Transcript AP 13-14 Unit I

Taft Antagonizes the Progressives
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(2) Issue of Reform in the House of
Representatives:
Speaker: “Uncle Joe” Cannon (IL)
Conservative Republican; made all committee
appointments; also could appoint a majority of
members to the Rules Committee (schedule bills);
often blocked reform measures
Taft disliked Cannon personally & didn’t approve of
his “stand-pat” conservatism
House progressives propose to strip Cannon of
some of his power, Taft pledged to support them
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Joseph Gurney
Cannon
Taft Antagonizes the Progressives
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Taft soon goes back on his word
Conservative Republicans (Old Guard) six
times as numerous as “insurgents”
Conservatives promised to cooperate w/ Taft
on other issues if he supports Cannon
Outcome: Cannon’s power still limited
Coalition between Republican insurgents &
progressive Democrats
Taft Antagonizes the Progressives
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(3) Conservation Issue:
Disappoints many progressives on this
issue; BUT set aside more national park &
forest land than Roosevelt
Richard Ballinger (Sec. of Interior) some
wilderness lands in MT & WY sold to
corporations
Gifford Pinchot (Forestry Service) charges
Ballinger  enriching corporations &
exploiting the environment
Taft Antagonizes the Progressives
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Taft responds angrily by firing …
Pinchot
Public outrage causes Taft to have
Ballinger resign
The Ballinger-Pinchot controversy a
disaster for Taft
Progressive Achievements of Taft
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1) Twice the “trust-buster”: attorney
general filed 90 anti-trust suits (TR’s 44)
Standard Oil & the American Tobacco
Company reorganized
2) Taft pushed for a constitutional
amendment permitting a federal income
tax (Congress proposed in 1909);
graduated income tax fairer; ratification
comes in 1913  Sixteenth Amendment
Progressive Achievements of Taft
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3) Supported the Mann-Elkins Act (1910):
gave the ICC more power to regulate RRs &
telegraph companies
4) Increased the number of federal
employees under the civil service
5) Labor: Children’s Bureau established in the
Labor Dept.; approved new safety regulations
for mines & RRs; Congress established an 8hour workday for govt. employees
6) Congress proposed the Seventeenth
Amendment (direct election of Senators)
The Return of Theodore Roosevelt
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1910 Congressional Elections; progressive
Republicans feel Taft trying to crush
progressivism in the party
TR convinced Taft was “utterly hopeless as a
leader.”
Osawatomie, Kansas (Aug. 31, 1910) TR
called for a New Nationalism
New Nationalism
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(1) strict business regulation
(2) social welfare laws
(3) curb on courts which nullified regulatory
legislation
(4) championed a “strong national
government” which would destroy privilege
Splits the Republican Party; Old Guard (Taft)
refer to TR’s “crime” @ Osawatomie;
Progressive Republicans (TR); Democrats win
control of the House (1st time in 20 yrs.) &
many governorships
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William Howard
Taft and Teddy
Roosevelt fight as
Uncle Sam looks
on. 1912, scanned
editorial cartoon
Taft Foreign Policy (Review)
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Encouraged Americans to invest in Latin
America; especially Honduras, Haiti, &
Nicaragua
Dollar Diplomacy
American forces intervene in:
Cuba, Honduras, Dominican Republic
1912: 2500 Marines land in Nicaragua
Taft as Chief Justice
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Taft considered this
appointment the
high point of his
career
“I don’t remember
that I was ever
President.”
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The U.S. Supreme
Court in 1925. Taft is
seated in the bottom
row, middle.
Wilson Qs (Pages 679-686)
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Part I: Qs 1-11
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Part II: Qs 12-18
Chart: The Triple Wall
of Privilege