American political convention
The 1908 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois on June 16 to June 19, 1908. It convened to nominate successors to President Theodore Roosevelt and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks.
U.S. Secretary of War William Howard Taft of Ohio won Roosevelt's endorsement and received the presidential nomination. The convention nominated New York Representative James S. Sherman to be his vice presidential running mate.
The Platform.
The Republican platform celebrated the Roosevelt administration's economic policies such as the keeping of the protective tariff, establishment of a permanent currency system (the Federal Reserve), additional government supervision and control over trusts. It championed enforcement of railroad rate laws, giving the Interstate Commerce Commission authority to investigate interstate railroads, and reduction of work hours for railroad workers, as well as general reduction in the work week.
In foreign policy, it supported a buildup of the armed forces, protection of American citizens abroad, extension of foreign commerce, vigorous arbitration and the Hague treaties, a revival of the U.S. Merchant Marine, support of war veterans, self-government for Cuba and the Philippines with citizenship for residents of Puerto Rico.
In other areas, it advocated court reform, creation of a federal Bureau of Mines and Mining, extension of rural mail delivery, environmental conservation, upholding of the rights of African-Americans and the civil service, and greater efficiency in national public health agencies.
The platform lastly expressed pride in U.S. involvement in the building of the Panama Canal, the admission of the New Mexico and Arizona Territories; called for the celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln; and generally deplored the Democratic Party while celebrating the policies of the Republicans. The platform explained the differences between democracy and republicanism in which the Republicans made clear that democracy was leaning towards socialism and republicanism towards individualism.
Speakers.
The following individuals spoke at the 1908 Republican National Convention. Many spoke with the goal of nominating a specific nominee as this was before the age of the primary and the nominees were all decided at the convention.
Presidential nomination.
Presidential candidates.
The Republicans faced difficulties selecting a successor to Roosevelt. Elihu Root was favored by Roosevelt, but his age and alignment with corporations made him unpalatable. Prior to the convention, Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks and New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes both seemed like plausible nominees, but Roosevelt was determined to pick his own successor. U.S. Senator Joseph B. Foraker sought the nomination and was financed by Winthrop M. Crane and Henry Cabot Lodge.
Roosevelt supported Secretary of War William Howard Taft. Entering the convention, Taft, buoyed by the support of the popular Roosevelt, was virtually assured of the nomination. U.S. Senator Jacob H. Gallinger was among the supporters of a movement to stop Taft's nomination. Taft won the presidential nomination on the first ballot, overcoming Fairbanks and the other favorite son candidates.
Declined to Seek Nomination.
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Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 18, 1908)
Vice Presidential nomination.
Vice Presidential candidates.
Taft preferred a progressive running mate such as Indiana Senator Albert Beveridge or Iowa Senator Jonathan Dolliver, but Representative James S. Sherman of New York had the support of Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon and the New York delegation, as well as western support from Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas. Sherman was a fairly conservative Republican who was nonetheless acceptable to the more progressive wing of the party. Sherman won the vice presidential nomination on the first ballot, taking 816 of the 979 votes cast. Former New Jersey Governor Franklin Murphy received 77 votes while Massachusetts Governor Curtis Guild, Jr. received 75 votes, with the remaining votes going to Governor George L. Sheldon of Nebraska and Vice President Charles Fairbanks.
Declined to Seek Nomination.
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Vice Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 19, 1908)
References.
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