Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson: Progressive Presidents and Government Reform

Today’s Presentation• “Pre-Progressive Era” reform laws: Pendleton Civil

Service Act, and Sherman Anti-Trust Act• Initiative, Referendum, and Recall (democracy)• Teddy Roosevelt: being an “active” President, trust-

busting, The Square Deal• William Howard Taft: like Teddy, except milder• Woodrow Wilson: The New Freedom – ending

privilege (of big businesses and bankers), reforming labor, making government more democratic

• The 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Amendments.

Political Corruption: The Spoils System• Throughout much of the late-1800s, corruption had been

widespread in the Federal and State governments.• The “spoils system” was a policy of giving government jobs

to people who made contributions to politicians, or who helped in their campaigns.

• An example of the spoils system in action was William “Boss” Tweed’s corrupt political organization in New York City called “Tammany Hall”; which controlled nearly the entire city in the 1860s-70s.

• Tweed used voter fraud, intimidation, and bribes to keep Democrats in power in NY.

Who stole the people’s money? “’Twas he.”

Pendleton Civil Service Act (1863)• George H. “The Gentleman” Pendleton was a “northern”

Democrat Senator from Ohio, who ran for Vice President with General George B. McClellan in 1864; but of course they lost to Lincoln and Johnson who were Republicans.

• He is best known for being the author of the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1863; creating the Civil Service Commission.

• The Civil Service Commission was in charge of enforcing the Pendleton Act, including: requiring government employees to pass competitive exams before being hired, made it illegal to fire gov. workers for political reasons, and generally encouraged jobs to be rewarded based on merit.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890)• corporate trust: A formal agreement between corporations

to work for each-other’s benefit.• The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was authored by

Senator John Sherman (R-Ohio), who was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

• The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was the first major US legislation that put restrictions on business practices that led to the creation of trusts or monopolies.

• It was intended to encourage competition among businesses, so that they would produce better and cheaper products; however pro-business lobbyists reduced its power before the legislation was officially put into effect.

State Reforms: Increasing Democracy• During the Progressive Era, demands by the Populist Party

and other progressives caused many state governments to adopt legislation that gave citizens a more direct voice in government.

• Initiative: Voters could directly introduce bills in the state legislature and could vote on whether they wanted a bill passed. (voters could make their own bill to present to Congress)

• Referendum: Legislators could ask voters to directly support or approve a proposition.(could be law, etc.)

• Recall: Elected officials could be removed from office by voters before their term of office was over.

Assassination of President McKinley• September 3rd,1901

– anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot Pres. McKinley twice in the stomach.

• McKinley died on Sept. 13th, 1901.

• Czolgosz was found guilty and electrocuted.

Teddy Roosevelt’s View on Presidency:Teddy had a very interesting life:• Police Commissioner of NYC: Helped Jacob Riis’ journalism.• Spanish-American War: Led Rough Riders up San Juan Hill.• Governor of New York: Worked to end political corruption.• He was William McKinley’s Vice President, and became

President after McKinley died on Sept. 13th, 1901 from bullet wounds he had suffered in an assassination attempt.

• Up until this time, Presidents had traditionally avoided being too involved in government; afraid of over-stepping the balance of power. However, Teddy was a man of action, and wanted to meet the demands of progressives.

Teddy’s Square Deal• Protecting Public Health: After Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle

alerted the nation to the unsanitary conditions in meat-packing plants, Roosevelt and Congress worked to pass the Meat Inspection Act, and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906; in order to protect consumers from harmful products.

• Regulating Transport and Comms.: The ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) was given more power to regulate railroad and telegraph companies. Hepburn Act (1906)

• Conserving Resources: Roosevelt made millions of acres into new government-owned forests and parks. He also created the National Conservation Commission to protect national resources like lumber, and maintain government parks. ex:Yosemite National Park in CA

Teddy the Trust-Buster• Teddy used the power of the 1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Act to

“bust” what he defined as “bad trusts” in hopes of pleasing the people of the progressive movement.

• “good trusts” – stabilized the economy; but “bad trusts” were too damaging to workers or capitalist competition.• In 1901, Roosevelt broke J.P. Morgan’s

Northern Securities trust (shipping and railroad conglomerate) into several smaller companies.

• In 1906, Teddy’s Justice Department targeted Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, which was dissolved in 1911 by order of the Supreme Court.

• (page 536)*

J.P. Morgan: investment banker

Trust: Northern Securities (transportation conglomerate)

John D. Rockefeller: oil tycoon

Trust: Standard Oil Company

The Taft Presidency (1909-1913)• Although Roosevelt was young and popular, he decided not to

break the long-standing tradition of running for two terms only.• Instead, Roosevelt helped his former secretary of War, William

Howard Taft, win the 1908 election against the Democrats’ William Jennings Bryan.

• Taft ran as a Progressive Republican like Teddy, and continued trust-busting policies; however Taft tended to be more conservative than Teddy. Taft returned much of Teddy’s public lands back to private owners, and tended to be less active in meeting Progressive demands.

• *16th Amendment – passed under Taft• In 1912; Teddy challenged Taft for the

Republican Presidential nomination, but lost.• In response, Teddy accepted nomination by

the progressive Bull Moose Party.

The Presidential Election of 1912• Republicans (incumbent): William Howard Taft• Democrats: Woodrow Wilson• Bull Moose Party: Theodore Roosevelt• Socialist Party: Eugene V. Debs Taft ran as a moderate Republican and progressive, Teddy ran as

a more extreme progressive; and Wilson ran as a progressive but also had the support of the South, and the advantage of Republicans being split between Taft and Teddy.

Debs (socialist) was seen as being too extreme for most voters.

Wilson won, with 40% of the popular vote; and won 40 states in the electoral college.

Woodrow Wilson (Democrat 1913-1921)• Woodrow Wilson was Governor of New Jersey, but he

was originally from Virginia, and he gained much support from Southern voters.

• Wilson shared Roosevelt’s belief in a strong Presidency.• During his campaign for President, Wilson promised

Americans a “New Freedom”; in which he would tame big business, encourage greater competition, and promote general equality for Americans.

• Wilson promised to bring down the “triple wall of privilege,” which consisted of: tariffs, banks, and trusts.

Wilson’s New Freedom (1913-1921)• 16th Amendment(1913): Introduced a graduated income

tax, in which wealthier people paid higher rates than poorer people. (passed under Taft, but also favored by Wilson)

• Underwood Tariff Act(1913): Lowered national tariff rate from 40% to 25%; in order to create a more competitive market. (foreign businesses)

*the loss of revenue in the tariff was made-up for with the income tax*• Federal Reserve Act(1913): Established 12 national Federal

Reserve Banks that would serve as a “banker’s bank”; holding a portion of bank funds in reserve to help other banks in time of crisis. It also allowed the Federal government to regulate the amount of money in the economy, and the value of the dollar.

Wilson Reforming Labor• Department of Labor(1913): Was created as a separate

Presidential Cabinet post “to promote and develop the welfare of working people, and to improve their working conditions.” They had the power to enforce labor laws.

• Clayton Anti-Trust Act(1914): Prevented courts from applying anti-trust laws to restrict unions; and also prevented federal courts from prohibiting strikes. This act improved on the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, in that it was more detailed and had tougher restrictions.

• Keating-Owen Child Labor Act(1916): Wilson passed a law that banned the sale of goods created by child labor in interstate commerce. *commerce clause* It was overturned in by the Supreme Court in 1918.

*The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938: was the act that eventually outlawed child labor.*

The Temperance Movement (Prohibition)

• Temperance: the movement to reduce or ban the use of alcohol. Many progressives saw alcohol as a source of many social ills (poverty, violence, etc.)

• WCTU: The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (formed in 1873) was a group of women progressives who opposed alcohol for its sinfulness, and the fact that alcoholic fathers often neglected their families. They also opposed it as a general cause of social ills.

• Anti-Saloon League: founded in 1893, it promoted scientific and moral reasons for banning alcohol, and worked with the WCTU to push the government to pass the 18th Amendment.

• *Before it became a federal law, many counties and states had already become “dry” because of Prohibitionists.*

Anti-Saloon League Slogan

16th, 17th, 18th, & 19th Amendments• 16th Amendment: (1913) introduced a graduated income

tax, where wealthier people paid more taxes.• 17th Amendment: (1913) provided for the direct election

of Senators by the voters of each state. (pop. demand)• 18th Amendment: (1920) outlawed the production, sale,

and use of alcoholic beverages in the United States. It was pushed by the WTCU and the Anti-Saloon League.

• 19th Amendment: (1920) prohibited the government from denying any US citizen (women) the right to vote based on gender; it was passed largely due to the agitation caused by Susan B. Anthony and the National Woman Suffrage Association.

Progressive Era• ~1880-1920 in the United States• Muckrakers: reported on the “social ills” in US

society such as poverty, harsh work conditions, prejudice, monopolies, etc.

• Reformers/Progressives: many middle-class volunteers and social activists worked to help the lower class; and demanded government action to solve these problems.

• The Progressive Presidents: used their power and Congress to pass new laws and amendments to meet progressive demands.