The document provides information about the 1912 US presidential election between Republican incumbent William Taft, former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt running as a third party candidate under the Progressive "Bull Moose" Party, and Democrat Woodrow Wilson. It discusses the platforms and policies of each candidate and party. It also covers the growth of socialism and socialist candidate Eugene Debs. The split Republican vote between Taft and Roosevelt allowed Wilson to win the election with a plurality of the popular vote.

1. U.S. History – Chapter 15

3. The Republican
Party
&
President
William H. Taft

4. Keep
the
Whistle
Blowing
Taft was determined to preserve the
conservative heart of the Republican Party.

5. Come, Mr. President. You Can’t Have
the Stage ALL of the Time!

6. William Taft
• Ohio / Sec. of War under TR
• Didn’t have the flare of TR
• But he proved himself to be a Progressive
1.Prosecuted Twice as many Trusts as
TR in only 4 years
2. Expanded the number of National Forest acres
3. Pushed laws to improve safety in mines
4. Established Children’s Bureau –
Protected the rights and interests of Children
• Saw the Presidency as an administrative post
• TR is disillusioned – Taft not a strong public leader

7. Republican Party Platform
High import tariffs-Support Big Business
Put limitations on female and child labor
Workman’s Compensation Laws
Against initiative, referendum, & recall
Against “bad” trusts
Creation of a Federal Trade Commission
Conservation of natural resources
because they are finite.

8. Republican Convention of 1912
• TR & Taft both arrive expecting the
nomination of the party
Who Deserves the Nomination?
Taft or TR
The Party Chooses Taft
- TR bolts from the party

9. The GOP After
the Circus
The Convention
batters the Party as
TR forms a 3rd Party
TR  The Republican
Party must stand for
the rights of
humanity, or else it must stand for special
privilege.

10. The Progressive
“Bull Moose” Party
Former President
Theodore
Roosevelt
People should rise
above their sectarian
interests to promote the general good.

11. The
AntiThird-Term
Principle

12. Theodore Roosevelt at
Osawatomie, KS: New Nationalism
Big business requires Bigger Government

13. The
“Bull Moose”
Party:
The Latest
Arrival
at the
Political Zoo
We stand at Armageddon,
and we battle for the Lord!

14. Progressive Party Platform
Women’s suffrage
Graduated income tax
Inheritance tax for the rich
Lower tariffs (opposite of GOP)
Limits on campaign spending
Minimum wage laws
NATIONAL HEALTH CARE
Abolition of child labor
Workmen’s compensation
N
e
w
N
a
t
i
o
n
a
l
i
s
m

15. Tariffs & Big Business
- Automobiles
Tariffs
USA
Ford
Foreign competition
Toyota
______________________
Would Big Business in
America rather have
Higher or Lower
Tariffs?

16. The Socialist Party
& Eugene V. Debs
The issue is Socialism versus
Capitalism. I am for
Socialism because I am for
humanity.

17. “The Working Class Candidates”
Eugene V. Debs
for President
Emil Seigel
for VP
support from workers
(unions)

18. Growth of the Socialist Vote
Year
Socialist Party
Socialist Labor
Party
Total
1888
2,068
2,068
1890
13,704
13,704
1892
21,512
21,512
1894
30,020
30,020
1896
36,275
36,274
1898
82,204
82,204
1900
96,931
33,405
130,336
1902
223,494
53,763
277,257
1904
408,230
33,546
441,776
1906
331,043
20,265
351,308
1908
424,488
14,021
438,509
1910
607,674
34,115
641,789
1912
901,873

19. The Industrial Worker: I. W. W.
The first American labor group to open its
membership to all wage-earning workers, regardless
of skill, nationality, race, sex, or gender.

20. Socialist Party Platform
Government ownership of railroads
and utilities
Guaranteed income tax
No tariffs
8-hour work day
Better housing
Government inspection of factories
Women’s suffrage

21. The Democratic Party &
Governor Woodrow Wilson (NJ)
Could he rescue
the Democratic
Party from
“Bryanism”??

22. The Reform
Governor
of NJ:
It Takes
Time
to Remove
the Grime

23. Woodrow Wilson
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Virginia 1856
Learning disability – couldn’t read until 11
Father was a Presbyterian Minister
Taught him moral values
PhD in political Science – Prof. for 16 yrs
President of Princeton U. (1902-10) - NJ
He had no political experience but, wrote
books about govt. while teaching

24. Wilson becomes a Politician
• Books seemed to show he believed the
Republican reforms were too extreme
• Nominated by James Smith (NJ Party Boss)
- to run for Governor in 1910 as Dem.
(Electable/Novice/Non Threatening Appearance)
• Elected Gov. in 1910 - NJ
• Declared independence from the machine
• Supported many progressive reforms in NJ

25. N
e
w
Democratic Party Platform
Government control of the monopolies
 trusts in general were bad
 eliminate them!!
Tariff reduction
F
r
e
e
d
o
m
One-term President
Direct election of Senators
Create a Department of Labor
Strengthen/Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Did NOT support women’s suffrage

26. TR
&
Women’s
Suffrage:
The
Militant
Recruit

27. Up
Against
the
Hurdles

28. Woman Suffrage Before 1920

29. TR gets Shot in Milwaukee
Oct. 14th by John Schrank
(Believed in 2 Terms)
“Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet
as possible. I don't know whether you
I have
just been shot; but it
takes more than that
to kill a Bull Moose.
fully understand that
The bullet is in me now, so that I
,
but I will try my best.”
cannot make a very long speech
• Wilson – suspends campaign
while TR is in the hospital

30. 1912 Election Results - Votes
•
•
•
•
Wilson (D) 6.3 million
TR (P)
4.1 million
Taft (R)
3.5 million
Debs (S)
.9 million
What did Taft & TR effectively do?
look at math problem on next slide

31. GOP Divided by Bull Moose
Equals Democratic Victory!

32. Election Results
By 1912, 100,000 fewer people had voted for
Wilson than had voted for Bryan in 1908.
The 1912 election marked the high pt. of the
Socialist movement in America.

33. The
GOP:
An
Extinct
Animal?

34. Assignment- Ch 15.3 p. 537-540 ebook
– Due:_________ 25pts
• Wilson’s New Freedoms Program
consisted of Four main Categories
1) Tariffs
2) Banks
3) Trusts
4) Reforms for Workers
Explain each Category:
• What was the issue?
• What was created to carry out his plan ?
• Did he succeed? Did he Compromise?
– 1 page:

35. Answers
1.Tariffs
– Underwood Tariff
- reduced rate to about 30% of
the value of the goods or 1/2 of what
is was in the 1890’s
Underwood Tariff also had a
provision for the collection of a direct
income tax(1%) – 16th Am in 1913

36. 2. Reforming Banks
The Federal Reserve Act
- 12 Regional Banks with the Power to
set interest rates to control the
economy

37. 3. Trusts
Creation of the FTC
– Federal Trade Commission
To monitor Am. Business so they would
stop unfair trade practices(slow)
Clayton Antitrust Act
outlawed practices that restricted
competition – stronger than the Sherman

38. 4. Reforms for Workers
Keating-Owen Child Labor Law
- prohibited the employment of kids
U14 in factories producing goods for
interstate commerce
1918 – declared unconstitutional
(child labor is not interstate commerce so
only the state could enforce)
Adamson Act – 8 hr workday for RR workers
Federal Farm Loan Act – low interest loans