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Part Ninety-Seven: A Third Way to the White House

Election of 1904:
The 1904 presidential election solidified the changes in the party system that had taken place over the last decade of the 19th century. With the increasing tensions in Europe, foreign policy came further into the forefront of the campaign, especially concerning the role of the United States in the Caribbean and the relations with the constituent countries of British North America. At the same time, the passage of the Tariff of 1902 remained in the front of the minds of Americans. The previous issue of the gold standard resolved, tariffs now became the dominant economic issue of the 1904 election.

President McKinley was renominated by the Democratic Party. However, the party decided to replace William Vilas as Vice President. Among the choices that were discussed at the Democratic convention were George Oliver of Pennsylvania, Charles Fairbanks of Indiana, and Chauncey Depew of New York. While there was much contention for the Vice Presidential candidacy, George Oliver won the nomination on the third ballot in Philadelphia. Oliver's nomination was pushed largely from his personal friendship with President McKinley, and the influence of Pennsylvania political boss Matthew Quay.

Meanwhile, the Republican convention was still dominated for the most part by former president William Jennings Bryan. While Bryan received the most votes on the first ballot at the convention, support for Bryan soon wavered. Many of the older delegates at the Republican convention still saw Bryan as an inexperienced young upstart, and saw his brief presidency as a liability in the campaign. The other main contenders for the presidential nomination; Henry Allen Cooper and Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon of Illinois, and Champ Clark of Missouri, now vied for the nomination. Using his great influence that he had wielded as House Speaker, Cannon won the nomination on the fourth ballot after making a deal with Champ Clark to choose him as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate.

While the Democratic and Republican parties remained tied to the old guard of their parties, the Progressive Party enacted reforms within the normal nomination structure and held the first ever presidential primaries in 1904. In 1904, these popular primaries were held in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Demoine, Champoeg, and Oregon. Theodore Roosevelt, governor of New York, won the primaries handily except for Demoine, which was won by Henry Wallace Sr. The other major candidates for the presidential nomination; William Hope Harvey of Vandalia, and Alton Beveridge of Indiana, contested the nomination as the convention. After the second ballot when Roosevelt gained a slight plurality, Beveridge backed Theodore Roosevelt for the nomination and Roosevelt won the nomination on the third ballot. William Hope Harvey won the nomination for the Progressive vice presidential candidate.

After Bryan's whirlwind campaign in 1900 led to his defeat, the Republican Party stepped back from the personal speeches and campaigns. Once again, the Republican party relied on local and state organizations to drum up support for Cannon. The Democrats largely did the same in gaining support for McKinley. McKinley also had a large amount of financial support from financiers in the Northeast, and especially from New York banker Elliot Danforth and Quay's political machine in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Roosevelt and the Progressives emulated Bryan's 1900 campaign and barnstormed across the country. However, Roosevelt had more popular support and made many speeches with other Progressive members of governments. One particular speech in Raleigh, North Carolina with Progressive senator Marion Butler brought waves of support for Roosevelt in the state as Butler encouraged Progressives and Republicans in the state to unite behind Roosevelt. This message of party unification in the South helped Roosevelt edge out McKinley in several states. The victories in the South and the lacklustre campaigning of both Cannon and McKinley led to Roosevelt winning by a landslide over both parties, giving the Progressive Party its first term in the White House.

Roosevelt/Harvey: 251 EV
McKinley/Oliver: 106 EV
Cannon/Clark: 63 EV