Progressive Presidents

1
Progressive Presidents

• Angela Brown
• Chapter 19 Section 3

2

• 1912 progressive reformers created own
  political party
• Ideas caught the attention of American voters and
  politicians.

3
Tafts Presidency

• 1904 TR announced he would not seek another
  term. (day after election)
• 1908 Roosevelt handpicked , Secretary of War,
  William Howard Taft to be Republican nominee.
• William Jennings Bryan tried for a third and
  final time for the democrats.

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• Taft pledged to carry on TRs progressivism.
• Pursued 90 anti-trust cases but gave in to
  republican old guard resisted many progressive
  programs.
• Tariff reduction compromised caused a faction
  of progressives to develop within republican
  party who disliked Taft.

5
The Ballinger-Pinchot Affair

• Taft ignored conservationists people concerned
  with care and protection of natural resources
• Richard Ballinger, Tafts Sec. Of Interior,
  allowed private group of business men to obtain
  millions of acres of Alaskan Public lands
  containing rich coal deposits.
• Gifford Pinchot, TR appointee to head forest
  service felt Ballinger had shown preference to
  group and complained to Congressional Committee.

6

• Taft fired Pinchot!
• Upset progressive faction joined democrats
  voted to investigate Ballinger.
• Ballinger resigned.
• House Rules Committee- run by Old Guard had
  been able to block reform legislation.
• 1910, amended rules committee would be appointed
  by House (not Speaker) and the Speaker could not
  serve on committee blocked powerful Speaker,
  Joseph Cannon

7
The Midterm Elections of 1910

• TR began speaking in support of progressive
  candidates in 1910 midterm elections.
• TR called for more federal regulation of
  business, welfare legislation, progressive
  reform, stronger workplace protections for women
  and children, income and inheritance taxes,
  direct primaries, initiative, referendum, and
  recall.
• TR called this New Nationalism.

8

• Republicans lost seats Progressives dominated
  Senate
• 1912 TR announced opposition to Taft for
  republican nomination.

9
The Election of 1912

• Taft controlled party machines and won
  nomination.
• Progressives marched out and formed own party
  with Roosevelt as candidate.
• TR stated, I feel fit as a Bull Moose!
  Progressive Party nicknamed the Bull Moose Party

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http//progressive.notanumberinc.com/trmoose.jpg
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The Bull Moose Party

• Platform tariff reduction, womens suffrage, more
  regulation of business, end to child labor, 8
  hour work day, federal workers compensation
  system, popular election of Senators.
• Women joined and ran in states that had suffrage.
• TR shot during speech in Milwaukee continued to
  speak for 1 ½ hours before receiving medical
  assistance It takes more than this to kill a
  bull moose.

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A Four-Way Election

• Taft, Republican
• Roosevelt, Bull Moose Progressives
• Eugene Debs, labor, Socialist
• Woodrow Wilson, Governor of NJ, Democrat - reform
  platform- criticized big business and big
  government

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http//history.utah.gov/news_and_events/currents/p
ast_issues/images/elections--taft.jpg
William H. Taft Republican Party
Theodore Roosevelt Bull Moose Party
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http//www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/c
onlaw/debs.jpg
http//www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/jp/bball/jp_
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Eugene Debs Socialist Party
Woodrow Wilson Democratic Party
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• New Freedom Policy promised to enforce
  anti-trust laws without threatening free economic
  competition
• Wilson won with 42 of popular vote republican
  vote split
• Democrats took control of both houses of
  Congress.

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Wilsons Policies as President

• Wilsons reputation as a reformer life now so
  complex government had to step in and create new
  conditions
• 1914 Clayton Anti-Trust Act to strengthen
  Sherman spelled out specific activities big
  business could not do.
• Could not use contracts to prevent buyers from
  purchasing goods form competitors.

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• Members of unions could not be held or construed
  to be illegal combinations in restraint of trade
  under anti-trust laws.
• Strikes, peaceful picketing and boycotts were
  legal.
• Courts could not issue injunctions unless
  irreparable injury to property occurred.

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• Government now committed to regulating business.
• Wilson and Congress created Federal Trade
  Commission (FTC) in 1914 set up fair trade laws
  and enforce anti-trust laws issue cease and
  desist orders for unfair business practices.

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The Federal Reserve System

• 1913 established Federal Reserve System
  recognized federal banking system.
• Created 8 to 12 Federal Reserve Banks throughout
  the country.
• All national banks were required to become
  members.
• Member banks stored some capital and cash
  reserves at district reserve.
• All Reserves Supervised by Bd. Appointed by the
  President.

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• Reserves allowed member banks to borrow money for
  short-term demands helped during economic panic
• New System of Currency Federal Reserve Notes
  allowed Federal Reserve to expand/contract amount
  of money in circulation according to business
  need
• 1916 Federal Farm Loan Board made loans to
  farmers borrow for 5-40 years at rates lower
  than commercial banks

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• Allowed cabinet officers to extend Jim Crow
  practice of separating races in federal offices.
  (begun under Taft)
• Opposed Amendment for Womens Sufferage party
  platform had not endorsed it
• Brandeis appointed to Supreme Court.
• 1916 Wilson nominated progressive lawyer Louis
  Brandeis to Supreme Court.

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Louis Brandeis

• Brandeis from Louisville, Kentucky The Peoples
  Lawyer
• He had supported/advised Wilson during 1912
  campaign
• opponents said too radical
• first Jewish Supreme Court nominee
• served until 1939
• marked the peak of progressive reform

http//www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/supreme_court/r
oberts/ images/louis-brandeis_sub.jpg
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Wilson Wins Second Term

• 1916 Wilson ran again progressivism had lost
  some appeal
• TR endorsed Republican, Charles Evan Hughes,
  former Governor of NY and Supreme Court Justice
  campaign dominated by war in Europe
• Wilson won a narrow victory promising to keep us
  out of war.

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The Limits of Progressivism

• Progressives focused on problems of cities did
  not address plight to tenents/migrant
  farmers/nonunionized workers
• Some supported immigration restrictions and
  literacy tests.
• Supported government imperialistic policies
  abroad civilizing of underdeveloped nations.

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• African Americans felt ignored by progressives.
• Only a tiny group of progressives that helped
  found the NAACP were concerned about race
  relations.
• 1912 progressive party convention TR refused to
  seat African American delegates from south to
  avoid alienating Southern Supporters.
• Some southern white progressives supported
  womens vote to double white vote.

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End of Progressivism

• 1914 war broke out in Europe calls to prepare
  for war drowned out calls for reform
• 1916 reform spirit gone drive for women
  suffrage remained