The Reluctant President: William Howard Taft's Presidency and Qualifications

1. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT 27th PRESIDENT 1908-1912

2. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT Known as the Reluctant President - I dont remember that I ever was President. Teddy Roosevelts hand- picked successor Jovial, genial, conscientious, desire to avoid conflict Always wanted to be a judge Only Pres. to ever also serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

3. QUALIFICATIONS: Graduate of Yale (2 nd in class!) Ohio Judge Federal Circuit Court Judge Governor of the Philippines Secretary of War under TR Supporter of the Square Deal Liked by the Old Guard a/w/a/ progressives of the Republican Party

5. TAFT TRIVIA Largest President, over 300 lbs. Titanic sunk on April 14, 1912, during his presidency. Started a new tradition when he threw the 1 st ball on opening day of the baseball season Kept cows on the White House lawn; milked Pauline every morning Bought the White House its first car, a Ford Model-T, and turned the stable into a 4 car garage Had to order a special bathtub for the White House, because he got stuck in the old one

6. TAFTS TUB

7. Public had a low opinion of Taft Much more conservative than Roosevelt Felt he was destroying Roosevelts Square Deal

8. DOLLAR DIPLOMACY Use foreign policy to protect American investments abroad Use American money to uphold foreign policy (investment in areas of concern to U.S. Caribbean & China) Revolutions in Caribbean U.S. intervention Nicaragua, Marines 1911 Cuba, Honduras, Haiti

9. GREATEST FAILURES: #1- PAYNE-ALDRICH TARIFF Believed high tariffs encouraged monopo- lies so attempts to lower tariff rates BUT 800 amendments added to this tariff bill in Congress SO the tariff actually turns out to be higher than what Congress started with Taft signs anyway - allowed a corporation tax; Tariff Commission Public opinion is very low

10. #2-BALLINGER-PINCHOT CONTROVERSY #2-BALLINGER-PINCHOT CONTROVERSY Over Conservation Pinchot - Chief Forester - accuses Ballinger Tafts Sec. Of Interior - of opening public western lands to private developers Taft sides with Ballinger & fires Pinchot Ballingers reputation ruined; forced to resign due to the public outcry Taft seen as selling the Square Deal down the river!

11. #3 - SUPPORT OF SPEAKER CANNON Speaker of the House, Joe Cannon, was dictatorial & opposed to most progressive legislation (particularly conservation) Taft refused to side openly with the Progressives who opposed the Speaker; supported the Old Guard conservatives Public opinion falls again Republicans do poorly in 1910 congressional elections

12. ACHIEVEMENTS during Tafts Administration: ACHIEVEMENTS during Tafts Administration: BETTER TRUSTBUSTER THAN ROOSEVELT Busts up Standard Oil, American Tobacco, American Sugar Refining

13. ACHIEVEMENTS during Tafts Administration: ACHIEVEMENTS during Tafts Administration: ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO ADMITTED AS 47th &48th STATES Empowered ICC even further - Mann-Elkins Act, 1910 Established 8 hour day for govt contract workers & mine safety legislation 16TH AMENDMENT, gives Congress authority to collect an income tax 17TH AMENDMENT, provides for the direct election of U.S. Senators

14. Roosevelts view on Tafts performance as President

16. REPUBLICAN William H. Taft DEMOCRAT Woodrow Wilson PROGRESSIVE Theodore Roosevelt THE CANDIDATES

19. PLATFORMS: Did no real campaigning: He believed Wilson would win & therefore did nothing. The real battle was between Roosevelt & Wilson who both supported progressivism, but under different labels. TAFT Won Republican nomination over Roosevelt

21. Roosevelts Bull Moose Party NEW NATIONALISM Emphasizes a federal govt strong enough to impose nationwide solutions on big business. Supports Progressive reforms in child labor, minimum wage, workers comp., etc. Major difference with Wilson is with trusts/business: seeks strong govt control of big business, not destruction Magnetic Personality Dynamic speaker who appealed to emotions Assassination attempt in WI

23. THE BULL MOOSE PARTY Video: The Bull Moose

24. WILSON N E W F R E E D O M A p p e a l e d t o r e a s o n a n d c o n s c i e n c e ; p e r s u a s i v e A c o n v e r t t o p r o g r e s s i v i s m N o r e a l p o l i t i c a l e x p e r i e n c e ; t o o k 4 6 b a l l o t s f o r n o m i n a t i o n P l a t f o r m s e e k s b a n k i n g r e f o r m & t a r i f f r e d u c t i o n s ; o p p o s e s g o v t - s p o n s o r e d s o c i a l w e l f a r e Major difference with TR - viewed monopolies as evils to be destroyed , not regulated; they are the antithesis of free competition; favors small entrepreneurship; sees TRs plan as giving federal govt too much power in economy Aloof; idealistic

25. The Professor Wins by partisan politics Split in Republican Party & his support by both conservative & liberal Democrats gives him the election

26. RESULTS:

28. WILSON & TAFT, INAUGURATION DAY 1913