Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-21
The History of Presidential Elections
XXI-The Bull Moose i'm 1912.
RY FREDERIC Y. HASKTN.
Author OF The American Government"

American politics after 1895 remained
wholly one-sided until 1912. Increased
gold production in Alaska and else
where solved the money question, thu
victorious War with Spain bolstered tn,
Republicans and prosperity satisfied tn
people with Republican rule. McKinle!
was easily reelected over Bryan in 1900
and Roosevelt won by a wider margin
from Parker In 1904. An interesting
episode OF that year was Par&er's dra
matte telegram TO the Democratic con
vention declaring that he was for thu
gold standard and would accept M
nominat ton II the platform advocated
another currency change.
The Bryanites sulked through the
campaign. They again nominated the
silver-tongued orator In 1908, but rs
made only scattering gains in opposing
William Howard Taft. Three times
badly beaten candidate, Bryan contir-
ued for 30 wears to dominate his party
and to withhold support from candi-
dates who lacked his personal approval
His followers Al the sans time violently
denounced the Tammany Society poll
ticians in New York. whom they charged
with failure to support the candidates
they disliked.
Roosevelt Era Outlined.
Roosevelt had served more than three
years of the second term to which Nc
Kinley was elected, succeeding upon the
assassination of the latter in 1901. In
1904, when elected in his own name
Roosevelt had declared that he would
consider that as his second term as
President and would not accept re-
election in 1908, as he would consider
that equivalent to seeking third term
Later he is said TO have declared that
he wished he had bitten out his tongue
before he made that statement. In
1908 he dictated the nomination Of his
friend and War Secretary, but early in
the Taft term the popular ex-Presldent
became highly critical of the progress
of the administration.
As events developed lack Of popu-
larity for the new Republican tariff
bill and other acts of the party. Roose-
welt failed to support his friend, and a
split In party ranks developed. with the
crying for denomination OF
Roosevelt in 1912. He had been in
Africa on a big game hunt. stopped to
visit in Europe on his return, and
everywhere received far more attention
and acclaim than was accorded Presi-
dent Taft. After triumphant return
Tor weeks kept silent about
being a candidate, and when he finally
MY hat is in the ring" the
party was completely divided.
Convention Favors Taft.
In a dramatic convention at Chicago
the Older leaders. supporting Taft, re-
jected the credentials of all the Roose-
welt contesting delegates and seated
the Taft delegates. These contests dem
onstrated plainly the lack of any law
or even uniform system of choosing
delegates to the conventions which
name our Presidents. In some States
party conventions choose them. in
others party committees do 1t. and In
some cases mere four or five leaders,
acting as an executive committee or
under some other guise; make the
choice often no law covers the make
up of these selecting groups.
At the Chicago convention in 1912 1t
was hard to tell which group of Re-
publicans from many States had the
right to be considered representatives
of the party voters The controlling
leaders selected the Taft groups in eak h
case.
Progressive Body Formed.
Taft was renominated and the Roose-
welt men cried that 1t was a fraud
They called a convention of their own
and few weeks later in the same city
formed the Progressive party and nomi-
mated Roosevelt. The champion selected
the. bull moose as the party emblem
and Onward Christian Soldiers" as his
campaign hymn. Republicans every.
where began boiling their party to sup-
port the colorful, aggressive leader.
Meanwhile the Democrats had been
through plenty OF grief with the nomi-
mating system. Champ Clark of Mis-
souri,. Speaker Of the House, had won
a majority Of the delegates at Balti-
more. but could not secure the two
thirds needed to nominate. Woodrow
Wilson was the next strongest candi-
date. and Bryan, after long iockeying
said to have been due to his own hope