Roosevelt and Taft Politics 1890-1920

Roosevelt’s use of the Anti-Sherman Trust Act

• made 44 anti-trust prosecutions

• eg, 1904 the Supreme Court dissolves Northern Securities Company for illegal practice

R: Department of Commerce and Labour Act

1903 - created a new department of commerce, given the power to collect data on any business in interstate commerce

R: Hepburn Act

1906 - gave a federal gov commission the power to inspect the books of railroad companies and lay down the maximum rates they could charge - to protect the public from exploitation

R: Anthracite coal strike

1902 - Roosevelt intervenes and and encouraged employers to raise wages and offer a nine hour workday

• he had expanded the role of the gov to obtain justice, popular with people and in line w/progressivism

R: how many acres placed on federal reserves

150 million

R: National Conservational conference

1908 - led to many states creating commissions to look after the environment

Supporting conservation = supporting the people against mining timber and coal interests

R: Pure Food and Drug Act

1906, led to a federal programme of meat inspection and started the process of ending food adulteration

Taft’s anti-trust prosecutions under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act

80 prosecutions - 2x as many as Roosevelt

T: Labour relations

• introduced an 8hr workday for gov employees

• introduced mine safety legislation

T: other progressive legislation

• gave power to the Interstate Commission to set railroad rates

• introduced a federal income tax and corporation tax (graduated- progressive)

• Introduced the direct election of senators by the people

Taft failures

• Taft was concerned with Roosevelt’s ‘overuse’ of presidential authority

• lacked the political skills of R - failed to handle Progressive/Conservative divide in his party - increasingly siding with Conservatives, particularly on tariff reform

• sacked Gifford Pinchot , conservationist appointed by R

Payne Aldrich Act

1909 - tariffs only lowered to 40%, Progressives disappointed, felt this was not enough

Roosevelt forms a new party

1912 - ‘the Progressives’ or ‘the Bull-Moose Party’ - this split and weakened the Republicans, contributing greatly to their defeat in the 1912 election