17-4 Progressivism Under Taft

Progressives: Conservatives: In 1912, the Republican Party splits at it convention: Why did they support or oppose Taft? Progressives: Opposed Taft because he signed and defended the Payne-Aldrich Tariff (A weak bill that raised tariffs, but not enough to protect American-big business.) Opposed Taft because he seemed to oppose conservation Opposed Taft because he supported the more conservative members of the republican senate, (Joseph Cannon) Conservatives: Supported Taft because they opposed progressivism, Teddy Roosevelt’s Square Deal programs and low tariffs. Supported Taft because he favored big business

2. What party did they form of stay with? Progressives: Under the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt, Progressives Split from the Republican Party and formed the Progressive Party (Also sometimes called The Bull Moose Party) Conservatives: Stayed with the Republican Party

In the 1912 Election, four parties run for President: Who did each party run for president? Progressive Party: Theodore President Republican Party: William Howard Taft Democratic Party: Woodrow Wilson Socialist Party: Eugene V. Debs

4. What was their candidate’s position on big business? Progressive Party: Theodore President-Supported government supervision of big business, but did not oppose all big business monopolies Republican Party: William Howard Taft- favored business, but worked to break up trusts Socialist Party: Eugene V. Debs- Felt that big business was evil and that the solution involved doing away with capitalism and distributing wealth more equally among the people Democratic Party: Woodrow Wilson- supported small business and free market competition; thought all big business monopolies needed to be broken up.

Gifford Pinchot and the Ballinger Pinchot Affair The Ballinger-Pinchot Affair: A scandal about favoritism, kickbacks and coal mining in the administration of William Howard Taft, the 27th President Ballinger was the Secretary of the Interior, and Pinchot the Head of the U.S. Forest Service. Pinchot found out that Ballinger had taken a series of 'no-bid' contracts out (to friends, with the promise of substantial kickbacks to Ballinger) to companies intent on mining coal on federally protected land. Pinchot went to Taft, Teddy Roosevelt’s hand picked successor, and informed him. Taft basically told Pinchot that it was okay, and that the contracts would be allowed to stand. This caused a heated argument between Pinchot and Taft with Pinchot getting fired by the President. Pinchot immediately went to the press, denouncing the contracts, Ballinger and President Taft. This led to a great deal of animosity between Taft and the Progressive (Roosevelt-led) wing of the Republican Party, and started the split that eventually broke the Progressives out of the Republican Party to form the Progressive ('Bull Moose') Party of the 1912 elections.