Chapter 22: the Progressive Movement and the Square Deal

Louis Pisha AP US History

Chapter 22: The Progressive Movement and the Square Deal

National Wealth and the Business Elite The “Leaden-Eyed” Complacency and Dissent Organized Labor Outsiders Americans of Color American Women Protest and Reform Prosperous Farmers Radical Critics Art and Literature of Protest Intellectuals and Experts Reform in the Cities and the States Progressive Attitudes and Ambiguities The Republican Roosevelt Roosevelt and his Office Attack on the Trusts The Square Deal The Election of 1904 Roosevelt and Reform Government and Business New Programs and the Old Guard Roosevelt and World Power Power, Empire, and Responsibility Policing the Caribbean The Balance of Power The Election of 1908

▪ Material developments had transformed society, but US still primarily rural, and problems showed the desirability of altering conditions ▪ Americans had yet to accommodate to social & cultural changes of industrial & urban growth

- 1 - ▪ Fact that comfort available to all Americans highlighted contrasts between national aspiration and achievement—emerged a reform movement National Wealth and the Business Elite ▪ Population and per capita wealth growth from 1900-1920 ▪ Growth in West and especially in cities (immigrants) ▪ Private investment spurred recovery from depression but wealth unequally distributed ▪ Corporate mergers gave huge influence to few corporations—powerful—began to identify with entire national economy The “Leaden-Eyed” ▪ 1/3 to ½ of industrial workers were poor and few completed school ▪ Work arduous, long, dangerous, little protection against these evils, little child care ▪ Mobile slums of migratory workers—equally dreary Complacency and Dissent ▪ Many well-to-do believed success = virtue and poverty = sin—minimal govt. ▪ Minority receptive to protest—though dread of radical agitation, so reform preferable—growing understanding of less privileged to improve their lot Organized Labor ▪ Craft-union movement made significant gains (AFL)—unions continued to strive for simple objectives and able to win some better conditions ▪ Craft-unions, though, had little quarrel with concentration of industrial power— welcomed safety standard legislation but preferred own power over govt. because had assisted in breaking strikes ▪ Craft-unions (Gompers) looked down on unskilled, especially women and immigrants because worried they would be hired instead ▪ Intensified prejudices against Asians, blacks and immigrants Outsiders ▪ Immigrants received some help from machines and pushed up the last wave ▪ Experience of eastern European Jews showed need for each immigrant group to organize ▪ Copied by other ethnicities of immigrants Americans of Color ▪ Naturalization Act of 1790 limited citizenship to “white” ▪ Asians targeted on West coast, segregated, also Hispanics ▪ Most blacks in South, segregated, illiterate, victimized, lynched ▪ W. E. B. DuBois organized Niagara movement for immediate action for equality —became NAACP

- 2 - American Women ▪ Decker converted energies of General Federation of Women’s Clubs to agitation for improving industrial conditions—also Women’s Trade Union League, National Consumers’ League, International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union ▪ Triangle Shirtwaist Co. did not agree to union demands and went up in flames ▪ Contributions of women to movements for social justice showed their abilities ▪ Social feminists sponsored special factory laws, some contended women frailer so needed special treatment but hard work of settlement house movement ▪ Women also in wars against prostitution and whiskey and exhibited special interest in protecting families from alcoholics ▪ Gilman proposed communal arrangements for child care and domestic chores ▪ Goldman and Sanger advocated instruction in birth control—National Birth Control League—because limited population would enhance bargaining ability of workers and would free women from domestic responsibilities ▪ Collective demand for suffrage—American Women Suffrage Assoc., General Fed. of Women’s Clubs got women ballot in six states and ever closer to national equality Protest and Reform Prosperous Farmers ▪ Unparalleled prosperity to American farmers—still suspicious of biggest business but now seeking to share in its profits ▪ Farm organizations wanted voters more direct voice in government so could get public policies that would aid agriculture—challenged special privileges and superior power of big biz ▪ Farm spokespeople wanted government agencies to monitor practices of great consolidations and urged enforcement of antitrust law Radical Critics ▪ Radicalism of 1890 took other forms ▪ Socialism: most middle class, native born Americans; Eastman, Reed, Hillquit, Berger ▪ Most wanted peaceful democratic means and appealed little to workers—workers identified with trade unions, not socialism ▪ Debs had stirring rhetoric but not revolutionary—1912 election most votes ▪ Party expelled revolutionaries (Haywood) ▪ Haywood founded IWW (Wobblies) to organize most destitute Americans—used strike and industrial union (of all employees in plant regardless of skills)

- 3 - ▪ IWW suggested sympathy to violence but mainly because strikes met with violence—continually repressed by government and management— revealed essential conservatism of American culture ▪ Progressives advocated reform because believed preservation of American institutions through removing their injustices ▪ Growing idea that politics might help to ameliorate injustices Art and Literature of Protest ▪ Dreiser described barren life of poor and great odds against them ▪ Norris indicted wealth; London; Sinclair; Sandburg ▪ Painters of “ash-can school” portrayed sorrow and injustice of poor life (Sloan) ▪ Social workers, sociologists, economists wrote literature of exposure demonstrating cruel truth about poverty—poverty not moral—Ryan, Hunter, Spargo, Rauschenbusch, Kellor ▪ Sensational journalism of exposure (muckraking)—McClure’s, Tarbell, Steffens, Hendrick, Baker Intellectuals and Experts ▪ New attitudes showed need for skepticism about rigid thought and importance of dispassionate inquiry (derived from science) ▪ Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. recognized judges’ prejudices determined their interpretation of the law and questioned propensity of courts to upset decisions of popular legislatures ▪ Artificiality of Social Darwinism invited attack of William James (warned against dogmatism) and John Dewey (freedom of belief)—the truth of an idea depended on its consequences ▪ Veblen explained importance of machine and wasteful and destructive monopolies ▪ Other students of economy emphasized reform and characteristic of moderate but critical scholarship—Commons, Taylor, Jenks, Ripley, Adams, Ely, Patten Reform in the Cities and the States ▪ Municipal reform organizations gradually succeeded in winning permission to provide for public ownership of vital services—models of Galveston, TX and Staunton, VA copied by hundreds of cities—usefulness of professional private management techniques for public institutions, decrease influence of immigrants ▪ Urban reform could not proceed without improvements in state laws, so Wisconsin the model—La Follette governor built own faction away from machine, rural and urban following, connection with state university. overcame Old Guard in legislature - 4 - ▪ Pass laws for direct primary, civil service, higher taxes on corporations and income tax, for example ▪ Ideas spread but in South only after disfranchisement of blacks and poor whites ▪ “New Idea” of New Jersey (progressivism) fought to keep rapid transit and other franchises from being exploitive, state commuting fares, taxes from corporations for schools ▪ “New Idea” allied with Jersey City reform mayor and turned NJ into progressive community under Woodrow Wilson as governor ▪ NY, MI, CA and OH had similar experiences, though not as dramatic—states and nation looked to strengthened executive for solutions and distrusted influenced legislatures and conservative courts ▪ Many states passed laws for employer liability, pensions, limited injunctions against strikes, etc. Progressive Attitudes and Ambiguities ▪ Reformers had faith in democratic processes, hostility to large private power, confidence in public regulation, belief in efficiency, humanitarian and morals—yet diverse group—rural, modified Populism—small towns, distrust of strong government but confident of direct democracy—cities, visible in intellectuals, lawyers, journalists and some biz-men ▪ Distrusted masses but believed in elite of expert agencies created by state ▪ Professionals believed had to organize to protect selves—resented immigrant, boss, purchased prestige of newly rich, bigness—attacked corporations, occasionally unions ▪ Some corporations thought reform worked to their advantage by reducing corruption—potentiality of positive guidance compatible with their interests ▪ Progressives had sense of own wealth, special standing—also believed in representative government—breakup bad big biz and control good big biz, so reconcile morality with efficiency ▪ Progressives included many middle class but most socially conscious, better educated, like Roosevelt The Republican Roosevelt ▪ Roosevelt had joy in life and brought it to his office ▪ Roosevelt continuously active in politics and Republican because wanted to win Roosevelt and his Office ▪ Enormous influence with people, learned, made presidency great office, defined national problems and proposed solutions ▪ Remarkable advisors: Root, Taft, Pinchot and Garfield

- 5 - ▪ Patronage so got control of entire Republican party Attack on the Trusts ▪ Roosevelt a gradualist—more worried about industrial consolidation than tariff and money ▪ Ordered Attorney General Knox to bring suit against Northern Securities Co. (holding company that saved panic on Wall St. by big names) under Sherman Antitrust Act—federal court ordered dissolution of company ▪ 44 more corporations attacked including beef trust, American Tobacco Co., DuPont, and Standard Oil ▪ Reputation as trust-buster but only wanted to use national authority against monopoly or flagrant misbehavior, not just big corporations The Square Deal ▪ Believed in expert management of industry to advance public interest— regulation to prevent abuses, not punishment ▪ Roosevelt asked for and got expedited antitrust prosecutions, forbidden rebates, Department of Commerce and Labor with Bureau of Corporations (controversy and he incriminated Rockefeller) ▪ Bureaus of Corporations and Labor fact-finding agencies ▪ United Mine Workers demanding recognition, 8 hour day, more pay—owners stubborn and antagonized public—Roosevelt summoned both sides to White House and owners suggested military intervention on their side, but Roosevelt supported labor—big shots persuaded management to accept compromise ▪ First president to bring labor and capital to White House to settle and get them to accept his terms by threatening to take over an industry ▪ Insisted on open shop for government workers and right of labor to freely join a union ▪ Purpose of negotiations was giving both sides a “Square Deal”—showed his intention to abolish privilege and abhorrence of extremes The Election of 1904 ▪ Occasionally appointed minorities to office but still thought whites better— Brownsville incident ▪ Official Republican platform secondary to Roosevelt’s record ▪ Republicans had captured Democratic banner of reform—they chose Parker, who conducted dull campaign and accused Roosevelt of blackmailing corporations for money, but he didn’t need to ▪ Landslide victory but voting falling, especially because disfranchisement of blacks in South Roosevelt and Reform - 6 - Government and Business ▪ Supreme Court had stripped ICC of authority to regulate railroad rates and rebates which people demanding ▪ Congress gave ICC power to adjust rates (Hepburn Act) on demand of shipper, and not overruled by courts ▪ Also passed employer-liability act, and pure food and drug bill, stimulated by Adams’ articles ▪ The Jungle led Roosevelt to order special investigation which confirmed findings and got federal meat inspection law passed, but didn’t help workers much and had to be paid for by fed—partial victory for each principle involved ▪ Roosevelt sent Congress recommendations of abolition of child labor, workman’s compensation ▪ National Association of Manufacturers vs. Gompers and AFL submitted Bill of Grievances to Roosevelt New Programs and the Old Guard ▪ Roosevelt spurred passage of Newlands Act and withdrew from private entry valuable natural resources ▪ Congress attached rider to Dept. of Ag. bill that prevented creation of new forest reserves without Congress, and Roosevelt had to sign but beforehand added 17 million acres to national reserves ▪ Roosevelt called National Conservation Congress which led to annual meetings and state conservation commissions—Congress more and more hostile and cooperated ever less ▪ Roosevelt succeeded in making conservation issue of importance for natural beauty and use—spirit of progressive reform to alter environment ▪ Biz-men blamed Roosevelt for financial panic of 1907 but actually beyond his control and Morgan helped resolve by pulling funds of leading banks; and Treasury Dept. deposited government money into threatened banks ▪ Roosevelt ignored possible antitrust suit in fixing economy ▪ Demonstrated urgency of financial reform and authorized Congress to appoint commission to talk about this ▪ Now favored more sweeping and radical measures—federal incorporation of all interstate biz, stock market, limited injunctions on labor, compulsory investigations of disputes, extended 8 hour day, personal income and inheritance taxes ▪ Social reforms depended on political reforms—political reform, shift of power from private to government hands, states and locals to federal, and from Congress and court toward president

- 7 - ▪ Gave those goals effective expression, conviction that power has obligation to promote justice Roosevelt and World Power Power, Empire, and Responsibility ▪ Many Americans subscribed to new Manifest Destiny that included importance of naval preparedness and national defense and some even believed that every powerful nation had obligation to preserve world order— potentially application of force could establish tolerable equilibrium ▪ Preached preparedness including increased birth rate, and cultivating human resources ▪ Also involved strength of military—secretary of war Root got Congress to approve general staff that directed modernization of army and Army War College ▪ Also Roosevelt demanded construction of modern navy and got it—Wood and Sims ▪ Insular cases, Supreme Court held inhabitants of American empire not automatically citizens so left colonial policy to Roosevelt—some navy administrations, PR elected limited house of delegates, treaty with Cuba providing for American intervention, which happened in 1906 ▪ Unable to get tariff concessions in Philippines, but resentment lessened when Congress passed organic act, Roosevelt abolished military governor and Taft, civilian governor, proclaimed amnesty and also worked well with the local government and the Vatican, so Taft prepared islands for eventual self government Policing the Caribbean ▪ Assumption that incumbent on all big powers to police world—believed had to conduct foreign policy himself ▪ Venezuela had borrowed money from Europe and couldn’t pay—Roosevelt got arbitration ▪ England acknowledged right of US to get isthmian canal—Congress believed best through Panama—bought French holdings in that area ▪ Insurrection in Panama supported by US because Colombia wouldn’t sell and knew (recognized) Republic of Panama, which accepted Roosevelt’s terms regarding canal zone ▪ National disgrace and scandal, but used insistence on stability as rationalization for imperialism ▪ Told Congress would not interfere with Latin America if decent but it was US duty to intervene about brutal wrongdoing = Roosevelt Corollary (Santo Domingo to help their finances) - 8 - The Balance of Power ▪ Roosevelt expected other nations to exercise similar power elsewhere but not between stable and prosperous nations—instead their restraint and balance of power (Canada claimed Alaskan lands that cut off new gold fields from sea and Britain sided with US) ▪ Roosevelt became more and more anxious about Germany—US negotiated Moroccan crisis at Algeciras, Spain ▪ Roosevelt believed Fr-Br alliance preserved balance of power ▪ Showed Europe US interested in their affairs ▪ Lip service to Open Door Policy simply to stabilize Orient politically—Anglo- Japanese defensive alliance of 1902—mediated peace conference after Russo-Japanese War—got Nobel Peace Prize—US and Russia had recognized Japan’s primacy in Korea ▪ Taft and Katsura acknowledged Japan’s occupation of Korea and Japan disavowed occupation in Philippines ▪ Anti-Japanese feeling rose because of so much immigration—San Francisco segregated Asians, Japanese protested, Roosevelt scolded school and negotiated Gentlemen’s Agreement to stop direct immigration between them ▪ Recommended and got appointment of fact-finding committee on immigration because wanted to stall because issue would complicate US-Japanese relations and divide Republicans ▪ Crisis stirred up talk of war, so Roosevelt sent battle fleet to Japan to discourage aggression ▪ Roosevelt’s Big Stick policy—Root-Takahira Agreement promising to uphold status quo in Pacific and keep door open ▪ Roosevelt primarily concerned with balance of power in Pacific—personally conducted foreign policy—force could keep isolated trouble from general war, power used intelligently and restrained The Election of 1908 ▪ Decided not to run again and provided for nomination of Taft ▪ Democrats turned to Bryan, on issues of restriction of injunctions and Republican tariff ▪ Identification with Roosevelt got Taft the election