Chapter 28 Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt

Progressive Roots in the Greenback Labor Party of the 1870 s and 1880 s and the Populist Party of the 1890 s. Goal: use the government as an agency of human welfare. Fought against monopolies, corruption, inefficiency, and social injustice.

Progressive Roots Against laissez-faire economics

The pen is sometimes mightier than the sword. Muckrakers - reporters exposed injustices

The muckrakers Henry Demarest Lloyd corruption of the Standard Oil Company Wealth Against Commonwealth Thorstein Veblen criticized the new rich Theory of the Leisure Class (1899).

The muckrakers Jacob A. Riis How the Other Half Lives New York slums Theodore Dreiser The Financier The Titan attack profiteers

The muckrakers 1902 - aggressive ten and fifteen-cent popular magazines, such as Cosmopolitan, Collier’s, and Everybody’s, began flinging the dirt about the trusts.

Raking Muck with the Muckrakers Lincoln Steffens articles in Mc. Clure’s- “The Shame of the Cities” Unmasked the corrupt alliance between big business and the government. Ida M. Tarbell exposé against Standard Oil and its ruthlessness. Exposed the “money trusts, ” the railroad barons, and the corrupt amassing of American fortunes,

Raking Muck with the Muckrakers David G. Phillips charged that 75 of the 90 U. S. Senators did not represent the people, but actually the railroads and trusts. Ray Stannard Baker’s Following the Color Line was about the illiteracy of Blacks. John Spargo’s The Bitter Cry of the Children exposed child labor.

Raking Muck with the Muckrakers The muckrakers sincerely believed that cures for the ills of American democracy, was more democracy. Progressives were mostly middle-class citizens who felt squeezed by both the big trusts above and the restless immigrant hordes working for cheap labor that came from below. Jane Adams

Political reforms of Progressives Initiative - voters could directly propose legislation Referendum - people could vote on laws that affected them Recall - to remove bad officials from office.

Political reforms of Progressives Secret ballot(Australian ballot) to counteract the effects of party bosses Direct election of U. S. senators 17 th Amendment Females also campaigned for woman’s suffrage, but that did not come…yet.

Progressivism in the Cities and States In Wisconsin, Governor Robert M. La Follette wrestled control from the trusts and returned power to the people Charles Evans Hughes, governor of New York, gained fame by investigating the malpractices of gas and insurance companies.

City managers Progressive cities like Galveston, TX either used, for the first time, expert-staffed commissions to manage urban affairs or the city-manager system, which was designed to take politics out of municipal administration.

Progressive Women They couldn’t vote or hold political office, but were active none-theless. Women focused their changes on familyoriented ills such as child labor.

Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire Major improvements in the fight against child labor 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in NYC which killed 146 workers, mostly young women.

Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire At the morgue Relatives identifying victims

List of names List of Victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire NAME OF FIRE VICTIM AGE COMMENTS Aberstein, Julia 30 Adler, Lizzie 24 Altman, Anna 16 Ardito, Anna 25 Astrowsky, Becky 20 Bassino, Rosie 31 Belatta, Vincenza 16 Bellotta, Ignazia Father identified by heel of shoe. Benanti, Vincenza 22 Bernstein, Essie 19 Bernstein, Jacob 28 Bernstein, Morris 19 Bernstein, Moses Bierman, Gussie 22 Parents complained body stripped of rings. Binevitz, Abraham 20 Brenman, Rosie Brenman, Surka (Sarah) Brodsky, Ida 16 Brodsky, Sarah 21 Brooks, Ida 18 Brunette, Laura 17 Caputta 17 Carlisi, Josep 31 Caruso, Albina 20 Carutto, Frances 17 Castello, Josie 21 Cirrito, Rosie Cohen, Anna 25 Colletti, Antonia (Annie) 30 Costello, Della Crepo, Rose 19 Denent, Grances 20 Dichtenhultz (Fichtenhultz), Yetta 18 Dockman (Dochman), Dora (Clara) 19 Dorman, K Identified by registered letter. Downic, Kalman 24 Eisenberg, Celia 17 Feibush, Rose Feicisch(Feibish), Rebecca 17 Died at hospital after jumping. Feltzer 40 Fitze, Mrs. Dosie Lopez 24 Survived jump for day, then died. Forrester, May 25 Franco, Jennie 16 Frank, Tina 17 Gallo, Mrs. Mary 23 Geib, Bertha 25 Gernstein, Molly 17 Gittlin, Celina 17 Goldfield, Esther Goldstein, Lena 22 Goldstein, Mary 11 Goldstein, Yetta 20 Gorfield, Esther 22 Grameattassio, Mrs. Irene 24 Harris, Esther 21 Broke back coming down elevator chute. Herman, Mary 40 Jakobowski, Ida Kaplan (woman) 20 Kenowitch, Ida 18 Keober 30 Kessler, Becky Tag read, "B Kessler, call for her tomorrow. " Klein, Jacob 23 Kupla, Sara Jumped. Survived five days after fire. Launswold, Fannie 24 Lefkowitz, Nettie 28 Lehrer, Max 19 Lehrer, Sam Leone, Kate 14 Lermack, Rosie D. 19 Leventhal, Mary 22 Identified by gold-capped tooth. Levin, Jennie 19 Attractive woman who died with folded arms Levine, Abe Levine, Max Levine, Pauline 19 Maltese, Catherine Mother of two victims below. Maltese, Lucia 20 One of three bodies identified by her brother. Maltese, Rosalie(Rosari) 14 Manara, Mrs. Maria 27 Manofsky, Rose 22 Died at Bellevue Hospital.

Just a list of names Marciano, Mrs. Michela 25 Mayer, Minnie Meyers, Yetta 19 Miale, Bettina 18 Identified by ring on her finger. Miale, Frances 21 Midolo, Gaetana 16 Nebrerer, Becky 19 Nicholas, Annie 18 Nicolose, Nicolina (Michelina) Novobritsky, Annie 20 Nussbaum (Nausbaum), Sadie 18 Lower half of body consumed by flame. Oberstein, Julia 19 Oringer, Rose Died at St. Vincent's Hospital. Ozzo, Carrie 22 Pack, Annie 18 Panno, Mrs. Providenza 48 Pasqualicca, Antonietta 16 Pearl, Ida 20 Pildescu, Jennie 18 Pinello, Vincenza 30 Poliny, Jennie 20 Prato, Millie 21 Reivers, Becky 19 Rootstein, Emma Robinowitz, Abraham Rosen, Israel 17 Sister identified body by ring. Rosen, Julia(widow) 35 $842 found in her stocking. Rosen, Mrs. Leob 38 Rosenbaum, Yetta 22 Rosenberg, Jennie 21 Rosenfeld, Gussie 22 Last body to be identified. Rosenthal, Nettie 21 Rother, R 25 Rother, Theodore 22 Sabasowitz, Sarah 17 Salemi, Sophie 24 Identified by a darn in her stocking. Saracino, Saracino, Serafina 25 Saracino, Tessie 20 Schiffman, Gussie 18 Schmidt, Mrs. Theresa 32 Schneider, Mrs. Ethel Schochep, Violet 21 Schwartz, Margaret Named victim in criminal case. Selzer, Jacob 33 Semmilio, Mrs. Annie 30 Shapiro, Rosie 17 Shena, Catherine 30 Sklaver, Berel (Sklawer, Bennie) 25 Sorkin, Rosie 18 Spear Sprunt Spunt, Gussie 19 Starr, Mrs. Annie 30 Stein, Jennie 18 Stellino, Jennie 16 Stiglitz, Jennie 22 Tabick, Samuel 18 Terdanova (Terranova), Clotilde 22 Only victim to die on tenth floor; jumped. Tortorella, Isabella 17 Ullo, Mary 20 Utal, Meyer 23 Velakowsky, Freda(Freida) 20 Survived jump for 3 days, then died. Vivlania, Bessie 15 Vovobritsky, Annie 20 Weinduff, Sally 17 Weiner, Rose 23 Weintraub, Sally (Sarah? ) 17 Weintraub, Celia Welfowitz, Dora 21 Wilson, Joseph 21 Found by fiance; to have been wed in June. Wisner, Tessie 27 Wisotsky, Sonia 17 Wondross, Bertha Zeltner > 30 Died of internal injuries at St. Vincent's.

Making Judicial Progress Muller vs. Oregon (1908) found attorney Louis D. Brandeis persuading the Supreme Court to accept the constitutionality of laws that protected women workers. Lochner v. New York invalidated a New York law establishing a ten-hour day for bakers. Court upheld a similar law for factory workers.

Progressives challenge the Demon Rum Prohibitionist organizations - Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), founded by Frances E. Willard, and the Anti-Saloon League were formed. 18 th Amendment prohibited the sale and drinking of alcohol.

End of Chapter 28 pt. 1

TR’s Three Cs President Roosevelt “Square Deal” Three Cs: control of the corporations consumer protection conservation of the United States’ natural resources. Square Deal Dance

1902 Pennsylvania Anthracite Coal Mine Strike 140, 000 workers demanded a 20% pay increase and the reduction of the workday to nine hours. Owners refused to negotiate - lack of coal (freezing schools, hospitals, and factories) TR threatened to seize the mines and operate them with federal troops Workers got a 10% pay increase and a 9 -hour workday, but their union was not officially recognized as a bargaining agent.

Cabinet Department of Commerce and Labor In 1903 - Department of Commerce and Labor allowed to probe businesses engaged in interstate commerce; it was highly useful in “trust-busting. ”

1904 Presidential election TR easily beat Democrat Alton B. Parker However, in 1904, TR announced that he would not seek the presidency in 1908, since he would have, in effect, served two terms by then. Thus he “defanged” his power. Notice the “Solid South” for Democrats

TR Corrals the Railroads 1887 - Interstate Commerce Commission – inadequate 1903 - Elkins Act - fined railroads that gave rebates and the shippers that accepted them. 1906 - Hepburn Act - stated the government's regulatory power more definitively empowered the ICC to change a railroad rate to one it considered "just and reasonable, “ Mann-Elkins Act - placed the burden of proof on the railroads; for the first time, they would have to actively demonstrate that a rate was reasonable.

TR as “trustbuster” TR decided that there were “good trusts” and “bad trusts, ” and set out to control the “bad trusts, ” such as the Northern Securities Company, which was organized by J. P. Morgan and James J. Hill. 1904, Supreme Court ordered Northern Securities to dissolve Angered Wall Street but helped TR’s image.

TR as “trustbuster” Crack down on over 40 trusts helped dissolve the beef, sugar, fertilizer, and harvester trusts He wasn’t as large of a trustbuster as he has been portrayed. He had no wish to take down the “good trusts, ” but the trusts that did fall under TR’s big stick fell symbolically, so that other trusts would reform themselves.

Consumer protection Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle - horrors of the meatpacking industry Meat Inspection Act, preparation of meat shipped over state lines would be subject to federal inspection The Pure Food and Drug Act tried to prevent the adulteration and mislabeling of foods and pharmaceuticals

Starting to protect the Environment Wasting natural resources Forest Reserve Act of 1891 - authorized the president to set aside land to be protected as national parks. Under this statute, some 46 million acres of forest were set aside as preserves.

Starting to protect the Environment Gifford Pinchot head of the federal Division of Forestry – Conservationist The Newlands Act of 1902 - initiated irrigation projects for the western states

Starting to protect the Environment By 1900, only a quarter of the nation’s natural timberlands remained, so he set aside 125 million acres, establishing perhaps his most enduring achievement as president. In 1913, San Francisco received permission to build a dam in Hetchy Hetch Valley, a part of Yosemite National Park, causing much controversy. Roosevelt’s conservation deal meant working with the big logging companies, not the small, independent ones.

The “Roosevelt Panic” of 1907 Widespread popularity Conservatives branded him as a dangerous rattlesnake, unpredictable in his Progressive moves. In 1907, a short but sharp panic on Wall Street placed TR at the center of its blame He lashed back Panic died down. 1908 - Aldrich-Vreeland Act – authorized national banks to issue emergency currency backed by various kinds of collateral. This would lead to the momentous Federal Reserve Act of 1913

Need for an elastic currency

The Rough Rider Thunders Out In the 1908 campaign, TR chose William Howard Taft as his “successor, ” hoping that the corpulent man would continue his policies Taft easily defeated William Jennings Bryan surprise came from Socialist Eugene V. Debs, who garnered 420, 793 votes.

TR’s Legacy Protected against socialism Conservationist Expanded the powers of the presidency Shaped the progressive movement Launched the Square Deal —a precursor to the New Deal Opened American eyes to the fact that America shared the world with other nations so that it couldn’t be isolationist.

Meet President Taft William Taft was a mild progressive, quite jovial, quite fat, and passive. He was also sensitive to criticism and not as liberal as Roosevelt.

The Dollar Goes Abroad as Diplomat Taft - “Dollar Diplomacy” called for Wall Street bankers to invest their surplus dollars into foreign areas of strategic concern to the U. S. (Far East and in the regions critical to the security of the Panama Canal) This investment, in effect, gave the U. S. economic control over these areas.

Bad Neighbor Policy Roosevelt carried the big stick in the America’s while Taft promoted “Dollar Diplomacy” In 1909, perceiving a threat to the monopolistic Russian and Japanese control of the Manchurian Railway, Taft had Secretary of State Philander C. Knox propose that a group of American and foreign bankers buy the railroads and turn them over to China. Taft also pumped U. S. dollars into Honduras and Haiti, whose economies were stagnant, while in Cuba, the same Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua, American forces were brought in to restore order after unrest.

The real “trustbuster” President Taft In his four years of office, Taft brought 90 suits against trusts. In 1911, the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the Standard Oil Company. After Taft tried to break apart U. S. Steel despite TR’s prior approval of the trust, Taft increasingly became TR’s antagonist.

Taft Splits the Republican Party Two main issues split the Republican party: (1) the tariff and (2) conservation of lands. To lower the tariff and fulfill a campaign promise, Taft and the House passed a moderately reductive bill, but the Senate, led by Senator Nelson W. Aldrich, tacked on lots of upward revisions, and thus, when the Payne. Aldrich Bill passed, it betrayed Taft’s promise, incurred the wrath of his party (drawn mostly from the Midwest), and outraged many people. Old Republicans were high-tariff; new/Progressive Republicans were low tariff. Taft even foolishly called it “the best bill that the Republican party ever passed. ” Rhode Island Senator Nelson Aldrich

Ballinger Pinchot Affair Ballinger-Pinchot Quarrel Secretary of the Interior Richard Ballinger opened public lands in Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska to corporate development and was criticized by Forestry chief Gifford Pinchot, who was then fired by Taft. Old Republicans favored using the lands for business; new/Progressive Republicans favored conservation of lands.

1910 “off year” elections In the spring of 1910, the Republican party was split between the Progressives and the Old Guard that Taft supported, so that the Democrats emerged with a landslide in the House. Socialist Victor L. Berger was elected from Milwaukee to Congress. The Socialist Victor L. Berger

The Republican Party Splits In 1911, the National Progressive Republican League was formed, with Robert M. La Follette as its leader February 1912, TR began dropping hints that he wouldn’t mind being nominated by the Republicans (he had meant no third consecutive term, not a third term overall)

1912 Presidential Election Rejected by the Taft supporters of the Republicans, TR became a candidate on the Progressive party ticket, shoving La. Follette aside. In the Election of 1912, it would be Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive Republican or Bull Moose Party) versus William H. Taft (Old Guard Republican)versus the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson.

Welcome President Wilson