Progressivism Under Taft Continuing TR’s Legacy…Or Not

Teddy Passes the Torch William Howard Taft defeats Bryan and it is expected that he carry the torch of progressivism for Teddy after he leaves office.

Trustbusting and Taft Taft actually pursued more suits against trusts than Roosevelt did so things are looking up for a progressive Presidency.

More Taft Reforms Mann-Elkins Act, 1910 This extended the regulatory powers of the ICC to telephone and telegraph companies. 16 th Amendment, 1913 This creates a graduated income tax, based on personal income as a way to fund government programs in a fair manner.

Taft Angers Progressives Payne-Aldrich Tariff  This was a high-tariff which Taft refused to veto.  Progressives wanted a low tariff and this began to anger many of them.

Conflict Over Public Lands  Gifford Pinchot head of US Forest Service under Roosevelt believed wilderness areas could be used for both public (government) and private development  Pinchot and Ballinger (secretary of interior) got in a dispute over public lands  Pinchot accused Ballinger (made a huge sale of land to a coal company) of being swayed by commercial interests  Taft fired Pinchot for siding with Ballinger

Election of 1912  The Election of 1912 involves a 3 rd party split of the Republican Party.  The result of this is a win for the Democrats.

The Republican Split Taft  Republicans saw to it that Taft got the Republican nomination for the election of Roosevelt  Roosevelt, dissatisfied with the job Taft had done in office, decided that he would create a new Party and run for President in 1912.

Bull Moose Party  Roosevelt spoke of a “ New Nationalism ” in which government would look out for good of people  New party formed: Progressive Party or later known as Bull Moose Party

Bull Moose Party  Platform focused on direct election of Senators, adoption in all states of the initiative referendum, women’s suffrage, workmen's compensation, eight-hour workday, minimum wage for women, ban on child labor and trade commission to regulate business

Democrats in 1912  Split in Republican party gave Democrats first real chance in years.  They nominated Woodrow Wilson  Supported a progressive platform called New Freedom  Demanded stronger antitrust legislation, bank reform and reduced tariffs

Democrats in 1912  Republicans were destroying each other with insults  Wilson sat quietly and continued to press his issues  Voters had a wide variety to vote for everything from progressive movements to socialist (Eugene Debs) to conservative to something new

Democrats Win!!!!!!  Wilson only captured 42 percent of the popular vote but he won an overwhelming number of electoral college votes out of 531