Table of Contents
Minority president
The Idealist and Politics
Wilson Tackles Tariff
Wilsonian Progressivism on High Tide
After more than 16 years, the Republican Party split. Woodrow Wilson was the Democratic candidate in Baltimore’s 46th election in 1912. The Democratic Party was full of progressives, reformers and a fight for freedom. Jane Addams, the Progressive Party’s leader, nominated Teddy Roosevelt at the convention. He won the support of all the attendees. Roosevelt said in his speech that he was “as powerful as a bull-moose.” This is the animal that represents the Progressive Party. The moose was created as the unofficial Progressive party symbol.
William Taft a Republican got into an argument with Theodore Roosevelt that ripped them apart. Former friends, they now worked to destroy every aspect of the other’s platform and personality. Wilson had the New Freedom and Teddy Roosevelt, The Promise of American Life 1910. These parties were the main issues in their dispute. Herbert Croly inspired Roosevelt’s New Nationalism. His book The Promise of American Life published in 1910 stated that government control should be left to the good trusts.
Wilson’s New Freedom Party was in favor of small businesses. Wilson wanted to destroy all trusts. Not just bad ones but all. Roosevelt’s shot to the chest stopped his party campaign. He still gave his speech despite being shot. After being taken to hospital for 2 weeks, he was able to fully recover.
Woodrow Wilson became a Minority president after the Republicans split. He won 435 Electoral vote easily. TR received only 88 votes while Taft got 8. Wilson was not a popular choice for the Democrats. He only received 40% of the votes. Eugene V. Debs a socialist won over 900,000. Theodore Roosevelt was a major factor in the Republican’s loss of the election.
Woodrow Wilson was a great supporter and sympathizer of the South. He was an intelligent and sincere politician. He had cold personality. As he is wise, austere.
Wilson Attacks the TariffWhen Wilson assumed the presidency, he had already decided to attack the triple wall. The banks, trusts and the tariff. First, he dealt with tariffs. Then, he helped pass Underwood Tariff 1913 that reduced import duties and allowed for a gradual increase in income tax. The Commander in Chief Restrains the Monopolies. The Federal Trade Commission Act was passed by Congress in 1914. This act granted the president, or an appointed authority, the power to investigate the activities of trusts, stop unfair business practices, including illegal competition, false advertisement, mislabeling and adulteration.
The Clayton Antitrust Act was passed in 1914. It extended the Sherman Antitrust Act and added more practices that were considered objectionable. It also excluded labor unions as being trusts. And it legalized peaceful picketing of labor unions.
Wilsonian Progressivism: High TideWilson fought for reforms like the Federal Farm Loan Act of 1915, which offered low-interest loans to farmers, and Warehouse Act of 1917, which allowed loans against staple crops. These were both Populist concepts. La Follette Seamen’s Act of 1917 required that America’s seamen be treated with respect, but this resulted in a rise in merchant freight costs due to the high cost of maintaining sailors’ health.
The Supreme Court invalidated Workingmen’s Compensation Act of 1915, which had provided federal civil service workers with assistance during times of instabilities. The 1916 Adamson Act established a eight-hour working day with overtime payment. Wilson appointed Louis Brandeis the first Jew on the Supreme Court but did not support Blacks’ civil rights. Wilson appeased his business partners by appointing several conservatives to positions at the Federal Reserve Board as well as the Federal Trade Commission. Wilson, however, focused much of his efforts on progressive support.
