William Jennings Bryan 1908 presidential campaign
William Jennings Bryan for President | |
---|---|
Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 1908 |
Candidate | |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Status | Lost general election |
The
Fight for the nomination
Democrat
Bryan's most formidable challenger was
During the campaign, the fact that this was Bryan's third Democratic presidential nomination was mocked by Republicans.[4] Specifically, Republicans told voters to "[v]ote for Taft now[]" because they could "vote for Bryan anytime."[4]
Campaign
The 1908 Democratic platform criticized
Due to Bryan's efforts, a plank in the platform called for federal legislation requiring the publication of campaign contributions, limiting the amount that individuals could donate, and banning contributions from business corporations (via their officers), the last punishable by imprisonment.[3] The platform reiterated the party's longstanding support of tariff reform and welcomed Republicans' "tardy recognition of the righteousness of the Democratic position".[3] Labeling private monopoly "indefensible and intolerable," the trusts plank advocated three laws: banning directors from sitting on the board of more than one competing business, federal licensing of any corporation before it could control 25% of a market and prohibiting control of over 50% market-share of an American-consumed product, and requiring corporations to sell to all purchasers on the same terms (except for transportation costs).[3]
At Bryan's urging, his previous endorsement of government ownership of railroads was omitted from the platform.
Unlike in 1896 and 1900, Bryan did not advocate in favor of
Late in the campaign, Bryan was hurt by his ties with
Results
Taft defeated Bryan by a two-to-one (321 to 162) margin in the
While Bryan lost the election, Democrats picked up eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, gained strength in most state legislatures, and won governorships in five states that Taft carried that year.[7] In addition to this, and despite Bryan's loss, many of his proposed reforms from 1908 eventually became law, such as the direct election of senators (1913), a federal income tax (1913), and the government guarantee of bank deposits (1933).[7]
References
- ^ a b "HarpWeek | Elections | 1908 Overview". Elections.harpweek.com. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- ISBN 978-1-137-30096-6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "HarpWeek | Elections | 1908 Overview". Elections.harpweek.com. 1906-08-30. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- ^ ISBN 9781101544136. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "HarpWeek | Elections | 1908 Overview". Elections.harpweek.com. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- ^ a b c "On This Day: July 18, 1908". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "HarpWeek | Elections | 1908 Overview". Elections.harpweek.com. Retrieved 2017-09-23.