The Dream that Never Was: The Assassination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

[Barnes]

I'm pleased to announce that my good friend, Kalwejt, and I, will be co-authoring this timeline about the assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Presidency of John Nance Garner, etc.

Expect the first post very soon!

[Dancing with Myself]

How Long will the TL Last?

[Barnes]

1933: A Year of Sadness

February 15, 1933, just another day, everyone in America thought, until they tuned into the Radio:

"We have just now received word that President-elect Roosevelt has been shot in Miami, at a speaking engagement.  The President-elect's press Secretary said he was in serious condition, and showed little hope of survival (begins to sob). We will have more...as we get it."

Americans sat stunned, as the news began to trickle in, Roosevelt had been speaking in Bayfront Park, Miami.  The Assassin, Giuseppe Zangara, ran trough the crowd and fired two shots at Roosevelt.  The first stuck his right arm, the second was a few inches from his heart.

Zangara also shot Mayor Anton Cermak, who jumped in fornt of Roosevelt after the first shot was fired. Cermak was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Hospital.

By that night, it was official, Roosevelt had died form massive blood loss. 

[Barnes]

How Long will the TL Last?

We shall see...

[Bo]

I guess there will be no New Deal? Or it will be much smaller, and thus the economy could be worse off (creating problems for Garner for his reelection in 1936)?

[Barnes]

I guess there will be no New Deal? Or it will be much smaller, and thus the economy could be worse off (creating problems for Garner for his reelection in 1936)?

Quite, Garner will have to see how to get people to approve of his economic policies, after Roosevelt's promised New Deal.

[Barnes]

Vice President-elect John Nance Garner couldn't believe the situation.  The great people's friend, FDR, had been ripped from the world by an assassin's bullet.  And now he, was the President-elect.

On February 17, the funeral was held for Roosevelt in Washington, it was an outpouring of sadness like no one had seen before.


Dignitaries from around the world came to the services, and prayed, along with every American, for a brighter future.

After the funeral, Garner set up office in Washington, and took over the reigns of the Presidential Transition. He met with President Hoover; they talked for may hours, about Roosevelt, and the county. 

Garner didn't know what to do: He had been opposed to many of the things Roosevelt had suggested in his "New Deal", but he knew he couldn't just rip that promise away form the American people, especially in this time of great crisis.  He was also acutely aware that the country had voted for Roosevelt as their next President, not Garner, he really couldn't call Roosevelt's great mandate his.

[Antonio the Sixth]

A "dream" ?

[Barnes]

A "dream" ?

The Dream being Roosevelt's Presidency. Meaning he never could implement the New Deal, and such.

I love Roosevelt with a passion!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Reactions, Concerns and Cabinet divided



John Nane Garner (D-TX)
The first Vice President-elect elevated to the Presidency before term begining.

Already a Washington legend, “Cactus Jack” was a highly popular figure among many Democrats, esspecially in his native South, but failed to win a nomination last year mostly due to his inability to present himself as a better alternative to New York Governor, who promised to take a decivise stance on Great Depression. Many saw Garner as an old-school populist, who is generally more conservative in his philosophy, representing primarly rular interests. Garner, of course, realized the problems with depression and needed of reforms, but worries many FDR supporters, who hoped for something radical, which would change a face of the United States. “Did we all voted to get old style Burbon in a time of unprecedent crisis”?, New York Liberal Democrat, Senator Royal S. Coopeland, asked his friend upon hearing the tragic event in Miami. Other, like fellow Southerner and FDR close ally, Representative William B. Bankhead of Alabama, predicted otherwise: “Cactus Jack is smart enough to understand the needs situation and what people wanted”.

Although he fought hardly before to gain 1932 Democratic Party presidential nomination and 30 years spend in the House maked him prepeared better than anyone for tought battle in Washington, Garner himself had no earthly idea what to do now. Less than a month left to the inauguration day and taking a power in a moment of literal mess. 

Using a natural mourn following President-elect assassination, Garner was able to avoided an in-deepth questions and declaration about what he’s intending to do as the next, 32nd, President of the United States.   

Knowing that he need to deal with hard-die Roosevelt supporter and more radical reformers, who were now dominating force in the party, he decided to retain many intended FDR appointments, but also included more traditional, Bourbon/Wilsonian, Democrats to his incoming administration. Among those who were purged from cabinet-in-waiting were Frances Perkins and Henry A. Wallace, called by Garner, “Damn Iowa corn king”.

Althought list of nominations was not made public until March 4, it was already drafter and former in late February:

Secretary of State: Cordell Hull (D-TN)
Secretary of the Treasury: William Gibbs McAdoo (D-CA)
Secretary of War: George H. Dern (D-UT)
Attorney General: John W. Davis (D-WV)
Postmaster General: John J. Raskob (D-NY)
Secretary of the Navy: Claude A. Swanson (D-NY)
Secretary of the Interior: Harold Ickes (D-IL)
Secretary of Agriculture: Charles W. Bryan (D-NE)
Secretary of Commerce: Bibb Graves (D-AL)
Secretary of Labor: Daniel C. Roper (D-SC)

Notable, signalizing Garner “Bourbon” leanings were inclusion of highly pro-Gold standard McAdoo for another occassion as Treasury head, failed 1924 presidential nominee and famed attorney John W. Davis as Attorney General and Raskob.

On the other hand, people like Ickes, Graves and even, somewhat ironically, Bryan, himself 1924 V.P. nominee, represented still not specified “New Deal” wing.

Many pundits attributed later such diverse cabinet as Garner attempt to unite tha party. Yet, there was dominance of old school Democrats here.

[Barnes]

The First Term of John Nance Garner (1933-1937)


John Nance Garner-32nd President of the United States

"I, John Nance Garner, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God."

And with those famous words, Herbert Hoover bowed out as President, and John N. Garner took the reigns of the country. 

In, his Inaugural Address, he spoke of the great sadness on the death of President-elect Roosevelt, and said that "the nation has truly lost its greatest friend". He spoke of the Economic Depression, and how "in times of need, the American people make new, and unbreakable bonds with each other".  He also addressed the glaring fact that the Vice presidency would remain vacant for his entire four-year term.  He asked Congressional Leaders to propose an Amendment to the Constitution that would call for the appointment of a Vice President.

He also talked about his trust that "trough sensible leadership, the American economy will thrive again".

The Inauguration was seen as a great success for the struggling new President. The next day, he revealed his entire Cabinet, and submitted their names to Congress for Confirmation.

[Barnes]

Comments?

[Vosem]

Good, good. Keep it coming, Barnes. I hope you'll take this to the modern day!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Good, good. Keep it coming, Barnes. I hope you'll take this to the modern day!

It's Barnes and Kalwejt

[Vosem]

Good, good. Keep it coming, Barnes. I hope you'll take this to the modern day!

It's Barnes and Kalwejt

I'll credit you when you update it.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Go back of our good old prosperity!

In his inaugural adress, Garner also said a memorable words:

After last horrible four years of great tragedy and great depression, we all want a return of our glorious prosperity of 1920s.

While general population applauded this statement, many economist and progressives vere highly concerned. 1920s were a time of prosperity, but the laisse-faire economic prospered on a sick conditions and that’s caused a collapse.

Despite highly populist rethorics he mastered in for a long time, Garner was equally highly relucant to make any deeper changes in the economic structure. As a longtime business friend and self-made millionaire himself, the new President indeed preffered to take short-term direct intervention, but without initiating deeper reforms, hoping for "non-stop-prosperity-for-ever" return.

In days after taking office, Garner agreed to close banks for a week and to increase direct social funds, but did not considered such initiatives, pointed by members of former FDR “brain trust”, like creating a permament programs of public works nor a permanent social security. Garner, however, by mid-1933 agreed of establishing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, to control stock exchange potentially dangerous or ilegal operations. Many attributed this to his distrust and enemity toward “East Coast Capitalists”, rather than progressive philosophy.

Unfortunatelly, Garner largerly ignored industrial problems, focusing on aiding a farmers with much larger sums.
As of transition, in the first weeks Garner, who spend his entrie political life in legislative bodies (in contrast to wide FDR executive experience as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Governor of New York) was visibly not ready to change his ways and acted rather like “super-majority leader” or “super-speaker”.


Move from Speaker’s chair to the Oval Office was not an easy thing...

On March 20, after spending just 10 days in death row, President-elect Roosevelt and Mayor Cermak assassin, Giuseppe Zangara, was put to death in “Old Sparky”, a Florida notorius electric chair.


You give me electric chair. I no afraid of that chair! You one of capitalists. You is crook man too. Put me in electric chair. I no care!, Zangara, a man who killed the greatest hope of American people, shouted to the judge at his speedy trail. Later, he was very dissapointed no camera will film his electrocution.