Hoover-Olson Transition and also a Strike
- Location
- US
- Pronouns
- He/They
The Man who turned America upside down with a speech
The euphoria of Olson's win would only last a few days. Initially things would seem well, with Hoover quick to congratulate the new President-Elect and promise a close and smooth transition, a marked contrast to his own transition from McAdoo. Olson and his inner circle immediately set about figuring out appointments and drafting up plans to hit the ground running in January. Yet plans would soon be derailed by one man in particular, Senator Jack Reed of New York.
It didn't take much work for socialists to figure out what seemed to have happened in New York City on Election Day. Olson's unexpected performance, the lack of transparency, and reports of ballot fraud drew a clear picture, Tammany Hall had stolen the election and they had killed socialists to do it. This could not, and would not stand. Standing on the ground where his comrades had been martyred only days before, Reed offered an ultimatum, either a full investigation into the election was conducted and the New York electors rightfully awarded to him, or there would be a general strike. Furthermore he warned, if there was a strike, he couldn't guarantee what the final demands would be.
While the New York government did launch an investigation, it would ultimately refuse to give any decisive conclusions and overall the political establishment didn't take Reed seriously. While Long did condemn Reed for threatening "economic treason" even he didn't seem to expect a strike to materialize. Instead Long turned to accusing the votes in Virginia, Texas, and the Plain states of being stolen, presenting a sizable amount of evidence regarding Texas in particular. Byrd would in response Long of doing the exact same thing across the South. Despite Olson's win, all it seemed to have brought was further division to the nation, its wounds not beginning to heal.
Workers on the Pickett Lines
These wounds would be ripped open even further when in mid-December the Electoral College met and New York's voted for Olson and Roosevelt. Reed's bluff had been called. Unfortunately for the incoming Administration, it turned out to not be a bluff and following a somewhat quiet Christmas, the last in a while, all economic activity would grind to a halt with the New Year. All across the midwest, workers heeded the call of the CSA to strike. Despite the passage of Garner-Wagner, little had improved and when international trade had collapsed due to the trade war with Canada things had gotten even worse. While Olson had promised change and hope, the controversial and bloody nature of his victory had done much to diminish that promise. So, to put it simply, the workers of America were tired and willing to try something new, no matter how different, in the desperate gamble that Reed's Strike could improve things.
The New Year's Day Strike would take the country by storm, with strikes all across the Steel Belt to, in a very pointed manner, New York City. The CSA, and local unions, would work to set up various Workers Councils to take advantage of the vacuum of power and to provide for the workers and their families. Long, Byrd, and much of the media denounced the strike as a prelude to a syndicalist revolution and called on the Federal Government to crush it swiftly and decisively. President Hoover condemned the strike in strong terms but with his term almost over, he was unwilling to take decisive action. Olson for his part would keep his cards close to his chest.
Infamous image of Olson's Inauguration
It would be a dreary, raining day when January 20th arrived. It would, somewhat fortuitously considering the circumstances, be the first time a new President took office on that day. Despite everything, great crowds did gather in DC to brave the rain and hear the new President speak. Yet rain wasn't the only storm clouds gathering over DC that day. Hoover and Olson would meet before taking the traditional joint car ride to the Capitol. During the meeting Hoover would inform Olson that back during the election, shortly after Byrd had announced his run, FBI Director Hoover and Chief of Staff for the US Army, Douglas MacArthur had visited him. With Byrd seeming to have sunk Olson's chances of a clear win, a plan had been proposed that would, as Hoover described in simple terms, see the US put into the hands of a military dictatorship. President Hoover had rejected the plan at the time and Olson's wins had proved it unnecessary. But Hoover warned the President-Elect that with the ongoing strike, he would need to watch his back.
The crowd standing in the rain knew nothing of these intrigues behind the scenes, instead patiently waiting for the new President to appear. When he did, Chief Justice Hughes would deliver the oath of office. Soon enough, it was time for Olson's inaugural address. In it Olson would condemn the actions of industry and decry the economic hardship that had befallen the nation. He also spent time acknowledging the pain of those workers behind the strike and assured them that he sympathized with them. When it came to dealing with the strike itself, he pledged to,
[ ] Open talks with Reed and the Central Committee of the CSA to reach an agreement to end the Strike.
[ ] Accept an offer by Senator Long and a collection of southern Governors who offered to find unemployed southern workers to reopen the factories.
[ ] Not open direct talks with the CSA but instead seek to end the strike but legalizing labor unions, implementing the Fair Deal, and establishing unemployment insurance to make the strike unnecessary.
[ ] Refuse to deal with the strikers and instead take a hardline and bring it to an end, no matter the costs.
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