The Life and Times of John Hughes Jr. - a semi-fictional alternate timeline

[morgieb]

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It was August 1919. The world had been very different since the end of World War I. The Republicans were ready to pounce on Woodrow Wilson's time as President. Indeed, the last couple of years of his rule had not been kind to him. The wartime economic boom had collapsed. Politicians were arguing over peace treaties and the question of America's entry into the League of Nations, which produced an isolationist reaction. Overseas, there were wars and revolutions. At home, 1919 was marked by major strikes in the meatpacking and steel industries, and large-scale race riots in Chicago and other cities. Terrorist attacks on Wall Street produced fears of radicals and terrorists. The Irish Catholic and German communities were outraged at Wilson's foreign policy and it would leave whoever won the candidacy of the Democratic party in major strife.

The three big candidates for the Republican nomination were seen to be John Hughes Jr., Leonard Wood and Frank Orren Lowden. Other possibilities included Herbert Hoover, Hiram Johnson, Warren G. Harding, Miles Poindexter, Calvin Coolidge and Nicolas Murray Butler.

Having rejected chances to run in 1912 and 1916, John Hughes thought this was his big chance. Seen as a rare Northern liberal - back in those days, most Northern politicians had links and were seen as favourable to big business - instead, Hughes was a champion of the working class - he decided to run.

"I am running for the nomination of my party in the 1920 election. For far too long the Democrats have corrupted the nation. Wilson is a liar. He 'campaigned' on the 1916 trail by saying "he kept us out of war." You know what he did a year later? He got us INVOLVED in the war! It was a European war, we weren't under danger. Now we've got to take a foreign policy approach that is NEEDLESS!"

"Our country has to think about those in need. We have for far too long thought about ourselves, rather than a poor boy dying because society says so. As a loving and caring man, that concerns me. So please, at the Republican convention in 1920, vote 'John Hughes Jr.'"

[morgieb]

The 1920 Republican Convention
At the first ballot, Hughes was behind Lowden, Wood and Johnson. However, Hughes refused to drop out, and after over-taking Johnson, Johnson decided to endorse Hughes. He later surged to be narrowly short of a majority.

It later became clear that unless the powers did deals, no candidate would win. Lowden was dropping out of view, so it was only Harding, Hughes and Wood left. In the end, Harding decided to support Hughes in exchange for being Hughes Veep.

John Hughes Jr. is the nominee for the 1920 election!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Nice work so far.

[Pingvin]

Nice work so far.

[morgieb]

As in real life, James Cox/FDR are the Democratic nominees.

While the Democratic candidates are energetic, everyone outside of South is really ****ing pissed off at Woodrow Wilson's time, and Hughes had massive appeal to the working-class who felt that politics was treating them harshly. Also, in the radio debate, Cox was virtually annihilated by Hughes.

With the election nearing, Hughes was leading by margins near 30 points. While he didn't quite win by 30, he still won by a healthy margin of 25 points. The Democrats were basically restricted to the former Confederate.

(sorry for the map, but the margin was identical to the real 1920 election)

[morgieb]

*Some people to give me good cabinet suggestions, please!*

"I will create a better America for all!"

John Hughes Jr. - 1921

Hughes had campaigned on reforming the mess that Wilson had left. What he didn't say, in order to remain in favour with the conservative wing of the Republican party, was that he would reform the government massively and take hints from the Soviet Union to make the working-class better. As big business strongly opposed this, he was in a spot of bother.

The first thing he did was introduce the minimum wage. Conservatives in both parties almost had a stroke. The Minimum Wage Act 1921, in fact, failed to pass the House of Representatives, striking it down 218-212. A very close call, but this angered Hughes. "Why won't those ****ers in Congress give a  about the working class!"

"Cheer up, John" stated his wife, Robyn. "You managed to get it very close. Who knows, maybe your social agenda will work?"

"Aye, Aye. I've got an idea...."

[Jerseyrules]

Cool, though I don't like the minimum wage

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Seems kinda like a new Teddy Roosevelt type-character. With that in mind, maybe Teddy Roosevelt Jr. for Secretary of the Navy (or Secretary of War)? He did serve in WWI (and WWII) and was Assistant Secretary of the Navy (and Governor of a few colonies).

Maybe Henry Ford can get Commerce or Labor? Might be a good conservative voice in the cabinet.

Charles Evan Hughes is always a good choice, as in RL. Herbert Hoover probably should get the same spot (or maybe an ambassador or Secretary of the Treasury).

Is he an internationalist/hawk, or a 20's-style isolationist? That'd affect the type of SoS appointee he has.

[morgieb]

Seems kinda like a new Teddy Roosevelt type-character. With that in mind, maybe Teddy Roosevelt Jr. for Secretary of the Navy (or Secretary of War)? He did serve in WWI (and WWII) and was Assistant Secretary of the Navy (and Governor of a few colonies).

Maybe Henry Ford can get Commerce or Labor? Might be a good conservative voice in the cabinet.

Charles Evan Hughes is always a good choice, as in RL. Herbert Hoover probably should get the same spot (or maybe an ambassador or Secretary of the Treasury).

Is he an internationalist/hawk, or a 20's-style isolationist? That'd affect the type of SoS appointee he has.

Some good suggestions there

With foreign policy, he runs against WWI, and while in office is an isolationist, but later becomes more hawkish after leaving office.

[morgieb]

Eventually, after precision from progressives such as Charles Curtis, Hiram Johnson and Robert LaFollette, Hughes was able to pass the Minimum Wage Act 1921. When signing it, Hughes claimed "today the workers shall be treated fairly". It won public support, but some right-wingers disapproved. In particular, some Democratic Congressmen, such as John Nance Garner jokingly labelled John Hughes as "John Marx". However, it was clear who won the day here. Less hard was the nomination of William Howard Taft as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It passed 60-4 and had little opposition in Congress.

In late 1921, a leaflet of the things that Hughes attended to achieve in his Presidency ended up on the desk of his cousin and the Attorney-General Charlie Hughes....

* Introduce a Social Security system.
* Pass universal health care
* Introduce the 8-hour/5-day working week
* Scrapping child labour
* limiting the right of employers
* "millionaires" tax (remember this is 1921. Millionaires back then would be billionaires now)
* Civil Rights for all Americans.
* Ban prohibition

Charlie only had one word for Jack "Are you insane?!? Do you really think you can pass all this?"

"Charlie, is it not OK to dream to end inequity for all Americans?"

"D'ya really think you'll get this all passed?"

"Not with that attitude. This attitude, though....."

"Is that a yes or a no?"