1 00:00:02,750 --> 00:00:07,950 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to coverage of the 1912 presidential election. It has 2 00:00:07,950 --> 00:00:12,330 been an interesting election year. Now it's November 5th, Election Day, and the votes 3 00:00:12,330 --> 00:00:17,500 are coming in. But first, let's recap some of the drama leading up to this point. 4 00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:22,520 Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the United States, actually won most of the Republican 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:28,330 primaries, even in President William Howard Taft's home state of Ohio. Despite Roosevelt's 6 00:00:28,330 --> 00:00:32,989 popular support, he was not able to overcome the power of Taft's supporters within the 7 00:00:32,989 --> 00:00:39,270 Republican Party. A group of Republicans refusing to support Taft's nomination at the Republican 8 00:00:39,270 --> 00:00:44,010 National Convention formed the Progressive Party and named Theodore Roosevelt as their 9 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:48,770 candidate for president. Last month, Roosevelt was shot at close range 10 00:00:48,770 --> 00:00:54,030 before he was to deliver a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The gunman failed 11 00:00:54,030 --> 00:00:58,489 to kill the former president because the force of the bullet was reduced by an eyeglasses 12 00:00:58,489 --> 00:01:03,809 case and a speech manuscript in the breast pocket of Roosevelt's overcoat. With the bullet 13 00:01:03,809 --> 00:01:08,650 still in his body, he told the crowd, 'You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill 14 00:01:08,650 --> 00:01:14,250 a bull moose.' Only after his speech was over did he go to the hospital. And that, ladies 15 00:01:14,250 --> 00:01:20,310 and gentlemen, is how the Progressive Party has become known as the 'Bull Moose Party.' 16 00:01:20,310 --> 00:01:24,680 President Taft has also had a tough go of it as of late. Progressives within the Republican 17 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:30,750 Party have opposed his conservative policies. To make matters worse, just last week, James 18 00:01:30,750 --> 00:01:35,259 Sherman, his vice president and running mate, passed away from a lengthy illness affecting 19 00:01:35,259 --> 00:01:39,689 his kidneys. Now folks we are down to the wire. We have 20 00:01:39,689 --> 00:01:44,310 four candidates vying for the presidency. Let's take a closer look at these contenders 21 00:01:44,310 --> 00:01:49,180 and highlight some of their views. First up is the incumbent Republican William 22 00:01:49,180 --> 00:01:55,520 Howard Taft. Taft has a solid antitrust record, using ninety lawsuits against the trusts during 23 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:01,829 his time as president. Taft supports high import tariffs, limitations on child and female 24 00:02:01,829 --> 00:02:09,290 labor and workmen's compensation laws. He is against initiative, referendum and recall. 25 00:02:09,290 --> 00:02:13,870 Taft has promoted the idea that judges need to be more powerful than those elected to 26 00:02:13,870 --> 00:02:16,810 office. Taft is determined to preserve the conservative 27 00:02:16,810 --> 00:02:22,760 heart of the Republican Party. He has campaigned quietly. Some say it's because he knows he 28 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,980 has a slim chance of winning now that traditional Republican support has been split between 29 00:02:27,980 --> 00:02:31,319 the conservative Republican Party and the Progressive Party. 30 00:02:31,319 --> 00:02:37,870 Challenging Taft for the presidency is Democrat Woodrow Wilson, hailing from South Carolina. 31 00:02:37,870 --> 00:02:42,340 Wilson was president of Princeton University and later developed a strong reform record 32 00:02:42,340 --> 00:02:48,190 as the governor of New Jersey. His platform consists of his 'New Freedom.' Wilson wants 33 00:02:48,190 --> 00:02:53,910 to implement antitrust legislation to eliminate monopolies, viewing big business as unfair 34 00:02:53,910 --> 00:03:01,140 and inefficient. Wilson feels that big business reduces opportunity for many ordinary Americans. 35 00:03:01,140 --> 00:03:06,970 He seeks an era of small government, small businesses and free competition. Wilson is 36 00:03:06,970 --> 00:03:13,159 also critical of organized labor, socialism and radical farmers. Wilson supports Progressive 37 00:03:13,159 --> 00:03:20,099 legislation, including tariff reduction, income tax reform, currency and credit reform. 38 00:03:20,099 --> 00:03:25,330 Also throwing his hat into the ring is the Socialist Eugene V. Debs. Debs was a labor 39 00:03:25,330 --> 00:03:30,370 organizer and one of the most prominent socialists in the United States. Some members of the 40 00:03:30,370 --> 00:03:36,280 Socialist Party propose ending America's capitalist economic system and replacing it with a socialized 41 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,370 economic system. Debs advocates for public ownership of the 42 00:03:40,370 --> 00:03:47,599 railroads and utilities, no tariffs, a shortened work day, a minimum wage, a graduated income 43 00:03:47,599 --> 00:03:52,930 tax and a system of social insurance against unemployment and industrial accidents and 44 00:03:52,930 --> 00:03:58,409 death. Socialists also advocate for the election of the president and vice president by direct 45 00:03:58,409 --> 00:04:02,799 vote of the people. He maintains that the other political parties are financed by the 46 00:04:02,799 --> 00:04:09,120 large trusts. Unfortunately for Debs, most of the labor unions are supporting Wilson. 47 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:13,840 And last, but not least, the former President and Progressive 'Bull Moose' candidate, Theodore 48 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:19,590 'Teddy' Roosevelt. Roosevelt's platform formed around his New Nationalism principles, which 49 00:04:19,590 --> 00:04:25,840 include a broad range of social and political reforms, including a federal child labor law, 50 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:31,090 federal workman's compensation, regulation of labor relations and a minimum wage for 51 00:04:31,090 --> 00:04:38,190 women. The Progressive Party also advocates lower tariffs, initiative, referendum, recall, 52 00:04:38,190 --> 00:04:44,040 direct election of senators and direct primaries. Roosevelt differentiates between good and 53 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:50,270 bad trusts and claimed that big business must be strictly regulated in the public interest. 54 00:04:50,270 --> 00:04:55,610 He believes in the protection of workers and consumers and in environmental protection. 55 00:04:55,610 --> 00:04:59,780 The Progressive Party is the only party to advocate women's suffrage, or the right to 56 00:04:59,780 --> 00:05:04,930 vote, at the national level. Now ladies and gentlemen, it is time. The 57 00:05:04,930 --> 00:05:11,560 votes are in. Wilson and the Democrats have won with 435 electoral votes, Roosevelt and 58 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:16,630 the Progressive 'Bull Moose' Party came in second with 88 electoral votes, while Taft 59 00:05:16,630 --> 00:05:21,680 and the Republican Party came in third with 8 electoral votes. Debs did not score any 60 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:26,759 electoral votes, but he did manage to earn 6% of the popular vote, the highest proportion 61 00:05:26,759 --> 00:05:32,360 ever for the Socialist party. It is also quite clear that the split in the Republican Party 62 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:39,139 has contributed to the Democrats' victory. The 1912 election was significant for several 63 00:05:39,139 --> 00:05:43,820 reasons. It was the high point of the progressive movement in terms of progressive ideals and 64 00:05:43,820 --> 00:05:50,110 rhetoric at the national level. In this election, a third party candidate, Roosevelt of the 65 00:05:50,110 --> 00:05:55,800 Progressive Party, beat one of the two major party candidates, Taft of the Republican Party. 66 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,210 Wilson's victory brought the Democrats back in power of the national government for the 67 00:05:59,210 --> 00:06:04,350 first time since before the Civil War. The Democrats gained both houses of Congress, 68 00:06:04,350 --> 00:06:08,919 as well as the presidency. The election also brought southern leadership and influence 69 00:06:08,919 --> 00:06:13,520 to the national government. In fact, five of Wilson's ten cabinet members were born 70 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:18,800 in the South. William Jennings Bryan was made Secretary of State, and many Congressional 71 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:24,520 committees were chaired by Southern legislators. Let's now take a look at some of Woodrow Wilson's 72 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:29,580 key accomplishments as president. While initially differing from Theodore Roosevelt on the direction 73 00:06:29,580 --> 00:06:35,270 of Progressivism, Wilson later advocated many of his ideas. He supported measures that expanded 74 00:06:35,270 --> 00:06:40,020 the role of the national government in regulating the economy. He confronted what he referred 75 00:06:40,020 --> 00:06:46,039 to as the 'triple wall of privilege:' the tariff, the banks and the trusts. Through 76 00:06:46,039 --> 00:06:50,110 Wilson's skillful leadership: The Underwood Tariff (1913) lowered the tax 77 00:06:50,110 --> 00:06:56,940 on imported goods from 40% to 25%. The decreased tariff was passed by Congress in an effort 78 00:06:56,940 --> 00:07:02,380 to lessen the power of large trusts, promote competition and open American markets to foreign 79 00:07:02,380 --> 00:07:07,180 products. The Federal Reserve Act (1913) created a publicly 80 00:07:07,180 --> 00:07:12,680 controlled banking system resistant to financial panic. Twelve regional district reserve banks 81 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,160 were created. Each bank was independent, but they were regulated by the Federal Reserve 82 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:22,520 Board, who oversaw national fiscal policy. The Federal Reserve issues paper money and 83 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:27,490 controls the amount of money in circulation through money reserves and interest rates. 84 00:07:27,490 --> 00:07:32,639 The new Federal Reserve System provided a reliable, flexible currency system with a 85 00:07:32,639 --> 00:07:38,340 decentralized money supply. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914) identified 86 00:07:38,340 --> 00:07:42,979 specific, illegal practices and business combinations that were against the law if they tended to 87 00:07:42,979 --> 00:07:49,050 lessen competition or create a monopoly. The act also exempted farm cooperatives and legitimate 88 00:07:49,050 --> 00:07:54,979 labor union activities, such as picketing, strikes and boycotts, from anti-trust prosecution. 89 00:07:54,979 --> 00:08:01,389 The Federal Trade Commission Act (1914) provided regulatory oversight of big business by establishing 90 00:08:01,389 --> 00:08:06,720 the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the Clayton Anti-Trust Act and to issue cease 91 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:12,660 and desist orders to stop unfair business practices. American workers also benefited 92 00:08:12,660 --> 00:08:18,800 from a series of laws supported by Wilson in 1915 and 1916. These included a federal 93 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:23,910 workmen's compensation law, a federal child labor law, the Adamson eight-hour law for 94 00:08:23,910 --> 00:08:28,840 railroad workers and the Seamen's Act, which granted sailors the same rights held by other 95 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:33,229 workers. Wilson also approved the Federal Farm Loan Act, which offered low-interest 96 00:08:33,229 --> 00:08:38,269 loans to farmers. Four constitutional amendments were also passed during Wilson's two terms 97 00:08:38,269 --> 00:08:41,140 in office: The Sixteenth Amendment allowed Congress to 98 00:08:41,140 --> 00:08:45,220 collect a graduated income tax. The Seventeenth Amendment allowed voters to 99 00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:49,860 directly elect U.S. senators. The Eighteenth Amendment banned the manufacture 100 00:08:49,860 --> 00:08:54,970 and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States. This amendment was later repealed, 101 00:08:54,970 --> 00:08:59,580 or cancelled, by the Twenty-First Amendment. And finally, the Nineteenth Amendment gave 102 00:08:59,580 --> 00:09:05,240 women the right to vote. Let's review. Some Republicans, unhappy with 103 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:10,399 William Howard Taft, split with the Republican Party and created the Progressive Party in 104 00:09:10,399 --> 00:09:15,810 1912. Former president Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt ran as the Progressive Party candidate, but 105 00:09:15,810 --> 00:09:21,440 was unsuccessful in obtaining a presidential win. Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic candidate, 106 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:26,330 won the presidency and set out on a series of important economic reforms of the tariff 107 00:09:26,330 --> 00:09:31,170 and banking industry. Wilson helped limit the power of big business through antitrust 108 00:09:31,170 --> 00:09:37,160 legislation and regulatory oversight. He helped pass federal laws supporting workers, including 109 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:42,519 workmen's compensation and child labor laws. Constitutional Amendments passed during Wilson's 110 00:09:42,519 --> 00:09:47,910 presidency authorized federal income tax, direct election of U.S. senators, prohibition 111 00:09:47,910 --> 00:09:48,869 and women's suffrage.