The Republican National Convention at Chicago in June 1908 named William H. Taft, of Ohio, for President and James S. Sherman, of New York, for Vice-President. The Demo cratic Convention at Denver, Colo., named Wil liam J. Bryan for President and John W. Kern, of Indiana, for Vice-President. Taft and Sherman were elected, receiving 321 electoral votes out of a total of 483.
President Taft, who had been a Federal judge, governor-general of the Philippines and later Secretary of War, was the personal choice of President Roosevelt for the succession, but he had hardly taken his seat before differences arose between the two. President Taft was lacking in political prescience. He showed a leaning toward the more conservative element of the party, called into his Cabinet men who were not in sympathy with the policies of his predecessor and asked for the resignation of men in high positions, in whom his predecessor had shown especial interest. A bitter contest grew out of the attitude of the Secretary of the Interior toward the program of the Roose velt administration, which looked to the con servation of mineral and agricultural resources, especially in the West. This resulted in the dis placement of Gifford Pinchot, the head of the Forestry Division, one of Colonel Roosevelt's closest friends. The Republican party in its platform in 1908 had declared for revision of the tariff and President Taft, on his own initiative during the campaign, had interpreted this to mean a revision downward'— a declara tion which was made much of later. Sereno E. Payne of New York, as chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, brought in a bill which was not regarded favorably by many members of the party, especially those from Western and Middle Western States, and when the Finance Committee of the Senate, under the leadership of Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island, undertook its amendment, reporting a bill to the Senate which Western senators thought drawn too closely in accordance with the neces sities of textile manufacturers of the North east, it aroused bitter opposition and gave rise to one of the most acrimonious political de bates which had taken place in the Senate in many years. The bitterness aroused by the contest had an influence on the future of the United States which it would be hard to over estimate. It had much to do with the election of a Democratic House in 1910, with the elec tion of a Democratic President in 1912 and with the Republican reverses which resulted in Democratic ascendancy during the years im mediately preceding the war with Germany and the reshaping of the map of the world. The Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act was approved by President Taft 5 Aug. 1909, although he had severely criticized its provisions. Rates of duty were increased where found necessary or desirable, but were reduced in many in stances. All prior commercial and reciprocity treaties were terminated, except the treaty with Cuba, and authority was given the President to create a board of experts to collect informa tion upon cost of production of commodities at home and abroad. In opposition to public sentiment and against the judgment of Republi can leaders, President Taft persisted in ne gotiating a reciprocity treaty with Canada. The a t which contained provisions serious y affecting the agricultural and in dustrial welfare of the northern tier of Re publican States was signed on 26 Jan. 1911. It passed the House on 14 Feb. 1911 under strong administration pressure but was not brought to a vote in the Senate before the expiration of the 61st Congress on 3 March 1911. A new bill was introduced at the special session of the new Congress which was called to meet on 4 April. Both House and Senate acted favorably on the bill, but Canada had seen new light in the meantime and failed to act. Thus reciprocity was defeated by the in difference of Canada after the administration had exhausted its influence in forcing it through a reluctant Congress. The proceeding accentu
ated the administration's unpopularity and helped to precipitate the split in the party.
The struggle in the House of Representatives between Speaker Cannon and the recognized organization on one side and a combination of Democrats and Republican insurgents on the other also contributed to the party's demoraliza tion. Under the Reed rules the speaker ap pointed all committees and was himself chair man of the Committee on Rules which fixed the order of precedence for legislation, by the in troduction of special rules, limiting debate and fixing the time for a vote, thus concentrating power in the hands of a small group of leaders. The insurgent Republicans with the aid of the Democrats, after a tumultuous time in the 61st Congress, adopted by a vote of 191 to 156 a resolution taking out of the speaker's hands the appointment of the Committee on Rules and making the committee elective. The 62d Con gress made all committees elective and reduced the influence of the speakership below the point where Speaker Reed had found it. As the end of the administration approached it became clear that President Taft could not be re elected. He had not only alienated the Progres sives in the party who regarded Colonel Roose velt as their leader, but he had also alienated the substantial business element in the North and East by prosecution of suits under the Sher man Anti-Trust Law. Colonel Roosevelt had spent much time abroad during the early part of the administration, hunting big game in Africa, exploring in Brazil and visiting Euro pean and South American capitals. On his re turn the demand became vociferous in many quarters that he be a candidate against Taft for the nomination. Through delay in an an nouncement of his candidacy, however, many party leaders who might otherwise have favored it committed themselves to the renomination of Taft and when the announcement finally came it was accompanied by radical declarations for the recall of judges and judicial decisions and by other advanced ideas, antagonistic to the political convictions of many who had previously been among Colonel Roosevelt's most cordial supporters. The campaign for nomina tion was vituperative. The contending factions were not sparing in attacks upon each other's motives. The National Convention assembled at Chicago in June 1912 in the heat of passion, with many contested seats. After much wran gling the majority of these contests were de termined in favor of delegates pledged to Taft in accordance with recognized rules and prece dents which had governed previous conven tions. Taft and Sherman were renominated. The followers of Roosevelt, denouncing the ac tion of the convention as illegal and declaring that the nomination had been stolen, withdrew before the ballot was taken, organized a new party and called a convention of their own. This convention of Progressive Republicans met at Chicago in July, nominated Roosevelt for President by acclamation and named Hiram W. Johnson, governor of California, as his run ning mate. The Democratic Convention at Baltimore in June nominated for President Woodrow Wilson, of New Jersey, and for Vice President, Thomas R. Marshall, of Indiana. In the election Taft carried only two States, Ver mont and Utah, with eight electoral votes. Roose velt received 88 electoral votes and Wilson re ceived 435 electoral votes. The Congress chosen was Democratic in both branches. Vice-Presi dent Sherman died before the meeting of the electoral college and the votes of Vermont and Utah were thrown for Nicholas Murray But ler of New York. With 'the inauguration of Wilson and Marshall on 4 March 1913 the Re publican party went out of power in all de partments of the government and remained in a minority in all departments until 4 March 1919 when they regained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives — the Senate by a majority of two, the House by a majority of 45.