1. The Taft Administration

2. Pres. William H. Taft:

3. Ex-President Theodore Roosevelt Watches President Taft Struggle with the Demands of Government, 1910

4. The Taft Administration
Taft was the hand-picked successor of Teddy Roosevelt.
Taft continued many of T.R.’s progressive policies but broke with him on other issues.
This caused one of the great political wars between two people in US history

5. Taft and Tariff Reform
Many tariffs had been put on imported goods to protect American industries.
Tariffs, though, also lead to higher prices and a lack of competitive choice for consumers.
Lowering tariffs, therefore, was progressive in that it helped consumers.

6. Taft and Tariff Reform
Even though Taft did accomplish many progressive things, he also took some actions that were decidedly “regressive” in that they reversed some of T.R.’s programs and benefited the wealthy industrial class over average Americans… for example:
Taft’s attempt at tariff reform was liked by Progressives; but…
Payne-Aldrich Tariff: Progressives disliked because of…
Taft’s compromise with Republican J. Cannon to pass the Payne-Aldrich Tariff: barely lowers tariffs and RAISES(!) some others.

7. Taft and Conservation
Richard Ballinger was Secretary of the Interior which oversees the nation’s natural resources.
He believed too much public land was protected and handed 1 million acres over to timber and mining companies to exploit
Gifford Pinchot, T.R.’s head of the Forest Service was furious, and he publically attacked Ballinger for his pro-business views.
When Taft sided with Ballinger and fired Pinchot, angering progressives, conservationists, and especially T.R.

8. Taft as Progressive
In spite of T.R.’s misgivings, Taft WAS progressive!
The Children’s Bureau proved effective in regulating and rooting out illegal child labor.
The ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) regulated interstate trade and encouraged fair, competitive business practices.
The Bureau of Mine Workers enforced regulations that protected workers in the previously very dangerous coal mines.
He files over 90 anti-trust suits, including the cases that broke up Standard Oil and US Steel
T.R. is furious about Taft’s US Steel suit. He considered it a “good” trust.

9. Taft’s Progressive Legacy
But, in spite of this…
Roosevelt was so unhappy with his old friend Taft that he challenged him for the Republican nomination in the Primary election of 1912; Taft won.
T.R. then joined the Progressive “Bull-Moose” party to run against Taft in the general election which split the Republican vote and handed the election to the democrat Woodrow Wilson.