their wives. The First Lady
, Ida McKinley, had health issues, and could not stand the strain of the required official entertaining. Jennie Hobart often substituted for Mrs. McKinley at receptions and other events, and also was a close companion to the First Lady, visiting her daily. The Hobarts and McKinleys visited each others home without formality; according to Jennie Hobart, "it was an intimate friendliness that no Vice President and his wife, before or since, have had the privilege of sharing with their chief administrator." The Hobarts often entertained at their house, which was useful to McKinley, who could attend and meet informally with congressmen without placing strain on his wife with a White House function. McKinley, who had become insolvent while governor of Ohio, turned over a portion of his presidential salary to Hobart to invest for him.
The vice president had in recent administrations been considered a relatively low-level political functionary, whose activities were generally limited to its constitutional function of presiding over the Senate. Hobart, however, became a close adviser to McKinley and his Cabinet members, although he was not called upon to attend Cabinet meetings. Reporter Arthur Wallace Dunn wrote of Hobart, "for the first time in my recollection, and the last for that matter, the Vice President was recognized as somebody, as a part of the Administration, and as a part of the body over which he presided".
Through late 1897 and early 1898, many Americans called for the United States to intervene in Cuba, then a Spanish colony revolting against the mother country. These calls greatly increased in February 1898, when the American battleship Maine
sank in Havana harbor after an explosion. McKinley sought delay, hoping to settle the disputes peacefully, but in April 1898, Hobart told the President that the Senate would act against Spain whether McKinley liked it or not. McKinley gave in; Congress declared war on April 25 and Hobart sent McKinley a pen with which to sign the declaration.
Hobart was constant in his attendance at the Senate; one onlooker called him a "chronic audience". Vice President Hobart only cast his tie-breaking vote once, using it to defeat an amendment which would have promised self-government to the Philippines
, one of the possessions which the United States had taken from Spain after the Spanish-American War. Hobart was instrumental in securing the ratification of the Treaty of Paris
; which ended the war; according to McKinley biographer H. Wayne Morgan, Hobart was "almost the president's alter ego, [turning] every screw with his legendary politeness".
One post which Hobart refused to relinquish upon his inauguration was his position as one of three Joint Traffic Association (JTA) arbiters. The association was a group of railroads which sought to coordinate rates; if two railroads applied rates in different ways, the matter was settled by Hobart and two other arbiters. Hobart heard appeals while vice president. An October 1897 Supreme Court
decision signaled that the JTA was likely to be found in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (it was, the following year) and Hobart resigned as arbiter in November 1897.
, but quickly contracted the flu
and returned to Washington. By April 1899, Hobart's illness was well-known in the press, though Hanna assured the newspapers that Hobart would be on the ticket in 1900: "nothing but death or an earthquake can stop the re-nomination of Vice President Hobart". Hobart rented a home in his birthplace of Long Branch, then an upscale Jersey Shore resort. Doctors prescribed complete rest, and the Vice President amused himself by feeding two pet fish, a gold one named McKinley and a silver one named Bryan.
Despite his vice president's ill-health, McKinley called upon him to break the news to Secretary of War
Russell Alger that McKinley wanted him to resign—the secretary had ignored or misunderstood repeated hints from the President. According to McKinley biographer Margaret Leech, "The President did not show his usual hypersensitive regard for other people's feelings in handing over to a sick man a disagreeable task which it was his own duty to perform." Hobart invited Alger to Long Branch for the weekend, and broke the news; Alger duly submitted his resignation to McKinley. Hobart's condition worsened within days of the Alger visit, and he was soon bedridden. The New York Sun
attributed Alger's resignation to Hobart's "crystal insight" and "velvet tact"; after which Hobart wrote to McKinley, "My 'crystal insight' is still clear, but the nap is slightly worn off my velvet tact".
Hobart was a major investor in the Ramapo Water Company; he had interests in many New York and New Jersey water companies. In mid-1899, there was controversy over the so-called "Ramapo Scheme", whereby the Ramapo Water Company, which owned large tracts of land in the Catskill Mountains
, would sell New York City $5 million in water per year for 40 years at high rates. The proposal was never agreed to, and a Republican-controlled investigating committee found no wrongdoing.
After a vacation with the McKinleys on Lake Champlain
, Hobart returned to Paterson in September. On November 1, 1899, the government announced that Hobart would not return to public life. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died on November 21, 1899. President McKinley told the family, "No one outside of this home feels this loss more deeply than I do."
, who took Hobart's place on the Republican ticket in 1900 and succeeded as president after McKinley's assassination in 1901.
A statue of Hobart, erected in 1903, stands outside Paterson's city hall. Connolly finds Hobart to be very much a man of his times:
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, serving from March 4, 1897 until his death. He was the sixth American vice president to die in office.
Hobart was born in Long Branch
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
. He grew up in nearby Marlboro. After attending Rutgers College
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, Hobart read law with prominent Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
attorney Socrates Tuttle
Socrates Tuttle
Socrates Tuttle was the Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey.-Biography:He was born on November 19, 1819 in Colebrook, New Hampshire to Horatio Tuttle and Betsey Thomas. He had two children, Hobart Tuttle and Jennie Tuttle Hobart. He died of angina pectoris in 1885....
. Hobart both studied with Tuttle, and married his daughter
Jennie Tuttle Hobart
Esther Jane "Jennie" Tuttle Hobart was the wife of Vice President Garret Hobart who served in the administration of President William McKinley as well as a philanthropist and community activist in New Jersey.-Biography:...
. Although he rarely set foot in a courtroom, Hobart became wealthy as a corporate lawyer.
Hobart served in several local political offices, and in both the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
and the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
. Despite his brief tenure in each house, he became Speaker of the first, and president of the latter. Hobart was a longtime party official, and New Jersey Republicans went to the 1896 Republican National Convention
1896 Republican National Convention
The 1896 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in a temporary structure south of the St. Louis City Hall in Saint Louis, Missouri, from June 16 to June 18, 1896....
determined to nominate the popular lawyer as vice president. Hobart's political views were similar to those of the Republican presidential candidate, William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, and McKinley and his close adviser, future senator Mark Hanna
Mark Hanna
Marcus Alonzo "Mark" Hanna was a United States Senator from Ohio and the friend and political manager of President William McKinley...
, decided to have the convention select Hobart. Hobart emulated his running mate with a front porch campaign
Front porch campaign
A front porch campaign is a low-key electoral campaign used in American politics in which the candidate remains close to or at home to make speeches to supporters who come to visit. The candidate largely does not travel around or otherwise actively campaign. The successful presidential campaigns...
, though spending much time at the campaign's New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
office. McKinley and Hobart were elected.
As Vice President, Hobart proved a popular figure in Washington and was a close adviser to McKinley. Hobart's tact and good humor were valuable to McKinley, as in mid-1899 when Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Russell Alger failed to understand that McKinley wanted him to leave office. Hobart invited Alger to his New Jersey summer home, and broke the news to the secretary, who submitted his resignation to McKinley on his return to Washington. Hobart died in November 1899 at age 55; his place on the Republican ticket in 1900 was taken by New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
Early life
Garret Augustus Hobart was born in Long BranchLong Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, to Addison Willard Hobart and the former Sophia Vanderveer. Addison Hobart descended from the early colonial settlers of New England; many of the Hobarts served as ministers. Addison Hobart came to New Jersey to teach at a school in Marlboro. The Vanderveers had been 17th century Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
(today New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) who had moved to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and then to New Jersey. When Addison and Sophia Hobart married in 1841, they moved to Long Branch, where Addison founded a primary school. Garret was born in Long Branch on June 3, 1844. Three children survived infancy; Garret was the second of three boys.
Garret initially attended his father's school in Long Branch. The Hobart family moved to Marlboro in the early 1850s; Garret was sent to the village school. Childhood tales of the future vice president describe him as an excellent student, in both day and Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, and a leader in boyhood sports. Recognizing Garret's abilities, his father sent him to a well-regarded school in Freehold
Freehold, New Jersey
Freehold, New Jersey may refer to:* Freehold Borough, New Jersey, the county seat of Monmouth County* Freehold Township, New Jersey, the much larger township that surrounds the borough...
, but after a disagreement with the teacher, the boy refused to return and was sent to a school in Matawan
Matawan, New Jersey
Matawan is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,810. The name "Matawan" comes from a Native American Lenape word....
, boarding there during the week. He graduated from that school in 1859 at age 15, but being thought by his parents too young to go to college, remained home for a year studying and working part-time. Garret Hobart then enrolled in Rutgers College
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. He graduated in 1863 at age 19, finishing third in his class. He received his diploma from Theodore Frelinghuysen
Theodore Frelinghuysen
Theodore Frelinghuysen was an American politician, serving as New Jersey Attorney General, United States Senator, and Mayor of Newark, New Jersey before running as a candidate for Vice President with Henry Clay on the Whig ticket in the election of 1844...
, Hobart's predecessor as vice-presidential candidate from New Jersey, who had run unsuccessfully with Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
in 1844. In later life, Hobart was a generous donor to Rutgers, received an honorary degree after becoming vice president, and shortly before his death was elected a trustee.
Lawyer and part-time politician
After graduation from Rutgers, Hobart worked briefly as a teacher to repay loans. Addison Hobart's childhood friend, lawyer Socrates TuttleSocrates Tuttle
Socrates Tuttle was the Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey.-Biography:He was born on November 19, 1819 in Colebrook, New Hampshire to Horatio Tuttle and Betsey Thomas. He had two children, Hobart Tuttle and Jennie Tuttle Hobart. He died of angina pectoris in 1885....
, offered to take Garret into his office to read law. Tuttle was a prominent Passaic County
Passaic County, New Jersey
Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
lawyer who had served in the legislature. Hobart supported himself during his time of study in Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
by working as a bank clerk; he later became director of the same bank. Hobart was admitted to the bar as an attorney in 1866; he became a counsellor-at-law in 1871 and was made a master in chancery in 1872.
In addition to learning law from Tuttle, Hobart also fell in love with his daughter. Jennie Tuttle Hobart
Jennie Tuttle Hobart
Esther Jane "Jennie" Tuttle Hobart was the wife of Vice President Garret Hobart who served in the administration of President William McKinley as well as a philanthropist and community activist in New Jersey.-Biography:...
remembered, "When this attractive young law student appeared in our home I, then a young girl in my teens, unexpectedly played a rôle of importance by losing my heart to him". The two were married on July 21, 1869. The Hobarts had long been Democrats; Garret Hobart's marriage into the Republican Tuttle family converted him to that party.
Socrates Tuttle was influential in Paterson, which worked to Hobart's benefit. According to Michael J. Connolly in his 2010 article about Hobart, the future vice president "benefitted greatly from Tuttle's beneficence". In 1866, the year he became a lawyer, Hobart was appointed grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
clerk for Passaic County. When Tuttle became mayor of Paterson in 1871, he made Hobart city counsel. A year later, Hobart became counsel for the county Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
.
In 1872, Hobart ran as a Republican to the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
from Passaic County's third legislative district. He was easily elected, taking nearly two-thirds of the vote. At the time, the Assembly was elected annually and he was successful in winning re-election the following year, although his margin of victory was cut in half. In 1874, still only age 30, he was voted Speaker of the Assembly. At the time, it was customary to step down after two terms, and Hobart did so, although Magie maintains that he was urged to seek re-election. Instead, he campaigned for the Republican nominee for his seat, who was elected. In 1876, Hobart was nominated for the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
seat for Passaic County. He was elected to a three-year term, and was re-elected in 1879. In 1881 and 1882, he served as President of the Senate, becoming the first man to lead both houses of the legislature. In 1883, he was the Republican nominee in the legislative election for United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. As the Democrats had gained control of the legislature, a Republican had no chance of election—the nomination was simply a way of honoring Hobart for his political service. When Hobart was asked his feelings about the nomination, he responded, "I do not worry about things that do not come my way." The "complimentary" nomination would prove to be Hobart's only electoral defeat.
Despite his success, Hobart said of his involvement in public affairs, "I make politics my recreation." He devoted most of his time to a law practice which according to Hobart's legislative biography was highly profitable. He was rarely seen in a courtroom; his official biography for the 1896 campaign admitted that "he has actually appeared in court a smaller number of times than, perhaps, any lawyer in Passaic County". Hobart's real work was in advising corporations how to accomplish their aims, yet remain within the law. He also had a lucrative business acting as court-appointed receiver of bankrupt railroads. Hobart reorganized them, and restored them to fiscal health. He often invested heavily in them; his success made him wealthier. In addition to the railroads for which he served as receiver, he was president of the Paterson Railway Company, which ran the city's streetcars, and as a board member for other railroads.
One reason for Hobart's success both the private and public sectors was his genial personality. He worked well with others, and was noted for tact and charm. Senator Mark Hatfield
Mark Hatfield
Mark Odom Hatfield was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee...
, in his book on American vice presidents, suggests that these qualities would have made Hobart successful in Washington had he run for Congress. Hatfield states that the reason why Hobart chose not to move from state to national politics before 1896 was a reluctance to leave a comfortable life and successful law practice in Paterson. Instead, he continued to involve himself in New Jersey Republican politics; he was widely regarded as Northern New Jersey's
North Jersey
North Jersey is a colloquial term, with no precise consensus definition, for the northern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. A straightforward, noncolloquial term for the region is northern New Jersey.- Two-portion approaches :...
most influential Republican. Beginning in 1876, he was a delegate to every Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in his lifetime. He was a member of the New Jersey Republican Committee from 1880 to 1891, resigning the position as he became more deeply involved in Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
affairs—he was New Jersey's representative to the committee after 1884, rising to become vice chairman.
Selection by McKinley
Jennie Hobart, in her memoirs, traced her suspicions that her husband might be a vice presidential contender to a lunch she had with him at the Waldorf HotelWaldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
in New York in March 1895. During the lunch, industrialist and future senator Mark Hanna
Mark Hanna
Marcus Alonzo "Mark" Hanna was a United States Senator from Ohio and the friend and political manager of President William McKinley...
interrupted them to ask what Garret Hobart thought of the possible presidential candidacy of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
Governor William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
—Hanna was one of McKinley's principal backers. Garret Hobart ducked the question, but Jennie Hobart believed that to have been the first of a chain of events which elevated Garret Hobart to national office.
In 1895, Republican John Griggs was elected governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
; his campaign was managed by Hobart. The successful campaign led to speculation in the newspapers that Hobart would be a candidate for vice president. Hobart was an attractive candidate as he was from a swing state, and the Griggs victory showed that Republicans could hope to win New Jersey's electoral votes, which they had not done since 1872. Another reason for a Hobart selection was his wealth; he could be expected to spend generously on his own campaign. New Jersey Republicans were anxious to nominate Hobart, both to see one of their own elevated to national office, and in the hope that having Hobart on the national ticket would attract voters who would cast their ballot for other Republicans. According to Hanna biographer Herbert Croly
Herbert Croly
Herbert David Croly was an intellectual leader of the Progressive Movement as an editor, and political philosopher and a co-founder of the magazine The New Republic in early twentieth-century America...
, Garret Hobart was an early supporter of McKinley, who helped to assure New Jersey's support for him at the Republican convention
1896 Republican National Convention
The 1896 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in a temporary structure south of the St. Louis City Hall in Saint Louis, Missouri, from June 16 to June 18, 1896....
. Historian Stanley Jones, in his study of the 1896 election, asserts that Hobart had stopped off in McKinley's hometown of Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
en route to the convention in St. Louis, and that the future vice president was selected several days in advance, after Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Thomas Reed
Thomas Reed
Thomas Reed may refer to:*Thomas W. Reed II, current United States Representative for the state of New York*Thomas Brackett Reed , Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from Maine...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
turned down the second place on the ticket. Croly states that McKinley and Hanna desired an easterner on the ticket to balance it and assure support in the mid-Atlantic states. As many New York delegates had voted against McKinley at the convention, favoring favorite son
Favorite son
A favorite son is a political term.*At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates and votes for a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a viable candidate...
and political boss Senator Thomas Platt, giving the state the vice presidential nomination would be an unmerited reward. According to Croly,
On the other hand, the adjoining state of New Jersey submitted an eligible candidate in Mr. Garret A. Hobart, who had done much to strengthen the Republican party in his own neighborhood. Mr. Hobart was well known to Mr. Hanna, and in all probability his nomination had been scheduled for some time. It was practically announced early in June. He was a lawyer and a business man with an exclusively local reputation; and if he did little to strengthen the ticket he did nothing to weaken it.
McKinley was nominated for president on the first ballot. Although Hobart described his subsequent first-ballot nomination for vice president as a tribute from his friends, Hatfield noted, "it came equally as a tribute from [Hanna, who] wanted a ticket to satisfy the business interests of America, and Hobart, a corporate lawyer, fit that requirement perfectly". Although a Hobart nomination had been talked about at least since Griggs' victory the previous November, Hobart expressed reluctance in a letter to his wife from the convention in St. Louis: "It looks to me I will be nominated for Vice-President whether I want it or not, and as I get nearer to the point where I may, I am dismayed at the thought ... If I want a nomination, everything is going my way. But when I realize all that it means in work, worry, and loss of home and bliss, I am overcome, so overcome I am simply miserable. Despite Hobart's expressed hesitation, he was welcomed home by a crowd of 15,000 at the Paterson Armory. City officials, feeling they had insufficient fireworks to properly honor Hobart, obtained more from New York City.
According to historian R. Hal Williams, the Republicans left St. Louis in June with "a popular, experienced [presidential] candidate, a respected vice-presidential nominee, and an attractive platform". Many Republicans were convinced the election would be fought over the issue of tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s, and they anticipated an easy victory in the election. On June 30, 1896, Hobart journeyed by train to McKinley's hometown of Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he was met at the station by his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
. McKinley drove Hobart to his home, where Hobart followed McKinley in speaking to a delegation which had arrived to greet the Ohioan. Hobart only remained in Canton a few hours before returning east. According to Magie, Hobart made the trip "to pay his respects to the head of the ticket and to consult with him upon important matters". McKinley biographer Margaret Leech recorded that the two men were friends almost as soon as they met.
Campaign
The Panic of 1893Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
had led to hard times in the United States, and the effects were still felt in 1896. One proposal to cure the economic malaise was "Free Silver
Free Silver
Free Silver was an important United States political policy issue in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Its advocates were in favor of an inflationary monetary policy using the "free coinage of silver" as opposed to the less inflationary Gold Standard; its supporters were called...
"; that the government would accept silver bullion and return it to the depositor, struck into silver dollars
Morgan Dollar
The Morgan dollar was a United States dollar coin minted intermittently from 1878 to 1921. It was the first standard silver dollar minted since production of the previous design, the Seated Liberty dollar, ceased due to the passage of the Fourth Coinage Act, an act which also ended the free coining...
. At the time, the silver in a dollar coin was worth $.53. Implementation of the proposals would increase the money supply and cause difficulties in international trade with nations that remained on the gold standard
Gold standard
The gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is a fixed mass of gold. There are distinct kinds of gold standard...
. Proponents argued that the increased money supply would stimulate the economy. President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
was firmly for the gold standard, a stance which bitterly divided the Democratic Party. Most Republicans were for the gold standard, though some from the West were "Silver Republicans". McKinley had expected the election to be fought on the tariff issue, and favored high rates. Instead, the Democrats in early July nominated an eloquent silver supporter for president, former Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
Congressman William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, whose Cross of Gold speech
Cross of Gold speech
The Cross of Gold speech was delivered by William Jennings Bryan at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on July 8, 1896. The speech advocated bimetallism. Following the Coinage Act , the United States abandoned its policy of bimetallism and began to operate a de facto gold...
at the convention catapulted him to the nomination. The selection of Bryan prompted a wave of popular support for the Democrats.
Hobart was a strong supporter of the gold standard; and insisted on it remaining a major part of the Republican campaign even in the face of Bryan's surge. In his speech responding to the formal notification of his convention victory, Hobart stated, "An honest dollar, worth 100 cents everywhere, cannot be coined out of 53 cents worth of silver plus a legislative fiat. Such a debasement of our currency would inevitably produce incalculable loss, appalling disaster, and National dishonor." McKinley was not as strong a supporter of the gold standard as Hobart, and considered modifying some of Hobart's expressed views on the gold standard before the acceptance was printed for public distribution. Hobart insisted on it being printed without change, saying, "I think I know the sentiment of Eastern men better than you can, and with this knowledge and my convictions I must retain the statements as I have written them." According to Connolly, "Though a protectionist, Hobart believed the money issue, not tariffs, led to a November Republican victory, and, in denouncing silver, his rhetoric far outstripped William McKinley."
Together with Pennsylvania Senator Matthew Quay
Matthew Quay
Matthew Stanley Quay was an immensely powerful Pennsylvania political boss; "kingmaker" . "Boss" Quay's political principles and actions stood in contrast to an unusually attractive personality...
, Hobart ran the McKinley campaign's New York office, often making the short journey from Paterson for strategy meetings. The vice-presidential candidate emulated McKinley in giving speeches from his front porch
Front porch campaign
A front porch campaign is a low-key electoral campaign used in American politics in which the candidate remains close to or at home to make speeches to supporters who come to visit. The candidate largely does not travel around or otherwise actively campaign. The successful presidential campaigns...
; unlike McKinley he also addressed rallies. In October, he made a short tour of New Jersey to give speeches, expressing relief to his wife when the tour came to a close. On November 3, 1896, the voters cast their ballots; a nervous Hobart spent the day at his office. Special telegraph wires had been attached to his home; at 8:30 in the evening they conveyed the news that McKinley and Hobart had won. The following week, Vice President-elect Hobart attended Rutgers' 130th anniversary celebrations as guest of honor. The member of the Class of 1863 was now Rutgers' most prominent graduate.
Vice President (1897–1899)
Hobart spent much of the four months between election and inauguration reading about the vice presidency, preparing for the move, and winding down some business affairs. He did not, however, resign from the boards of businesses which would not have business before the federal government. "It would be highly ridiculous for me to resign from the different companies in which I am officer and a stockholder whose interests are not in the least affected, or likely to be, by my position as Vice President." On March 2, 1897 the Hobarts left Paterson to travel to Washington by special train. On March 4, Garret Hobart was inaugurated as vice president in the Senate Chamber. The Chicago Daily NewsChicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
predicted, "Garret A. Hobart will not be seen or heard until, after four years, he emerges from the impenetrable vacuum of the Vice Presidency."
Presidential advisor
Upon moving to Washington, the Hobarts established themselves at the Arlington Hotel, which was the Washington home to many political men of the era, including Hanna and Platt. Soon, however, Pennsylvania Senator Don Cameron offered them the lease of the house he owned at 21 Lafayette Square, diagonally across Pennsylvania AvenuePennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...
from the Executive Mansion (as the White House was still formally known). The asking price was $10,000 per year; the vice president bargained Cameron down to $8,000 (equal to the vice presidential salary) by suggesting that the public might assume he stole the excess. Among the frequent visitors at what came to be known as the "Cream White House" was Hanna, now a senator, who would come by for breakfast and talk with the Vice President until it was time for both to go to the Senate.
The President and Vice President were already friends from the campaign; after the inauguration, a close relationship grew between the two men, and their wives. The First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
, Ida McKinley, had health issues, and could not stand the strain of the required official entertaining. Jennie Hobart often substituted for Mrs. McKinley at receptions and other events, and also was a close companion to the First Lady, visiting her daily. The Hobarts and McKinleys visited each others home without formality; according to Jennie Hobart, "it was an intimate friendliness that no Vice President and his wife, before or since, have had the privilege of sharing with their chief administrator." The Hobarts often entertained at their house, which was useful to McKinley, who could attend and meet informally with congressmen without placing strain on his wife with a White House function. McKinley, who had become insolvent while governor of Ohio, turned over a portion of his presidential salary to Hobart to invest for him.
The vice president had in recent administrations been considered a relatively low-level political functionary, whose activities were generally limited to its constitutional function of presiding over the Senate. Hobart, however, became a close adviser to McKinley and his Cabinet members, although he was not called upon to attend Cabinet meetings. Reporter Arthur Wallace Dunn wrote of Hobart, "for the first time in my recollection, and the last for that matter, the Vice President was recognized as somebody, as a part of the Administration, and as a part of the body over which he presided".
Through late 1897 and early 1898, many Americans called for the United States to intervene in Cuba, then a Spanish colony revolting against the mother country. These calls greatly increased in February 1898, when the American battleship Maine
USS Maine (ACR-1)
USS Maine was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt...
sank in Havana harbor after an explosion. McKinley sought delay, hoping to settle the disputes peacefully, but in April 1898, Hobart told the President that the Senate would act against Spain whether McKinley liked it or not. McKinley gave in; Congress declared war on April 25 and Hobart sent McKinley a pen with which to sign the declaration.
Strengthening the office
Hobart was more assertive as Senate president than his predecessors had been. It was customary for the vice president not to make rulings on disputed points, but to submit them to a vote. Hobart, with his experience as a presiding officer in the New Jersey Legislature, took a more assertive role, ruling on disputes, and trying to expedite legislation. Hobart was initially diffident in his role, feeling himself unproven beside longtime national legislators, but soon gained self-confidence, writing in a letter that "I find that I am as good and as capable as any of them. If they know a whole lot of things I don't know, I also know a whole lot of things they don't know. And there is a common humanity running through them all that makes us all as one, after all." Hobart was so successful at guiding the administration's legislative agenda through the Senate that he became known as the "assistant President".Hobart was constant in his attendance at the Senate; one onlooker called him a "chronic audience". Vice President Hobart only cast his tie-breaking vote once, using it to defeat an amendment which would have promised self-government to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, one of the possessions which the United States had taken from Spain after the Spanish-American War. Hobart was instrumental in securing the ratification of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
; which ended the war; according to McKinley biographer H. Wayne Morgan, Hobart was "almost the president's alter ego, [turning] every screw with his legendary politeness".
One post which Hobart refused to relinquish upon his inauguration was his position as one of three Joint Traffic Association (JTA) arbiters. The association was a group of railroads which sought to coordinate rates; if two railroads applied rates in different ways, the matter was settled by Hobart and two other arbiters. Hobart heard appeals while vice president. An October 1897 Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision signaled that the JTA was likely to be found in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (it was, the following year) and Hobart resigned as arbiter in November 1897.
Illness and death
By late 1898, Hobart had fallen ill with a serious heart ailment, which he at first concealed from the public. He continued Senate duty, but nearly collapsed after delivering an address closing the session. He accompanied the President on a vacation trip to Hanna's winter home in Thomasville, GeorgiaThomasville, Georgia
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The city is the second largest in Southwest Georgia after Albany.The city deems itself the City of Roses and holds an annual Rose Festival. The town features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large...
, but quickly contracted the flu
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
and returned to Washington. By April 1899, Hobart's illness was well-known in the press, though Hanna assured the newspapers that Hobart would be on the ticket in 1900: "nothing but death or an earthquake can stop the re-nomination of Vice President Hobart". Hobart rented a home in his birthplace of Long Branch, then an upscale Jersey Shore resort. Doctors prescribed complete rest, and the Vice President amused himself by feeding two pet fish, a gold one named McKinley and a silver one named Bryan.
Despite his vice president's ill-health, McKinley called upon him to break the news to Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
Russell Alger that McKinley wanted him to resign—the secretary had ignored or misunderstood repeated hints from the President. According to McKinley biographer Margaret Leech, "The President did not show his usual hypersensitive regard for other people's feelings in handing over to a sick man a disagreeable task which it was his own duty to perform." Hobart invited Alger to Long Branch for the weekend, and broke the news; Alger duly submitted his resignation to McKinley. Hobart's condition worsened within days of the Alger visit, and he was soon bedridden. The New York Sun
New York Sun
The New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
attributed Alger's resignation to Hobart's "crystal insight" and "velvet tact"; after which Hobart wrote to McKinley, "My 'crystal insight' is still clear, but the nap is slightly worn off my velvet tact".
Hobart was a major investor in the Ramapo Water Company; he had interests in many New York and New Jersey water companies. In mid-1899, there was controversy over the so-called "Ramapo Scheme", whereby the Ramapo Water Company, which owned large tracts of land in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
, would sell New York City $5 million in water per year for 40 years at high rates. The proposal was never agreed to, and a Republican-controlled investigating committee found no wrongdoing.
After a vacation with the McKinleys on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, Hobart returned to Paterson in September. On November 1, 1899, the government announced that Hobart would not return to public life. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died on November 21, 1899. President McKinley told the family, "No one outside of this home feels this loss more deeply than I do."
Legacy
Hobart significantly expanded the powers of the vice presidency, becoming a presidential adviser, and taking a leadership role as president of the Senate. Although Magie stated that Hobart's death "fixed his memory at the height of his fame", the former vice president is today little-remembered. According to Hatfield, he is best known for his death, clearing the way for the ascent of Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, who took Hobart's place on the Republican ticket in 1900 and succeeded as president after McKinley's assassination in 1901.
A statue of Hobart, erected in 1903, stands outside Paterson's city hall. Connolly finds Hobart to be very much a man of his times:
The public increasingly identified Republicans with the union of big business, big money, and big government, a union that ignited a Progressive reaction after 1900. Vice President Garret A. Hobart directed that union as lawyer, business receiver and director, and New Jersey Republican. He represented everything Progressives hated: a railroad advocate when railroads became America's most mistrusted industry, a corporate attorney who facilitated the agglomeration of capital when the public revolted against monopolies and trusts, a financial operator who used his political insight to capture lucrative business opportunities, and a national leader who moved easily between the worlds of political pull and economic power. As much as Hanna or any Gilded Age business-politician, Hobart symbolized the era.
External links
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