The Third Political Party System: 1897 - 1928

Introduction: An Era of Prosperity and Republican

Dominance

HOUSE SENATE Democrat Republican Other Democrat Republican Other 1898 163 185 9 26 53 11 1900 153 198 5 29 56 3 1902 178 207 32 58 1904 136 250 32 58 1906 164 222 29 61 1908 172 219 32 59 1910 228 162 1 42 49 1912 290 127 18 51 44 1 1914 231 193 8 56 39 1 1916 210 216 9 53 42 1 1918 191 237 7 47 48 1 1920 132 300 1 37 59 1922 207 225 3 43 51 2 1924 183 247 5 40 54 1 1926 195 237 3 47 48 1 1928 167 267 1 39 56 1

-------------------------------------------------- 1900 Bryan 155 6,357,698 45.5 McKinley 292 7,219,193 51.7 1904 Parker 140 5,083,501 37.6 Roosevelt 336 7,625,599 56.4 1908 Bryan 162 6,406,874 43.0 Taft 321 7,676,598 51.6 1912 Wilson 435 6,294,326 41.8 Taft 8 3,486,343 23.2 Roosevelt 88 4,120,207 27.4 1916 Wilson 277 9,126,063 49.2 Hughes 254 8,547,039 46.1 1920 Cox 127 9,134,074 34.2 Harding 404 16,151,916 60.3 1924 Davis 136 8,386,532 28.8 Coolidge 382 15,724,310 54.0 La Follette 13 4,827,184 16.6 1928 Smith 87 15,004,336 40.8 Hoover 444 21,432,823 58.2 ---------------------------------------------------

William McKinley, President of the United States4 March 1897 – 14 September 1901

29 January 1843 – 14 September 1901

Marcus Alonzo "Mark" Hanna President McKinley’s Campaign Chairman and FundraiserSenator From Ohio 5 March 1897 – 15 February 1904

24 September 1837 – 15 February 1904

THE ACCIDENTS OF LEADERSHIP

Why was there no realignment (or major political upheaval)

during the Progressive Era of 1898-1917? Sundquist (p.

177): "...the one [factor] that appears to have been

crucial was leadership."

Democrats were to remain on the Populist/Progressive Left

and it appeared that the Republicans would be the semi-

permanent Conservative Party. This changed with the

assassination of President McKinley and the elevation of

Theodore Roosevelt to the Presidency.

The Shooting of President McKinley by Leon Czolgosz on 6 September 1901

Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States14 September 1901 – 4 March 190927 October 1858 – 6 January 1919

Teddy Roosevelt, The Trust Buster

President Theodore Roosevelt in a speech at Provincetown,

Mass (20 August 1907), accused the “Trusts” of causing the

financial “panic” of 1907 (The Real Panic began in October

but by August the Market was down over 20%):

“…but it may well be that the determination of the

Government (in which, gentlemen, it will not waver), to

punish certain malefactors of great wealth, has been

responsible for something of the trouble; at least to the

extent of having caused these men combine to bring about

as much financial stress as possible, in order to

discredit the policy of the government and thereby secure

a reversal of that policy, so that they may enjoy

unmolested the fruits of their own evil-doing. . . I

regard this contest as one to determine who shall rule

this free country—the people through their governmental

agents, or a few ruthless and domineering men whose wealth

makes them peculiarly formidable because they hide behind

the breastworks of corporate organization.”

John Pierpont Morgan17 April 1837 – 31 March 1913

Edward Henry Harriman20 February 1848 – 9 September 1909

Henry Clay Frick19 December 1849 – 2 December 1919

Elbert Henry GaryChairman of the Board, U.S. Steel Corporation 1901 – 1904

8 October 1846 – 15 August 1927

The 16th Amendment: Allowed Taxes on IncomeRatified 3 February 1913

The 17th Amendment: The Popular Election of SenatorsRatified 8 April 1913

The 18th Amendment: Banning Intoxicating LiquorsRatified 16 January 1919

The 19th Amendment: The Right of Women to Vote. Ratified on 26 August 1920

The Jungle, a novel by Upton Sinclair, one of the “Muckrakers”, was published in 1906. It lead to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat

Inspection Acts of 1906.