3/28/12. Progressivism Under Taft and Wilson

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1 Progressivism Under Taft and Wilson Taft won the 1908 Presidential election over William Jennings Bryan He promised to continue Roosevelt s progressive reforms, but appointed no progressives to his cabinet Taft called a special session of congress to pass tariff reform The house passed reductions, but the senate passed increases The compromise bill, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, was a protective measure that made Progressives furious. Taft s selection for Secretary of the Interior, Richard A. Ballinger, angered conservationists because he opposed conservation policies on federal land in the west. When Ballinger allowed a group of business people to obtain land in Alaska containing rich mineral and coal deposits, Gifford Pinchot, the head of the U.S. Forestry Service, protested. He said Ballinger had shown special preference to the group. Taft fired Pinchot; Ballinger eventually resigned. Taft s popularity fell. Republican Progressives in the House teamed up with Democrats to allow the entire membership of the House to appoint the Rules Committee, which decides which legislation will be referred to the House for action. They barred the Speaker, Joseph G. Cannon, from serving on the committee. This split the Republican Party 1

2 Theodore Roosevelt campaigned for Progressives in the midterm elections. He campaigned for the New Nationalism business regulations, welfare laws, workplace protection for women and children, income and inheritance taxes, and voting reform. Democrats gained control of the House and Senate. What happened when Taft tried to reduce tariffs? What was the Ballinger-Pinchot Affair? What happened to Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon? Who won the midterm elections? Why? In 1912, Roosevelt challenged Taft for the Republican nomination. Taft controlled the convention and won the nomination. The Progressives left the convention and started their own party. The Progressives nominated Roosevelt and California governor Hiram Johnson. The party became known as the Bull Moose Party. The Bull Moose platform included tariff reduction, women s suffrage, more regulation of business, a child labor ban, an 8-hour workday, a federal workers compensation system, and the direct election of Senators. Many women joined the Progressive Party. On October 14, while campaigning, Roosevelt was shot in Milwaukee. He finished his speech despite a bullet being lodged in his lung. 2

3 Taft had reserved more public lands and brought more anti-trusts suits than Roosevelt had in 7 years. He supported the children s bureau, the 16 th and 17 th amendments, and the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 that gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to regulate telephone and telegraph rates. The Democrats nominated New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson. He ran on a reform platform. He promised to enforce anti-trust laws without threatening economic competition. The Republicans ran Taft; the Progressives ran Roosevelt; the Democrats ran Wilson; the socialists ran Eugene V. Debs. With the Republican vote split between Taft and Roosevelt, Wilson was able to win. The Democrats also took control of both houses of Congress. Why did the Progressives leave the Republican Party? What was the nickname of the Progressive Party? Who were the 4 candidates for President in 1912? Who won the election? Why? Wilson believed that one of his main jobs as President was to propose legislation to Congress, promote it publically, and guide it to passage. He kept Congress in session for a year and a half for the first time ever. The Underwood Tariff Act of 1913 reduced the average tariff rate from 40% to 25%. To make up for the loss in revenue, he signed into law a federal income tax. 3

4 In 1914, Congress passed the Clayton Antitrust Act, which spelled out specific activities that big business could not do. Companies could not prevent buyers from purchasing products from competitors. Some types of holding companies used to create monopolies were banned. Price cutting in local markets to squeeze out competitors was banned. The act also legalized unions and there key weapons strikes, peaceful picketing, and boycotts. Courts were prevented from using injunctions against union activities unless they led to irreparable injury to property. The Federal Trade Commission was created in 1914 to stop business practices that were unfair. Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which divided the country into 12 districts, each with a Federal Reserve Bank owned by member banks. The system was supervised by a Federal Reserve Board appointed by the President. The Federal Reserve banks were the central banks for the region bankers banks. Member banks were required to deposit some capital into the reserve bank. They could borrow from it for short-term needs. This helped to prevent bank failures. It also created a new currency known as the Federal Reserve note. The Federal Reserve could expand or contract the amount of currency in circulation according to economic need. The Federal Farm Loan Board was established in 1916 to make loans available to farmers. Wilson nominated Progressive lawyer Louis D. Brandeis to the Supreme Court. Opponents accused him of being too radical. Some did not like him because he was Jewish. He was approved by the Senate and served until

5 In 1916, the Republicans ran Charles Evan Hughes as their candidate. He was also endorsed by the Progressives. Wilson ran on the slogan that he had kept the nation out of World War I, which had erupted in Europe. He barely defeated Hughes with 277 electoral votes to 254. What was the Underwood Tariff? What were the provisions of the Clayton Anti-trust Act? What is the job of the Federal Trade Commission? What is the Federal Reserve System? How does it work? Who was Louis D. Brandeis? By the mid-1910 s Progressives had made changes in society, business, and government, but had done little to help tenant and migrant farmers and nonunionized workers or immigrants. Wilson allowed Jim Crow practices of separating races in federal offices. He did not support women s suffrage. Many African Americans felt ignored by the Progressives. With World War I occurring in Europe, calls to prepare for war drowned out calls for reform. By 1916, the reform movement was all but over. Which groups felt left out by the Progressives? Why did the Progressive Era end? 5