"I Feel as Strong as a Bull Moose!": The Square Deal Continued

[DuckymcDuckface]

The Year was 1919

RGA soldiers at the second battle of Berlin (1919)

1918 saw the end of a bloody world war, the death of president, and the subsequent chaos that ensued. The new president Hiram Johnson was not inexperienced when he took office. He was Governor of California for a little over a year when he was chosen as a vice presidential running mate for Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and was chosen a balance of eastern and western progressivism that the ticket offered. His experience in national politics however came as vice president from March of 1913 to January of 1918.

He was known as a very quiet vice president never making much public outings to the president and was overshadowed greatly by the presence of the president whose presence could overshadow any really. He never really used his tie breaking vote in the Senate as most bills were decided by 51-48 margins without a need for a tie breaker and others went the way of 55-60 to 40-45 in which the winner was obvious and yet again did not need a tie breaker. The very few ties that did occur were over very minor pieces of legislation that make it the congress. But he still was learning the ins and outs and politics and was able to establish himself as a politician in Washington DC by the 1914 Midterms.

He was also very inactive when it came to policy decisions for the country as a whole. With the president and himself agreeing on most issues, Johnson did not make a ruckus when major legislation that the president supported was trying to be passed. He made it clear that he supported a progressive agenda and tried to remain as uncontroversial as possible. The only major difference he had with Roosevelt was on foreign policy. Unlike Roosevelt's' "big stick" ideology of always having a prepared military for intervention if diplomacy didn't work, the Vice President was a avid Isolationist supporting almost all opposition to any wars the United States was brought into and this included the First World War. Roosevelt who had decided that diplomacy would not work decided that the Lusitania sinking was a justified declaration of war against Germany.

Johnson didn't think so and declared to the "The Des Moines Register" that "I condemn in the highest possible manner any United States participation in the war between the European powers. It is a European affair and should stay that way, no United States presence is needed no matter who is on the winning side". He tried to talk Roosevelt out of the war in the early days saying how thousands of men would die in the process is guaranteed. He failed of course but made it clear he was not with Roosevelt on this. He even showed this in 1917 when a he broke a tie of more military funding to Mesopotamia in the "Military Funding Act of 1917" in favor of killing the bill in the Senate. Roosevelt was frustrated with this and condemn Johnson for his actions of trying to "defund our american soldiers of precious supplies overseas".

He said Johnson was doing exactly what Germany would want him to do. But tensions soon settled and would never reach that peak again. Forward a year to January 1918 and the President collapses due to a blood clot in the lungs. Unable to do his job, the Vice President becomes the president for 33 days and learns valuable presidential skills and passes some major legislation while he is there. The president recovers and he is resigned back to the Vice Presidency. Roosevelt's condition never gets better however and he dies in his sleep due to a blood clot in the Lungs in September at the age of 59.

This time the Vice president is the actual president for much longer then 33 days. And that leads up to the next year. The new president first year in office would now be officially begin and he would be tested from there. The first act of that year was to review the new treaty that was being developed in Paris to decide post war Europe. At a conference with delegates from all Allied country's and also Central Power ones, the Treaty of Paris (1919) was being reviewed.

The conference would last a full week and President Hiram Johnson was invited and attended the conference there. After intense argument's by allied delegates on how destructive and how much should the central powers pay in reparations they came to a agreement. The Treaty of Paris was decided and released to the Public on January 15th. The treaty was 13 chapters long with thousands of words in each. The content included in summary:

- The need for a creation of a Union of Nations alliance. This section was vetoed by Hiram Johnson and the United States but was overridden by most other nations give 1 or 2. The Union of Nations as it was called would make sure a World War like this would never occur again. The alliance would call for the end of Nation Building and Imperialism too which Hiram Johnson supported

- The boundaries of Europe would be swiftly withdrawn. The Central Powers of Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Bulgaria would be shrunken whose lands given to allied nations. In Germany to the West, France advance up to the Rhine River as the New Border and Belgium gained some lands. To the East Germany would give up almost all lands of Prussia including the ancient port city of Danzig to the newly formed Polish State. Up North, the Danish would advance more to the peninsular south, and finally Hamburg would become a demilitarized zone. Lithuania would also take Memel. In Austria-Hungary, the Nation would be broken up between the Hungarian Kingdom and Austria. The Yugoslav Republics of Slovenia, Bosnia, and Croatia is formed to the South and would later join Serbia to Form the Yugoslav Kingdom, to the North the Czech and Slovak peoples gain a nation of there own though unite and form Czechoslovakia in 1921. Hungary meanwhile would take the remaining territory of Historical Hungary but would soon lose most in upcoming wars to Romania and the Yugoslavs. Austria meanwhile would abolish its monarchy and the territory remaining would include all of Austria Proper plus the German areas in Czechia. Italy would gain Trieste and gain all of the Tyrol Region from Austria. Bulgaria would lose Dobruja to Romania and leave all occupies lands in the war in Serbia and Greece.

- All overseas territory's of the Central powers would be given to allied country's. The German territory's in Asia and Austria-Hungary port city's there would be given to Japan while the German African territory's would be given to Portugal and Britain in Namibia and Tanzania.

- Germany revokes all claims to other country's in Europe and Abroad.

- Germany's army shall be reduced and supervised for a period of 10 years.

- All Allied POW's shall be released within a 5 year span and vica versa.

- The Allies impose mass reparations on all Central Powers that must be payed off.

The burdens from the treaty would be lifted within 15 years if the Central Powers does all the listed topics including reparation, prisoner swap, and military reduction. The treaty was harsh and as soon as was read, the German delegation left the conference however the treaty still went on and was published. The treaty would come into effect on December 13th, 1919.

As this occurred chaos was still gripping Germany and Russia. In Germany the Revolutionary Germans army had established itself as a legitimate force to be reckoned with and by the signing of the treaty had controlled all of Eastern Germany including the Capital Berlin. What was left of the German Government coalesced around Munich and established its as the First German Republic electing Hermann Müller of the Social Democrats as Chancellor. The main German army collapsed and the troops within it split even between the rival forces. Wanting a democratic Germany the allies supported the German Republic arming them with weapons and money.

This seemed to work and the German Republic was able to enter the outskirts of Berlin and advanced greatly in Eastern Germany. Things were going well for the Republicans until a RGA officer assassinated Hermann Müller in Mannheim. The Republic went into chaos with no organized successor and multiple factions within the government began to compete for power. It wasn't until a Military Coup in April 1919 that order was restored and a Military government was established with popular military general Paul von Hindenburg taken charge of the republic and took authoritarian turns to control and keep it from collapsing. This coup helped distract Republican forces in Berlin and at the Second Battle of Berlin the republican troops were crushed in guerrilla warfare by the RGA. The RGA pushed the republicans out of eastern Germany and advance along the Northern German plains taking one industrial city after another. There they receive mass support from city workers and in some even were helped they them bolstering there numbers. They were less popular in the south though and that remained a Republican stronghold.

In June of 1919 the Bonn Offensive occurred in which a 110,000 German RGA army lead German Military General Karl Liebknecht, a veteran from the First Battle of Berlin. They advanced with little resistance and entered Bonn on July 3rd only to face a Republican army of 79,000 troops there prepared for battle. Republican spies had warned troops in the city of a attack and they were ready. Caught off guard, the RGA camped outside the city reading for a attack. On July 5th, the first battle of the Bonn occurred. RGA forces rushed from the western half of the city destroyed must of it as it went and also picked up some disaffected poorer citizens in the city as they went.

They faced resistance as they left but faced the front of the republican forces in the eastern half. After mass causality on most sides the RGA retreated from the eastern half and solidified the western half of the city. The battle resulted in 55,000 causality's for the RGA and 43,000 for the German Republicans. Of one of those a young republican infantryman named Adolf Hitler was killed in the crossfire and would become famous for his heroism in the battle and becoming something of a legend of the war killing up to 102 RGA men and wounding dozens of others.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

The Year was 1919 Continued

Karl Liebknecht called back to Berlin and requested as least 50,000 more soldiers to help in battle however he was unable to get more then 25,000 due to labour shortages. The second battle of the Bonn would occur 3 days later on July 8th. The battle occurred early in the day and would end late at night. In this time the RGA was able to expose a weak spot in republican positions in the city in the east and west and were able to encircle them into the center of the city. The republicans fought valiantly and inflected up to 39,000 casualty's on RGA's men but in the end were defeated.

The army was rounded up and imprisoned and some used for the war effort on there own side with the main generals executed. This was a major blow for the republic and the RGA now controlled nearly all of Northern Germany. On July 21st, the established the German Peoples Republic controlling over all of Northern Germany. The frighted the Allied powers who supported the Republicans however Hiram Johnson would not support any intervention into the war and so wouldn't Britain who didn't want to worsen Tension with a potential Communist United Germany. In September the RGA made a official agreement with the British Empire and France to respect the border agreements if they defeat the republicans. The two country's accepted not wanting war signing the London-Berlin Pact and was seen as a major blow by them to the Republican forces who begged for Allied intervention.

Paul von Hindenburg in October vowed to never surrender and personally lead a army of 190,000 men to attack the RGA in Bonn in a attempt to retake the city. This force was unsuccessful at taking the extremely fortified city and Hindenburg himself was captured. He was imprisoned in Berlin and was offered as a bribe in exchange for German Republic surrender. He refused the republic to offer this and they refused. Hindenburg would die in Prison in 1930 at age 80. With the death of its leader, the Republic again fell into chaos which lead to mass RGA advance in the south. On November 28th the RGA took the Capital of Munich and the Republic fell on December 18th. Germany was reunited however this time it was a communist one.

In Russia things took a similar turn. In mid 1916, the Russian peasants had have enough of the Rule of the Russian monarch and rule by a select few oligarchs and revolted. The Monarch was very quickly overthrown and a republic called the Russian Republic was established in Early 1917. This would last two long and in June of that year the June Revolution occurred and the Communist Bolshevik party took control of the government in Saint Petersburg and soon took Moscow. A counter revolution occurred in the form of the white movement which a coalition of monarchists and republican reactionary's who wanted the end of the communist control in the east and supported by allied money and arms.

They had there main support in Siberia and took most of Siberia except for a select few spots and city's by April 1918 and advanced near Moscow. This was the farthest they would advance and would soon retreat back to Siberia where guerrilla warfare would occur. The war after that was unremarkable and the war would officially end in February 1920 and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created. They consolidated over eastern Europe and retake much of the old Russian empire's territory.

They would be lead by leader Vladimir Lenin. Now half of Europe was under communist rule and a Iron curtain had descanted. Both Germany and Russia would form a alliance in the Russo-German Treaty (1920) and would become isolationist slowly building up each others country. Back at home, Washington DC want back to work officially on March 4th, 1919 when the 66th United States Congress went back in session from the old 65th congress. However in this one the Republicans controlled the House and Senate. The House's new Speaker was Republican Frederick H. Gillett and Senate by Republican Frank B. Brandegee.

The influx of republicans in both areas of congress were mostly of the progressive kind with the new democratic gains being in former republican districts including in Kansas and New York known for there conservative nature. This new congress would prove more friendly then it did to Roosevelt in the 65th. The first action it took was to ratify the Treaty of Paris which it did easily in the House 400-33 with most of the nay being from the socialists who voted 79% against it and in the Senate it passed easily with 70 ya-25 nay-1 abstaining with again most being from the socialists. The treaty was then signed into law and was ratified. In April a bill to put a Federal Reserve or a National Bank failed the Senate 50-49 with president against it.

At this time he did not have a Vice President and had with out so for almost half a year and was one of the youngest times a president has had no vice president. He fixed that in Late April when he picked George W. Norris as his Vice President. A fellow Western Progressive Isolationist he picked him slightly over William Borah how was of the same cloth as him and Norris. George W. Norris was popular in almost all segments of the Republican Party from the Progressives to the Moderates and only disaffected Knox and the conservative core supporters.

He was picked without controversy and the Senator from Nebraska and former primary challenger to president TR became the Vice President. Later that legislative year the congress would pass a load of bills including the Anti-Lobbying Act of 1919, Underground Water Act of 1919, National Military Reduction Act, National Motor Vehicle Theft Act (Dyer Act), Indian Soldier Act of 1919, and Mexican-American Border Act which involved the Mexican Civil War. Also during this time a wave of Anarchist bombings hit the country and riots of the race and class kind were abundant. Johnson tried to side with neither labor or management of most of the class based riots like his predecessors and tried to make a compromise most of the times between the two like his predecessors however with this a wave of anti communist sentiment swept the nation which would hamper Johnson's cause.

And while of this happened the 1920 elections were just beginning and would bring who would decide the 1920's and the coming decade: Johnson and his Progressives or the Democrats or perhaps someone else. And with this the clock strikes 12:00 PM on December 31st, 1919 and January 1st, 1920 would beginning the 1920's.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

(Expect Update/Updates by Friday).

Titles for each update

Ch. 10 - Entering the 1920's (Main Chapter)

(Subsections)
- A Clash of the Factions: 1920 Republican Primary and National Convention

- Democratic Upheaval: 1920 Democratic Primary and National Convention

- A Third Party Struggles: 1920 Socialist National Convention

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

A Clash of the Factions: 1920 Republican Primary and National Convention

Harding "Front Porch Campaigning" from his home (Circa 1920).

Republicans had been in control of the White House for 28 full years now. The last democratic president Grover Cleveland was seen as a distant memory by now and the youth going into the 1920's would not remember him or any democrat in presidential office as of now. In fact some parents of that generation could not even remember the last time a Democrat as President. It seemed the United States had became a one party state with the Republicans in charge of the country while the Democrats are relegated to little more then the deep south and some outpost city's here and there.

The attitude was the dominant one for almost a decade now and the Republicans tried to enjoy that entitlement of being viewed as the main american party and use it to there advantage by getting as much republican policy's as possible to advance the cause of the Republican Party. They clearly were successful and the combined republican presidential terms of Theodore Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson had gotten in the most legislation by far of any previous administration and have by tenfolds between the two raised the power of government in the short time in office of just 8 years. They smashed the prevailing consensus of virtually no governmental intervention in the government by created dozens of new social programs which increased government power over the life's of the average american citizen.

From Healthcare to a Minimum wage to Prohibition and more, these new found programs made these two presidents be seen as the presidents of the working poor and working class. There unusual (for a republican) non hostility to labour unions helped raise there image among labour and many flocked to the republican party. Over 8 years of this thousands of former democrats or even socialists from labour unions or just regular factory workers found a home among the republican party. The progressives in the party viewed this as a net positive to help solidifies republican dominance over the country as they now have a brand new and powerful voting block at there side. They also saw this as a opportunity for not only the republican party to become the party of labour which Robert LaFollette wanted desperately to become but also to increase there power over the party compared to other factions.

The Progressives justified this by calling to Lincoln and his governmental power which increased dramatically when he was president calling him the first "Labour Republican". There message meant that the urban working poor could call the Republican Party its home at least partially and at least for now as the Democrats were in turmoil and in civil war. They also offered increased suffrage for poor African Americans in the deep south which was a big contrast from more moderates in the faction like TR.

They said that both the poor whites and blacks in the country seeked the same desires. This was seen by some in the party as just a political ploy to increase republican influence in the deep south and potential end the democratic deep south and they knew it. They knew that African Americans from there on out would be voting republican by 70-30%, 80-20% in the southern and northern states if legislation like Jim Crow were to be put to a end. With such a voting block and African Americans at the time making up to 50% in some deep south states, they knew if they gave them equal voting rights that the vote would go to them and with just a few more white voters from poorer regions like northern Alabama and Cajun country could flip states like Louisianan and Mississippi republican and ending the last democratic region of the country. But this never got off its feet as moderates lead by TR tried to save face among a mostly white and mostly anti-equal suffrage america.

When Hiram Johnson got into power he followed in TR's footsteps mostly never giving face or time to such "Radical and unrealistic" proposals. This was just a decoy for political gain and it would be later relieved in his 1940 memoir "Troubles in the House" that he actually support such ideas and wanted a end to Jim Crow and Poll Taxes but he knew that would be political suicide. Within the Progressive faction itself there was different factions within it split moderate and left wing.

The moderates were lead by TR himself who supported progressive policy's but didn't want radicals and extremists from labour to hold much influence over him and called them "One of the great enemy's of the working class: Extremists who try to unreasonably try to get all of there demands checked before listening to the other side". He said that extremists from labour unions who demand and demand and fail to listen to management are the reason why agreements are so lopsided in favor of management in the first place.

On the other side of the faction was the Progressive Left Wingers or the "Labourists". These were the Robert LaFolletes of the Faction. They believed like the moderate progressives that progressive policy and government intervention into the economy was a necessary good however they differed on how much and how far that should go. Unlike the Moderates these Left Progressives believed that true equality could only be achieved through government redistribution of wealth from the top on down. They called for a national wealth tax to end wealth inequality. Meanwhile they also believed that African Americans should get full suffrage and a end to Jim crow. The Moderates however responded by saying that the social programs of the former two president will naturally reduce inequality by increasing the average consumers standard of living which would give more incentive to grow more wealth faster.

The Left Progressive's have not gotten anywhere close to power yet and Hiram Johnson was certainly not one, they have continuously endorsed the progressive republican nominees and TR and HJ with some going to democrats and socialists seeking to first and foremost end the conservative faction in the party which they viewed as a necessary evil.

The Conservatives meanwhile in the party were hoping on 1920 to be there come back year. They were disappointed in 1912 and in 1916 when the more conservative options failed and decisively at that. This faction was lead by men like Elihu Root and Philander Knox who were both elder statesmen however were being enticed by up and new comers Warren G. Harding, Senator from Ohio and New governor from Massachusetts Calvin Coolidge.

Harding a charismatic and outgoing man, he represented a growing need for a form of populist conservatism the progressive populism seen. He called for the end of the social programs of the previous republican administrations in his own party and to "Return to Normalcy" in both Europe and in America. This meant a end to the chaotic post war European conflicts and also a end to the chaotic left wing which he viewed as ruining america. He wanted a Pre-Roosevelt america and used the republican party as a platform to get him there.

Meanwhile Coolidge was a different form of politicians. A much more quiet guy, he did not have the charisma and populist attitude of Harding but did have a extreme doctrine of conservatism which he stuck too and wanted the country to stick too. This meant virtually no governmental interference in the economy and a extreme form of isolationism not seen Cleveland and Harrison. This got him his own fans and grew his reputation greatly among conservatives.

But in the end they were all against the same ideology: Progressiveness in the Republican Party and saw it as a necessary evil and a anti-republican ideology. They would make 1920 there year and blitzkrieg the primary's which one of there own or try to oust the President at the republican national convention and make the 1920's a year of prosperity and limited government along with perfect and complete republicanism.

The primary season started in Late 1919 when Hiram Johnson declared to the press that he would be running for president. He said that he run again to continue the successful progressive agenda which he and TR had enacted over the last 8 years and to keep and expand it over the next 4 years. The President was popular among the people at the time and showed a 57% approval rating at the time by the Washington Post newspaper. He also had a popular image over the republican party itself with moderates in the party breaking big for him while progressives were divided between those who viewed him as unfit of TR's successor and those who didn't while the conservatives uniformly did not approve his administration. There was expected to be a primary challenge however from either the conservatives or the extreme left in the party unsatisfied who unliking of the president.

The first challenge came from little known Frank Orren Lowden, Governor from Illinois. A new and noted conservative, although he did not have the backing of the conservative establishment and although he knew his chances were unlikely. He thought that he could be a compromise candidate in case of a RNC deadlock. The next came from much more known and popular Warren G. Harding of Ohio. He right away had the conservative establishments endorsement and ran as the populist conservative candidate again Johnson.

There was speculation that Calvin Coolidge would run however decline stating that he preferred to lead to the people of Massachusetts as there governor and also said that he did not want to split conservatives vote and then he endorsed Harding saying he would make a fine president.

The final major candidate of the race to join surprisingly was Secretary of War John J. Pershing who called all major republican candidates isolationism a blow to american power and wanted to increase american presence through the world with international internationalist being the only one in the race and he quickly found support from former TR supporters who liked his internationalism and support for moderate progressive changes as well. Surprisingly no major left winger decided to join the race and progressive held the backing of the entire progressive wing wanted him to re-win nomination in fear of the other candidates.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

The first primary was on March 9th and in New Hampshire

Hiram Johnson: 39.48%
Warren G. Harding: 31.35%
John J. Pershing: 23.75%
Frank Orren Lowden: 3.10%

It was made surprisingly close by Harding and Pershing however Johnson won in the end here by 8 points giving him a delegate lead.

The Next three were the Dakotas and Michigan March 23rd - April 5th.

Johnson won big in North Dakota by 79% however was forced to go closer in South Dakota where he only won by 46% due to a strong Frank Orren Lowden performance along with Harding breaking 20% here. Meanwhile Harding won a small 36-34% upset over Johnson in the republican primary in Michigan giving him a small delegate lead.

The next states were New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Montana, and Massachusetts from April 6-27th.

Harding won the delegate rich states of New York and Illinois in a upset over Frank in his home state. Hiram however was able to hold a slim lead in delegates after big wins in the western primary's, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. John J. Pershing meanwhile dropped out.


The rest of the states from April 27th to June 5th involved many different states from many different parts of the country.

Hiram Johnson: 11 States, 35.32%
Warren G. Harding: 8 States, 40.04%
John J. Pershing: 0 States, 10.47%
Frank Orren Lowden: 10.04%

In the final stretch a very clear phenomenon appeared. Harding won the northeastern and most Midwestern states while Johnson won everywhere else plus Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Indiana, and Massachusetts. Harding won big in his home state of Ohio but was unseated in Indiana by Johnson and was forced to 43% by a strong Johnson performance in and around the working class county's near Scranton, Pittsburgh, and doing well in Philadelphia though not winning it.

Johnson on his part won big in all states out west minus Oregon which was a close 38-37% with a strong Harding performance. He won his highest percentage in native home state of California where he won 81% to Harding's measly 18%. and Frank's .5%. By now Frank Lowden had won no states even as a favorite son and won very few delegates and his chances were slim. It was now between Harding and Johnson and it was close.

The Primary's themselves were not that important and everyone knew that the party bosses controlled the RNC but right now even though Johnson was in a big delegate lead as most of the progressive and moderate establishment in the party backed him which had now had become overwhelming in the party. However Harding posed a major threat and had built up a sizable coalition of delegates and could claim a unimportant popular mandate among republicans which did not matter to the slightest.

The convention opened on June 8th and would last till June 11th. It would take place in the Chicago coliseum in Chicago, Illinois. It was the same spot as all other republican conventions since 1904. The two major factions listed would battle it out on the floor here until the nominee was decided. The balloting would begin at once and would go on 41 times until Hiram Johnson reached a deceive number of delegates needed to win the nomination.

Balloting

1.
Hiram Johnson: 304.5
Warren G. Harding: 294.6
John J. Pershing: 25.4
Frank Orren Lowden: 13

2.
Hiram Johnson: 310.5
Warren G. Harding: 300.6
John J. Pershing: 26.6
Frank Orren Lowden: 10

3.
Hiram Johnson: 300
Warren G. Harding: 295.6
John J. Pershing: 36.5
Frank Orren Lowden: 20

4.
Hiram Johnson: 310.5
Warren G. Harding: 300.6
John J. Pershing: 26.6
Frank Orren Lowden: 10

5.
Warren G. Harding: 311.3
Hiram Johnson: 309
Frank Orren Lowden: 35
John J. Pershing: 5

...

40.
Hiram Johnson: 542.8
Warren G. Harding: 405.4
Frank Orren Lowden: 100.8

41.
Hiram Johnson: 601
Warren G. Harding: 248.4
Frank Orren Lowden: 1.5

Meanwhile the Vice President was balloted and George W. Norris, popular among the base and party was re-elected on the first ballot.

Vice President Balloting

1.
George W. Norris: 795.5
Calvin Coolidge: 52.6

The conservatives and Harding would not take this, they demanded the republicans not fold to Johnson and threaten to walk out and form a third party if Harding or another conservative was not elected. There was a draft Coolidge movement which picked up steam by Coolidge denied any involvement in it. But after the 41st ballot the convention and party decided that Johnson would be renominated for a second term.

So in exchange Harding's 248 delegates staged a walk out and was joined by 210 more conservative delegates with a sprinkle of moderates in there. They threaten to leave if there demands were not meet and there demands were not meet. The Republican Party condemned this group calling for party unity. The situation tensed up as the delegates and Harding would not budge until a more conservative person was nominated.

Finally on June 23th the situation ended in chaos as the delegates left and re-entered the now empty Chicago Coliseum which was empty for a week now and declared a third party. The "American Conservative Party" or ACP was formed. Warren Harding was elected with a strong Calvin Coolidge write in campaign. He was nominated on the first ballot and as Vice President, the party elected Calvin Coolidge as a write in candidate. With a party divided by Ideology, can the republicans under Johnson manage to win in September?

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Democratic Upheaval: 1920 Democratic Primary and National Convention

Former Governor Cox campaigning for FDR during the Ohio Primary.

The 1920's were approaching fast and the decade would put a end to the turbulent 1910's at least to some people. The headaching close elections, the massive increase in what government was meant to be, a former president coming back to be re-elected over the current president, and so much more were including in his decade. The Progressive era which had started with Bryan's 1896 campaign had would become 24 years old in November of 1920 had shown the United States real progressive reform in the fiscal area and a safety net like the ones that were being developed in the western European country's such as Germany and the United Kingdom was born. However with age came decline and over time the progressive politics of the republicans and democrats and even the socialists (whose left wing electorate grew into a major third party) declined noticeably but was still going strong. The progressive era according to many historians such as Richard Hofstadter, famous liberal historian, who wrote in his 1955 book "The Age of Reform"

"To many the era of the rural populists and the progressive big city organizers combined with the help from Northeast/Midwest white Anglo Saxon protestant progressives such as the big names of Taft and Roosevelt is said to have reached its peak in and around the 1916 election. Of the three major candidates in the season of Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt and Socialist Eugene Debs, all of them were off the progressive left in there respective party's and that election was little less on policy substance yet more on how far to the left each of them were. Roosevelt making a respectable moderate Progressive streak combined with a popular war abroad was able to win himself a new term that night. But to the Left that day, the three options were all good to them. Wilson a Progressive Democrat and Debs a out and out socialist were all of good terms with the Left. To conservatives and the right that night, it was horror. The only candidate that was somewhat of a right winger in that race that got a good chunk was the Prohibition candidate yet got a measly 1.5% of the vote which was good for the prohibition party compared to past performances due to a influx of disaffected right wingers into the party but bad compared to the other three. However even Frank Hanly who was that party's nominee was a former progressive and held some progressive views himself and could best be described as a moderate. So with no options the right that night went to bed without going to the voting booth to vote".

The high point that night quickly vanished. The people had given TR another term but it wouldn't last long as even though he was massively popular he died in 1918 leaving his less popular and more rough edged successor Hiram Johnson as president in a turbulent post world war 1 time. Johnson had a very hard time holding the Progressive coalition which elected TR twice together and without Roosevelt's unifying charisma was quickly divided left and right.

By 1919 with most of america ready for a end to turbulent times took a massive turn to the right resulting in the "first red scare". Mass fear of communists roamed the streets of the major city's and looting and sacking of Socialist Party headquarters in the states became common. Eugene Debs was even put on trial for a open call to violence against the elites in the country which was largely motivated by the massive fear of socialists running in the country. In the following Debs v. The United States supreme court which was one of the most famous in history, Debs was charged for a calling for violence against a person/people which was shown as not protected under the First Amendment and sentenced to 9 years in prison without patrol.

The american left was extremely divided on this with some calling it justified while others calling it a suppression of free speech. The Socialist Party was increasingly demonized and would only increase going into 1920. But it wasn't only the Socialists which the public turned against, it was also the increasing progressive nature of the republican party under Hiram Johnson. The Presidents approval ratings took a dive from 74% in Early July, 1919 to a little over 55% in Early January, 1920.

But he still had a positive approval rating which helped him win his party's close primary's in 1920. But as mentioned, was made increasingly close by Harding's "Return to Normalcy" which struck a note among many Northeastern and Midwestern suburban, urban, and ancestral northern European areas in the region leading to wins in the primary's in these regions exactly.

While Johnson won in the end, the Right of the Party broke off and decided to form there own American Conservative Party right after the RNC. With a divided republican vote and a increased odds in a potential democratic takeover of the executive branch, Democrats really thought that the 1920's could be the first Democratic decade since the 1840's/1850's. And with that the Democratic primary's began and would prove to be a difficult one to say the lest.

The primary's system which was first developed in 1912 for both party's was upgraded for the time being into a delegate system by the states. They would be given different ways either from the primary's themselves or a state convention. 549 delegates was needed to win the primary's which meant the candidates needed to focus more on the primary's themselves and less on the conventions. And with that, the primary's started. In late 1919 many candidates through there hats into the ring with the main contenders by December 31st, 1919 being Senator from New York Franklin Delano Roosevelt, distant cousin of TR, Senator from Virginia Carter Glass, Representative and Senator from Pennsylvania Alexander Palmer, and Oscar Underwood. There even calls for Wilson to run again but he declined.

These men Represented the different factions of the party at the moment. FDR represented the Progressive democratic faction, Carter Glass representative the conservative and southern conservative faction, Palmer the moderate vote though partially split the progressive vote with FDR, and Underwood represented the southern populist faction although held economically progressive views which clashed with FDR and Palmer. Bigwig former governor of Ohio James M. Cox was also tempted to run but in the end endorsed FDR. On January 5th, meanwhile a primary poll for the democratic primary was published by the New York Times:

1920 Democratic Primary, January 5th, 1920

Franklin Roosevelt: 28%
Carter Glass: 20%
Alexander Palmer: 15%
Oscar Underwood: 13%
Undecided: 21%

What it showed that the early favorite FDR was in the lead however Carter Glass was not far behind with 20% with Palmer in 3rd and Oscar Underwood in 4th. The campaign of January up to the primary's in March because of this became the most competitive and hostile for the democratic primary in decades. Glass went on the attack calling FDR "A Socialist" and a "Enemy to the American People". Glass would say that FDR being from New York would not represent the needs of the south like a southerner would in attempt to consolidate the powerful southern democratic block in his favor in a success.

Meanwhile Roosevelt called Glass a "Klan Supporting fool stuck in the past" and said if they nominated glass that "the only area where glass would win would be the deep south and nowhere else because that is where his Klan base resides". Palmer kept dropping in poll after poll and by early February was in last with 5%. Underwood surprisingly was able to run a populist campaign which could appeal to the labour unions and all of the south minus the ones dominated by Glass.

He bumped to 20% in the polls in 3rd behind Glass and Roosevelt as they swapped 1st and 2nd positions alot. In Mid February in fact he was leading according to WaPost 32% to Roosevelt's 30% and Glasses 29%. He resided from that high but made a name for himself and his prominent stature within the party and Washington was able to make him competitive in the race.

On February 26th, Alexander Palmer dropped out of the race with most of his support splitting between the top three candidates and now it was majorly a three man race. And then the Primary's began on March 9th in New Hampshire. This would be the first primary however there were state conventions before which already gave delegates to candidates. The Democratic Party in New Hampshire voted..

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Democratic Primary 1920 continued.

(All Delegates listed are only from the Primary's, not the conventions so some delegates will be missing)

Franklin Roosevelt: 42.75%, 4 Delegates
Carter Glass: 31.13%, 3 Delegates
Oscar Underwood: 20.18%, 1 Delegate

In a big victory for FDR, he won the state by 11% sweeping all county's in the primary and securing a delegate lead.

The next primary was in the Dakotas and Michigan from March 16th to April 5th.

Carter performed well in the Dakotas winning South Dakota 63-21% over Roosevelt and barely losing North Dakota. Meanwhile in a close three way race, Michigan voted narrowly for Roosevelt due to Detroit.

Franklin Roosevelt: 24 Delegates
Carter Glass: 19 Delegates
Oscar Underwood: 11 Delegate

The next primary's were New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia, and Nebraska from April 6th to April 20th

Roosevelt easily won his Home State of New York while Underwood won surprisingly in Wisconsin, Roosevelt again in Illinois though Carter made that up with big wins in Nebraska and Georgia though in Georgia there was reports of fraud in his favor over Underwood who was the poor mans candidate in most of the deep south.

Franklin Roosevelt: 106 Delegates
Carter Glass: 101 Delegates
Oscar Underwood: 69 Delegate

This was followed by primary's in Montana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, the Territory of Alaska, and California from April 23rd to May 4th

Roosevelt won in Montana, Massachusetts, and California while Glass won in Alaska, Ohio, and New Jersey.

Franklin Roosevelt: 178 Delegates
Carter Glass: 169 Delegates
Oscar Underwood: 77 Delegate

Next up was Alabama, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Oregon, and the Territory of Hawaii from May 10th to May 22nd.

Roosevelt won in Pennsylvania and Vermont while Glass won Oregon and Hawaii and Alabama.


Franklin Roosevelt: 231 Delegates
Carter Glass: 225 Delegates
Oscar Underwood: 92 Delegate

The final primary's were in Texas, West Virginia, Florida, and Washington DC from May 25th to June 10th

Roosevelt won in West Virginia over Underwood and Glass and DC while Glass won the Rest

Carter Glass: 276 Delegates
Franklin Roosevelt: 255 Delegates
Oscar Underwood: 105 Delegate

The primary's have ended and the result makes things even more difficult. Glass is able to unseat FDR for most delegates even though as a underdog. But he was far from a 546 majority and a contested convention would result. The Democratic National Convention would convene on June 28th in the San Francisco, California Civic Auditorium.

It would last until July 6th. At the opening the main too candidates were Roosevelt and Glass with Underwood and his delegates as a potential deal breaker. Balloting began and like in the RNC would take a long time for there to be a conclusion. For the first 10 ballots Roosevelt's gained 15 delegates to Glasses 5 while Underwood lost 1. In the next 10 Roosevelt gained 55 more gaining a lead over Glass as Glass only gains 23 and Underwood gains 2.

In the next 10 there begin to be talks of a compromise candidate since as a draft Wilson or a draft Marshall movement and also a draft Al Smith Movement who was the new governor from New York and a Progressive Reformer. By Ballot 39 it was Glass 385-Roosevelt 363.8-Smith 258.4-Underwood 201.6-Wilson 184.2-Marshall 19.6. On Ballot 44 on hearing on the draft movement, Wilson pledged his delegates to FDR not wanting part in the nomination process giving Roosevelt 436.8. Marshall on Ballot 45 also gave his delegates to FDR who was now at 474.3.

By Ballot 50 it was Roosevelt 492.6 to Glasses 397.8 and Underwood 181.6 and Smiths 101.5. On Ballot 54 Smith dropped out and his delegates went mostly in Roosevelt who was now at 503.6 almost near 546 needed to win. However on Ballot 59 seeing he would not win this nomination, Underwood dropped out and let his delegates go to where there want to go. His southern delegates which were the majority of his delegates went overwhelmingly for Glass with more liberal delegates going to FDR. With this it was now 531.9 to Roosevelt's 526.8.

In a final speech to the convention Glass called for unity and to unite behind a "common sense" candidate which was him and not someone radical. He repeated Harding's "a return to normalcy" phrase in the speech. With this it pushed him over the edge and he cracked 546 and got 549.5 to Roosevelt's 540. The remaining delegates went to Glass and he won the nomination around 650 over Roosevelt's estimated 540. FDR conceded and Glass became the democratic nominee becoming the first conservative democratic nominee since Cleveland and stated he would be like Cleveland a democratic president. The vice presidential nominee was balloted and the ticket was reinforced with southern democrat David R. Francis, former Missouri Governor.

The Glass/Francis ticket was born!

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

A Third Party Struggles: The 1920 Socialist National Convention

Morris Hillquit with Jim Maurer and Meyer London after 1918 meeting with Hiram Johnson

Entering the 1920's as a major party was seen as one of the major goals of the Socialist party going from 1912 and on towards 1916-1920. 1912 and 1916 were just a test to see how much the Socialists could garner in the popular vote and electoral vote however 1920-1924-1928 will be when the socialists finally gain national prominence and break from the 20% and 50 electoral vote choke hold 1912 and 1916 brought the party.

The 1920's would be a Socialist Decade, a decade when the Proletariat class and the working class would remove the chains of the oppressive class system and fight the bourgeoisie directly. For far too long these people have been fooled by "progressives" like Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Hiram Johnson who say they want to change the system but in the end due little more then give some improvements to the workers conditions while maintaining the bourgeoisie system. This was the view held by many prominent Socialists including Eugene Debs who even said himself:

"The 1920's will be a workers decade whether we like it or not".

Other socialists were not as enthusiastic about such a thing occurring and people like former Milwaukee mayor and former vice presidential running mate for the socialist party Allan Benson say the changing rightward shift of the american electorate and said to the Daily Worker how:

"Many members of the (Socialist) party have a false illusion that the 1920's are anything but the usual in American Politics. To those who believe this are duly misinformed. If anything judging by recent activities in both major party's i believe it will be quite the opposite. In my opinion the next decade will be one under a mass illusion of a supposed "End to Normalcy" however what this really means is the issues that made this decade one of the most important seen yet to the workers conditions will disappear and remain obscure. But most will not see this hidden clause and fall for this illusion and they already are. If, we, party members want to stop this. We cant be reliant on electoral politics. We must stand up and fight this and show and tell the workers of the United States that we will not take oppression and depression just for corporate profit".

There was also disputes within the party on where to go next. This decade showed that a Democratic Socialist populist party like the Socialists under Debs could make great strides in american politics and advance there message. Debs was among the people who thought that this type of party was the best for success and said in a speech in Kansas City in 1917 that only under this style of ideology can a party succeed and allow for more diversity within the Socialist cause.

However he faced disputes from other members of the party such as by the likes of Maximilian Cohen who said that "Socialism and the Liberation of the Worker is more appealing to the US electorate then a little more a extension to the left of the Republican and Democratic Party". Him and others argued that under Debs the Party had become no difference from the Progressives in the major party's. They argued that only a party based on pure socialism can best represent labour and the left. These members within the party formed the Left Wing Section of the party while Debs and most of the rest formed a mainstream Socialist alliance.

Debs tried his best as a basic leader of the party to unite both wings and he knew that a divided socialist vote would never get more then 5% of the vote. When the left of the party threatened to break away in 1920 if the party continues to go astray from its original message, Debs said that they are hurting Socialism more then helping it. Now he could of been right or not however what he was right on was the fact that this division hurt the party greatly. A Late 1919 poll on the nationwide popularity of each party showed the socialist party had 43-46% approval-unapproved rating and this was due to the sharp turn towards the right that occurred in mid to late 1919.

These numbers only decreased and increasing fears of a socialist takeover like in those of Germany and France in the United States was becoming increasingly feared upon in hysterical proportions. This lead to riots in and near socialist headquarters in alot of the lower 48 states and even looting in May of 1920 in its NYC location. This reached its peak in the "Debs V. US Supreme Court" case in which Eugene Debs was arrested for incitement of violence against the elites. Arguing it as not incitement of violence but instead justified anger and said it was part of the freedom of speech. He appealed to the US Supreme Court and in a 6-3 decision on February 15th, 1920 it was decided that the constitution does not cover "speech that can provoke violence" and Debs was sent to jail for a decade with no patrol time. This was one of the most divide in the courts history as even though it went past the court pretty fast, the backlash lasted for much longer.

There were those on the left who supported Debs and all of the Party were behind him. Meanwhile many Progressives too disagreed with the court case saying that it was just influenced by popular shift in opinion in the time not in actual law or in the constitution. Hiram Johnson did not take a position and spoke as little on this as possible and when did said that the constitution does not protect Debs actions. Meanwhile everyone else agreed with the court with very few in the middle ground and this "everyone else" was most American's. With Debs in prison, the party was in disarray. Who would lead the Party?. Debs was a very popular figure and brought the party to greatness. He lead the party for nearly 20 years so who could fill his shoes.

Who could unite both sides like he did? These were the questions that plagued the 1920 Socialist Convention which occurred in NYC from June 19th to June 26th. It had been delayed for nearly a month due to looting via riot in mid May. The convention started with mass confusion as there had suppose to be a speech by Debs to unite the party and bring in the convention. Since he was imprisoned there was no such thing and nothing was planned in its place. Late in the day order was convened and the balloting would begin.

The major people in the party to put there names in the ballots were Norman Thomas, unknown to many however was the 1913 Socialist candidate for NYC mayor and gained 22% of the vote in the most for the party ever in the city, Co founder of the party and famous for his speeches Morris Hillquit, Alfred Wagenknecht who was a member of the National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party, Benjamin Gitlow who was a prominent member of the left wing of the party, and Bill Haywood who was a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World and known Socialists.

There were many other minor members but these were the major ones. The first ballot was voted on. There were 500 total delegates with each as a ballot and 500 more to be divided between the final too candidates or three. 250 was needed to win:

1st:
Morris Hillquit - 184.7
Norman Thomas - 93.3
Bill Haywood - 83.5
Benjamin Gitlow - 50.7
Alfred Wagenknecht - 24.9

Morris Hillquit was seen by many to be a natural successor and was by far the first choice so far of the party. But the unexpected rise of unknown Norman Thomas lead him to fail to get a majority of 250 ballots. Ballots 2 - 10 were cast and they were inconclusive. Ballot 10 showed none in a majority:

10th
Morris Hillquit - 216.8
Norman Thomas - 110.5
Alfred Wagenknecht - 29.3
Bill Haywood - 67.1
Benjamin Gitlow - 14.9

On the 11th ballot Gitlow dropped out and on the 13th so did Haywood both seeing there candidacy as not going anywhere. Haywood gave his delegates to Hillquit while Gitflow gave his to the convention and floor who then spread mostly to Thomas.

On the 15th it was shown to be a too man race as Wagenknecht dropped out and gave his delegates to Hillquit and put him over the edge. He had been nominated

15th
Morris Hillquit - 608.5
Norman Thomas - 300.3

The final ballot on the 16th showed a decisive Thomas defeat

15th
Final Nomination
Morris Hillquit - 646.2
Norman Thomas - 353.8

Thomas conceded and the next day Hillquit gave his nomination speech saying that the greatness of the party shall continue. His Vice President was also chosen from 1000 delegates:

Vice Presidental Nomination
Sam DeWitt: 508.5
C. E. Ruthenberg: 218.5
Robert M. La Follette Jr: 139.3
Louis C. Fraina: 49.6
Others: 83.6

The nomination was his and the Hillquit/DeWitt ticket was born in a increasingly unfriendly America

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 11: All Hell breaks Lose!|A tale of the 1920 Campaign

Italian Revolutionary Guard posing for photo after capture of Turin against Government forces.(1921)

With each party's major nominee decided the campaign could begin. After facing a brutal challenge from the party's conservative wing, Hiram Johnson is able to make it through the ballot process and becomes his parties nominee. It wasn't easily and in fact he lost the popular vote in the primary's by 5% and was forced to go through 41 ballots of brutalizing intensity and closeness. But in the end there simply wasn't enough delegates left for Harding to win and Johnson on the 41st won a majority of delegates at the RNC. In protest Harding and others left the RNC and protested outside for nearly 2 weeks. They couldn't come to a agreement as the Harding Camp wanted either him or another Conservative nomination arguing "The people want a real conservative who can return this country to normalcy".

Meanwhile the Johnson and Progressive camp argued they won fair and square by ballots and if Harding did not come back the Democrats would win easily in 1920. Harding dismissed these claims saying his base and Johnson's base are two very separate political groups and there would be no vote splitting even among Republicans. The Republican Establishment very much sided with the Johnson cause in a sharp turn of tone from earlier when said establishment was very much against growing progressive influence in the party. By 1920 and with the RNC disaster most of these party members left with Harding in protest outside. This included Knox among others who were party stables for decades.

This resulted in the remaining moderates and progressives forming a majority of the republican leadership and lead by Charles Evan Hughes declared the conservatives under Hughes to be extremists and a threat to republican party's chances in November. With the party now on his side Johnson pushed off Harding who after 2 weeks had enough and formed the American Conservative Party and held his own ACNC (American Conservative National Convention) later that summer of 1920. He said in a nominating speech that the republican party had lost its ways from the days of Lincoln and McKinley of "Limited Governance, National Protectionism, and International Isolationism" and had been taken over from extremists on the left who masquerade themselves as republicans.

With this split the republicans chances for winning dropped by half. And so as politics naturally does, attack ad after attack ad was released between the warring factions. Johnson and his Camp called on every sane Republican or Republican Leaning voter to be known that the Republican Party is the Party of Johnson while Harding is the Party of Republican Traitors. Johnson also released many posters and radio/newspaper attacks against Harding calling him a "Selfish Coward who likes the rules as long as it goes his way" (which referred to the convention) and also in many posters said "Traitor Harding or Republican Johnson: You Decide?".

This went on and Johnson had the full might of the Republican Party and its affiliate newspapers and press. Due to this the main headlines day after day were much more pro-Johnson/republican unity and rarely were ever supporting Harding though there was a piece here and here calling for the case for Harding. But Harding and his ACP didn't come unprepared and his garnered the full support of many prominent conservatives and in fact most of them and gained support from some media sources whose owners supported there cause. They had great connections too the prominent newspaper New York Journal-American due to there connections with William Randolph Hearst whose sudden shift to the right under the term of Johnson lead the paper to change its outlook on the work towards the right. They were able to gain headlines from the paper like "Johnson is Democrat is Disguise, Harding is the Republican now!" and "Opinion: Conservatives should support Harding/Coolidge for President". This went on for months and continued throughout the July-November campaign season which occurred from the conventions to the election day.

Meanwhile other on the other side the Democrats were just finishing there nominated process and after a long and brutal primary and ballot nomination, Carter Glass, Senator and Big named conservative from Virginia is able to fight the Progressive Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was the expected nominee due too his last name but failed in the 60-65 ballot range. There was fears that FDR and his Progressive wing in a inverse from the Republicans break off and not except his nomination.

These only grew when Franklin had not endorsed him for at least 2 days after he had won the majority of ballots and had been meeting with delegates and supporters. But he finally came around and supported the Glass Ticket after some background deals occurred between the too. The term "Smoke Filled Rooms" became a common term for shadious negotiations which resulted from the convention. Glass agreed to at least maintain the bottom line programs that the TR/Johnson Administrations put up including the allowing of the Workers Right Amendment to be maintained but promised no strengthening nor any support for it personally. But he made sure in his Speech that the Governments of the last 8 years would be over if he took office (IE Rampant Progressivism). Due to these conditions Glass was able to maintain Democratic Unity and Roosevelt came out on July 9th to endorse him calling for any Democrat who is distrustful of Glass because he is a conservative to know that he is not a radical conservative and will maintain the status quo. With a Divided Republican Party and a United Democratic one Analysts and most major predictors of the time in near consensus favored the election in Glasses favor. One NYT editor commented "A sample study of the recent polls has shown that in all likeliness, Carter Glass has upwards of a 60% chance of victory".

The first post Democratic and Republican/ACP convention poll came out on July 11th too days after Roosevelt endorsed Glass. It was by the The Philadelphia Inquirer which read 37% for Glass compared to Johnson's 26%, Harding's 19%, and Hillquit's 10%. This was startling news for Johnson and he warned even more that Harding was costed the Party the Presidency and any respectable republican should support him. And he was right, for the first time in 20 years, the Democrats were favored to win. Glass campaigned hard to maintain his lead and aimed for a decisive maintain and landslide to implement his agenda. He did this mostly not by actively campaigning himself (As he was 62) as he was much too old for that however in stead sent out aids and pundits and others too advertise and make his case to the people which was pretty standard in American Politics minus the brief interruptions with Johnson and TR introducing new campaigning styles.

But when he did campaign he made it his best effort and did it in the regions of the South, the upper south and western swing states and the most important mid Atlantic swing states. In the South he visited the major areas already knowing he would win there but to solidify any revolts and maintaining the loyalty of the wealthier classes which controlled much of the Souths politics. In Upper South he visited the swing states of Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia, and also Maryland which had became a crucial swing state and all of them polled close in the polls. In the Mid-Atlantic, Campaigning meant meeting supporters in Philadelphia and New York City with the occasional speech here and there and also the occasional visit to other minor city's. Johnson's made campaigning spot was the West and Upper South. He made it a mission to campaign personally as much as possible compared to Glass and contained on this legacy. He beefed up his Populist image enforcing himself as the "Peoples candidate" and Glass as a "Banker and Millionaire Democrat".

Comparing Glasses Big Money Donations from various donors to his almost nonexistent big money donations, Johnson made his point even clearer. He talked about how he, not Glass or Democrats or Harding, No but He, Roosevelt, and the Progressive Republican Wing have helped improved the conditions of the plight of the farmers and industrial workers. He said he would continue it and would also keep American out of any wars and again compared him to the more interventionist minded Glass saying he would. This represented well in Populist areas and historic Progressive areas and so that's why he campaigned there in those places.

Due to this by Early August he had narrowed the lead and began winning back the Upper Southern States and Western States again reforming a coalition. He was now only 5% behind Glass but Harding would prove a thorn in Johnson's back whenever he gained that close in the polls. Harding faced struggling poll numbers by late July as there was calls for Harding to drop out to unite with Glass and form a untied Conservative front. Harding resented such calls saying only he was the real conservative while Glass was not. But these rebuttals didn't prove to quite effective as by Early August he was down to a 13% polling average, down 6% a month earlier.

But as mentioned he still proved a thorn to Johnson as the remaining votes he was getting were coming more and more from Republicans so much so that around this time his supporters were polled and showed 71% were registered republicans. Harding as mentioned too tried to remain relevant and campaigned hard personally in the Mid-West and Northeast trying to get the "ancestral Lincoln conservatives" there who have "voted for progressives but at there roots are for limited governance". A slight rebound in Mid August meant he was steady at 15% which was good but still not clearly enough. The Socialists were the other third party and Hillquit was there man. However compared to 1916 they received much less news coverage and so dropped to a average of around 10%. They reused there Debs Style Socialist Populism and he still held rally's which mass attendance and he still held many union members votes but it was noticeably less.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 11: All Hell breaks Lose!|A tale of the 1920 Campaign Part 2

There populist campaigning which worked very well in the 1910's was working less so here and was also seen in the crowd sizes. Hillquit was a notable speaker and in fact better at oration then people like Debs but it still did not have the same effect. And so entering September there was 4 main candidates which 2 of them most likely to win. In International News that month socialist revolutions swept the country's of Poland, Hungary, and Italy most notably. The revolution in Poland failed instantly after a few days as the few factory workers were crushed. In Hungary it formed into a more long term conflict as the Socialists found home with the more poor Eastern Hungary and are able to keep a guerrilla war going on which would last till 1922. It would ultimately fail though and the Hungarian Republic was renewed with a constitution in 1925. However the one in Italy was able to succeed. Started by the Italians Worker's Party formed in 1913.

It centered on the depressed workers of the Northern Italian Industrial City's combined with the southern Italian farmers who were also poor. When a great depression hit the country in 1918, Left Wing sentiment in the country skyrocketed and the Italian Workers Party in coalition with the Socialist Party's in 1919 became a majority governing alliance. However the King of the Country Victor Emmanuel III who ultimately held power over the legislature blocked most of there agenda fearing revolutionary elements toppling here. In September of 1920, the Party had enough and its member in coalition with northern industrial workers and southern poor farmers rose up in multiple spots and locations and declared a revolution declaring the Italian Peoples Republic.

They intended it to be short and decisive but ended up going 2 years longer then expected. Anti-Socialist elements in the nation were united under one force under the King and also under a new political party called the "Fasci Italiani di Combattimento" and was based on the new ideology of Fascism which called for the State to gain godlike powers and for extreme nationalists. They were lead by up incoming young leader Benito Mussolini who drew large crowds. In the end in late 1922 however Mussolini and the King did not win the day as in the Decisive Battle of Venice (June 5th, 1922) and the Big Battle at Naples (June 19th, 1922) and Rome (October 19th, 1922) secured there place in history on the losing side as in late November the King was killed near Rome. The Government surrendered and a new government and a new Italy was set up.

The Party held internal elections for leadership of the party of 31 year old Antonio Gramsci was elected. A avid so-called "Neo-Marxist", he declared the ruling class to have controlled the Italian People for too long. He called for a Peoples Government and a nationalization of basic needs. Mussolini meanwhile was man hunted and in a long hunt was finally captured on July 9th, 1924 and imprisoned and sentenced to firing squad which occurred on September 12th and he died. Back in 1920 in the election yet more Socialist Revolution riled up the electorate even more and contributed even more to the scare of socialists and communists in the country. Glass took a sharp turn up in the polls and held 43% in Late September on average on the mainstream polls.

This was more then Johnson's 31%, Harding's 19% and Hillquit 5%. Throughout October Johnson made his best effort to climb back in the polls and at one point was within 5% again in one Boston Newspaper which showed him at 38% to Glasses 39% but even that showed he wasn't leading. Many state polls were also Released in this time and Johnson was losing New York 41-38%, Pennsylvania was narrowly for him at 41-40%, New Jersey was in favor of Glass at 41-31%, Maryland was still close at 42-39%, he was leading in Kentucky 43-41%, losing in Missouri 44-42% and leading narrowly in West Virginia at 45-42%.

In the west he was holding every single state except for Arizona and New Mexico which was good for him. Harding meanwhile was able to win his state of Ohio 35-32% over Johnson which was good news for him but bad for Johnson as Ohio was a crucial state for him to win. Glass was rejoiced and made his appearances less often as his chances increased.

He did face a bump in the road however in Mid October when FDR refused to joint campaign which Glass in NYC and Boston due to a comment Glass made in a Trenton speech calling for the elimination of almost all government program over the last 8 years. This was combined with many other prominent Progressives including Woodrow Wilson. However by now he didn't have to worry about being held back by them and offered no apology saying he meant what he said.

Taking this as a bad step progressive support from Glass left him for other candidates and he dropped by around 5% to only around a 38-32% polling average. Carter eventually rescinded his response and said he would keep some crucial important programs which has helped many to stay. This gave him some more support but not like before but he maintained around a 10% polling average now. Around this time Hillquit in a stump speech in Cleveland was attacked and pelleted by a wide array of materials from a angry crowd of anti-socialists calling him things like "Unpatriotic socialist" and "Unamerican".

He was rushed from the speech and was severely injured and was forced to limit his remaining campaign stops due to it. He did not receive any sympathy bump from it and maintained a 7-10% polling average a slightly improved but still bad number.

It was early November and campaign season was officially over. Now it was time for the election to decide who would become the next president.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 11 Part 2: The People Decide.

A Election Voting Station for the 1920 Election manned by Women counters

The night to decide it all was finally upon them. A night to decide which party's vision would lead the 1920's would be decided on that night and chances for the Incumbent President Hiram Johnson weren't looking so good. He faced a rebellion on his right from the Harding Campaign on the the Democratic Side faced a strong and united Democratic Party under a Popular Moderate to Conservative by the name of Carter Glass.

Chances were he would lose but he Hiram refused to give up hope campaigning in nearly 10 states throughout the last week of the campaign in late October to early November. He barnstormed in that time mostly Upper South and Northeastern and Midwestern States and stopped in New York were he performed a rally in front of supporters and then caught a train ride back to the White House were he would stay for election night. He hoped either he could win in a electoral college deadlock if Harding causes that or that the populist american majority would see through Glass as nothing but a fraud and elect him in a upset.

He likened himself to Theodore Roosevelt who still held, even if he was dead, the highest provably rating of any former president up to that date (though that is partially due to the fact that performing of polls on the President only began shortly past the turn of the 18th millennium to the 19th one. A 1919, Summer poll by a local Detroit Paper found his popularity to exceed 80% with only 10% disapproving. Johnson himself held a 51% which was good since he had the majority of the people but that was the shadow of its former upwards of 70% self. Constant fear mongering of the Left in America in from late 1918 up to that point had taken its toll and newspapers like the New York Journal even once said "Johnson and his Progressive allies are trying to turn America into a Socialist State like the ones in Germany and Russia!".

A lot of people bought into this and Johnson's approval rating dropped by more then 20% in less then 2 years even if his policy's were still extremely popular with most poorer Americans which made up a majority. He was likened to the Socialists as part of the Far Left and his polling among Moderates dropped which was the main reason why he dropped so much. But Moderates in America were beginning to grow with the fall of the old order which held the 1910's by its grip.

A new Moderate coalition or "Moderate Majority" as first coined by a Washington Post editorial board. This would dominate the election of 1920 like no other seen in a while and each candidate fought over such majority. While Johnson could do little more then telling the negatives of his opponents due to the fact that he was so vilified by them; he still was losing them heavily to the embodiment of said moderate majority.

Carter Glass was riding this wave and it rode him to the last week of campaigning. He took one last trip to Louisville and Baltimore before returning to his Virginian Home. He would continue to the end with his constant buying of advertisers to spread his message throughout the Urban areas and would wait in his home for results with a steady hand to hold the telephone to hear the results along with a radio. Warren G. Harding meanwhile was still using his usual campaigning method of a front porch style campaigning in his Ohio home.

He while doing this ran throughout his home state trying to win votes including in the Cleveland area, Cincinnati, and throughout the rural areas. He wanted at least to win his state to try to create a deadlock where he could potentially be elected. He also wanted to win it in case the party was needed in the future to already establish infrastructure in the state so winning the state would be easier. And although he was not some kind of "Moderate Majority" candidate (As he was a standard Conservative and made that clear) and could not appeal to them as well as Glass, he did have a great relationship so called Moderates and was polling much better with them then nationally. A October 1920 poll among so called moderates found out that while 52% of them supported Glass and 24% supported Johnson, 23% supported Harding only 1 less then Johnson.

Harding also campaigned throughout the Midwest in the final week and went to Indiana were he was polling his highest, out of the state of Ohio, and even won the state in a state poll in Mid 1920 40-37-12% with Johnson in a distant third. He wanted to win the rural demographic to win him many states in that area. Meanwhile in his last week Hillquit was at his house due to his injury while his Vice President was campaigning for him. He knew he wouldn't do so well but hoped for a upset. And these were the situations going in election day and night and it would be starting soon.

The election was on November 2th for most (Maine and Vermont were able to vote early in October) and voting times was between 5 AM and 6 PM. At 6 PM the polls closed in the first line of states to be called in New England. The first results were to be reported around 6:30 PM when it was announced on local radio that Johnson won the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine easily giving him 14 Electoral Votes. He would win Vermont by 56% due to a strong Harding performance in the state among the more conservative republicans there.

In New Hampshire a similar thing occurred and Johnson only won the state by 52.8% due to a strong 25.8% Harding performance there and was much done from 1916. In Maine he won by 63% in his strongest of the three due to a weaker Harding performance. By 7 PM Southern New England results came in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

All three showed a improved democratic performance and in the end Johnson won Massachusetts and Rhode Island while Glass won Connecticut in a flip from 1916. It was now 37-7 in Johnson's favor in the most important electoral college. Massachusetts was again a weaker Johnson performance at 46.7% to Glasses 39.6%, Rhode Island was a close 45.8% for Johnson and 43.6% for Glasses, while Connecticut was a flip 44.1%-43.2% for Glass due to a strong Harding performance. After was the Mid-Atlantic states which polls closed at 7:30 PM and this first results came in. This bunch included the crucial and electorally critical states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania which contained nearly 100 electoral votes together.

New York was already 30% when first polled due to early vote and already counted vote and Johnson was in a tight lead of 40.1-38.4% compared to Glasses. These results were coming from the New York City area and Upstate New York which were good areas for Johnson. Johnson's Progressivism played well in the NYC area and had helped turn this democratic stronghold into a swing region along with TR in all fairness. The city was divided between the Democratic controlled machines and WASPs voting for mostly Glass with some for Harding while Johnson took home the Immigrant and Poorer populations in the city.

In Pennsylvania it was already 44% in and Glass held a lead at 40.6% in Johnson's 35.8%. In New Jersey, it was more decisive with 27% in and the state was called for Glass early with him at 48% to Johnson's 32%. This was considered a swing state and wasn't expected to be this decisive but New Jersey, which was ground central of so called Moderates and full of Old World (Non Eastern or Southern European) Immigrants. The smaller state of Delaware meanwhile was also called for Glass with him at 47.4% to Johnson's 37.1% early on. It was now 37-24 in Johnson's favor with New York and Pennsylvania too close to call.

Next was the southern states and they were to be called easily. Glass won 71% in his home state of Virginia, 53% in North Carolina, 87% in South Carolina, 55% in Georgia, 69% in Florida, 72% in Alabama, 91% in Mississippi, 78% in Louisiana, 48% in Tennessee, and 66% in Arkansas. Kentucky was too close to call as 47-45% in Johnson's favor while West Virginia was too close to call too at 48-47% in Glasses favor. Meanwhile Maryland was too close to call at a close 44.5-44.1% in a slight Johnson favor while Missouri was too close to call at 48-42% in Glasses favor. It was now 130-37 in Glasses favor and was 10 PM. A little after that the state of Missouri, which was a crucial bellwether, went to Glass 49-40%.

And right after that Johnson won the state of Kentucky 49-44%. It was now 148-50. The next region to report was the Midwest at 10:30 PM. A little after that the polls closed and the results came in. In Michigan Johnson easily won, while he did the same in Wisconsin at 42% and Minnesota and so did Iowa. The States of Indiana and Ohio and surprisingly Illinois were too close to call. It was now 148-103 Glass. West Virginia meanwhile was called for Johnson while Pennsylvania was called for Glass. A little after that Ohio was called for Harding in a tight 39-33-28% plurality. And after that Illinois was called for Johnson 39-31%.

By this time the Plains states polls were closed and the results came in. Johnson easily won the Dakotas with little Socialist disturbance like they did to TR in 1916 while he also easily won Nebraska. Then Kansas moving towards its historical roots went republican by a easy 7% and was called instantly. Oklahoma was too close to call. It was now 186-168-24 Glass. Due to polling irregularity's Texas polled late and only now was able to go to Glass. Finally by Midnight the west would report and so the whole United States would know the results.

The States of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado were easily called for Johnson at first. Then the West Coast reported and all easily went to Johnson which included his home state of California. Nevada was called for Johnson too. Arizona, New Mexico, and surprisingly Utah were too close to call. It was now 213-206-24 and Johnson was in a slim lead which surprised many at that point. At around 1 AM New Mexico and Oklahoma were called for Glass.

And a little later around 2 AM, in a extremely tight race Glass is able to edge it out in New York to win its 45 Electoral Votes putting him 2 votes from the presidency. At around 2:30 AM Utah was called for Johnson and at 3 AM Maryland and its 8 EV's went to Glass giving him the presidency. Glass would go on to win the remaining too states of Arizona and Indiana over Johnson and Harding respectively.

It was official, Glass was the new president.

(Full Map Results plus In-detail State County Results to come later + Congressional Elections)

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

1920 Presidential Election

Carter Glass (D-VA)/David Francis (D-MO): 290 Electoral Votes, 44.38%

President Hiram Johnson (R-CA)/Vice President George W. Norris: 217 Electoral Votes, 34.92%

Warren G. Harding (ACP-OH)/Calvin Coolidge (ACP-MA): 24 Electoral Votes, 14.84%

Morris Hillquit (S-NY)/Sam DeWitt (S-NY): 0 Electoral Votes, 5.91%

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 11: Part 3 (This will only go through the important states. Next update after these will be "The Year was 1921")

1920 States in a closer look: New York

Carter Glass: 40.63%
Hiram Johnson 38.68%
Warren G. Harding: 15.90%
Morris Hillquit: 4.13%

In New York, the crucial swing state of 45 electoral votes went to Glass by about 2%. He under performed the polls here massively and went from a 9% lead before the election to 7% less after. This was due to the states pro-republican bias and had leaned towards the republican party since its creation.

The key to Glasses victory was his wins in the historically crucial republican collar county's of the five boroughs. Although these had held a lot less population then the five boroughs and had a mostly rural landscape, these areas still voted for republicans at 60-75% margins and had been crucial in close elections to overcome democratic controlled New York City. However Johnson's unpopularity with moderate voters which made up most of these county's populations lead to Glass being able to swoop in the fill in the void.

Like with Cleveland who last won these county's, he portrayed himself as against democratic and republican radicalism and called for a return for normalcy which resonated well with these voters. This allowed him to win Suffolk and Nassau by small but decisive margins. Meanwhile this moderation also allowed him to regain parts of the democratic upstate winning Rockland County, Delaware and numerous other small county's.

To top it off he was able to hold Richmond, Manhattan, and the Bronx by smaller then average margins but this tipped him to win the state in a winning coalition.

Meanwhile Johnson was able to keep it close due to due maintaining of his big margins in the upstate and also making a play in labor friendly and immigrant populations in the five boroughs.

In the Upstate he held onto Roosevelt margins here with some disturbances from the democrats and Harding. He was able to win highly populated Erie County 58-30% which was able to give him a big boost. He was also able to maintain the state capital county of Albany by 54-38% giving him more of a boost and was able to maintain Westchester 45-40% while keeping it close though loosing in Suffolk and Nassau. However his main reason for keeping it under 3% was his play in the five boroughs.

Like with past republicans before he was able to win Queens and Kings County by small margins though in highly populated county's. His appeal to the poor and immigrant classes played well in Manhattan and he won big in immigrant and poorer sections however the middle class, the wealthier, and the democratic party machine all tried there best to keep Johnson from winning here and in a somewhat fraudulent setting Glass won the county 61-27%. Meanwhile he lost heavily 65-30% in democratic Staten Island while keeping it close in the Bronx due to his strong margins from the poor, immigrants, and growing Black Population coming out strong for him.

Harding meanwhile got most of his vote from the upstate and the suburbs.

He under performed the polls and the final result was barely better then he national result which was a real disappointment. His strongest region was in the Western New York area in the upstate where he often came in second in many county's and his rural conservative appeal played well in this area coming closest in Allegany coming in second 42-32% over Johnson.

He also did well with the middle class and the suburbs of the five boroughs with many traditional republicans voting for him instead of Johnson instead because he was the "real republican candidate".

Finally Hillquit also under performed and expected this state to be one of his holdouts in terms of high percentages for the socialists. But this was not the case. He got less then the national average hear was was crushed by all other candidates resulting in him and his party in Hillquit's very own state and his running mates state and only got 4.1%.

He did best in labor friendly areas getting double digits in Kings, Bronx, and Manhattan Island due to strong support from the same demographics as Johnson appealed too. Altogether New York proved in 1920 to be very much a swing state and a swing state to come into the 1920's and beyond.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 11: Part 3

1920 States in a closer look: Pennsylvania

Carter Glass: 41.19%
Hiram Johnson: 38.92%
Warren G. Harding: 16.83%
Morris Hillquit: 2.71%

In the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania which held 38 electoral votes, a close race was held. Pennsylvania around this time was a historically republican stronghold state and went for Roosevelt by 18% in 1916 and although the state had been close as a state many times before and in fact dozens of times between Democrats and Republicans, in the end Republican usually won by 2-10% points.

In fact the last time it went to the Democrats was in 1856 with a newly formed Republican Party and James Buchanan. However growing unpopularity with Johnson among Moderates, Conservatives, the Philadelphia collar county's, and the Philadelphia machine itself made the state competitive and ultimately lead to his downfall here.

Johnson's main support came from his holding on of the republican machine in Philadelphia, keeping it close in the traditional republican but now swing or democratic collar county's, winning big in Allegheny which was a historically republican area but made gains in Democratic run Pittsburgh, and maintaining good margins in the western part of the state.

His only improvement in the state was in the southwest were Johnson's pro-labor stances resonated well in the labor heavy but democratic friendly area. Glass meanwhile main improvement was winning in Chester and Montgomery and keeping it close in Delaware and Bucks county. This was great for a Democrat and these areas before would go to Republicans no matter what. Meanwhile his moderation lead to good performances in the eastern rural areas of the state by some good margins. He however lost big in Scranton in the Northeast to due his weakness with the working class there. Overall his coalition allowed him to win the state.

Meanwhile Harding performance better then the national average for him but still didn't perform as well as he hoped. He barely got 1% more then the national average and did best in areas like Chester and in the central regions. He also did great near the border with him home state of Ohio.

Meanwhile the Socialists extremely under performed here and got less then even 3%! This was one of there better states in 1916 getting 25% and now under 3%.

All in all, 1920 showed by as of now the state which was once considered a republican stronghold could be won by a Democrat and going forward whether it will remain a swing state or lean democratic will be up for question.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

United States Senate elections, 1920

Republican Party: Senator from Connecticut Frank B. Brandegee: -45 Seats, -5 Seats from 50 Seats

Democratic Party: Senate Minority leader Thaddeus H. Caraway: -44 Seats, +11 from 33 Seats

Socialist Party: Minority Leader Upton Sinclair: - 7 Seats, -5 from 12 Seats


United States House of Representatives elections, 1920

Democratic Party: Champ Clark - 234 Seats +57 Seats from 177

Republican Party: Frederick H. Gillett -182 Seats -50 Seats from 234

Socialist Party: Victor L. Berger - 15 Seats -8 Seats from 23

American Conservative Party: Charles A. Kennedy - 3 Seats +3 Seats from 0

Prohibition Party: Charles H. Randall - 1 Seats +0 Seats from 1

The election brought big congressional wins for the Democratic party. While they lost the House and Senate in 1918, they regained the House in a huge congressional pickup of 57 Seats and were able to get a outright majority while for Republicans forcing them into a distant and indecisive second place almost 60 seats behind.

Meanwhile the Socialists lost moderately but not all of there seats and they still were able to hold onto 15 seats and gain 2 in Michigan and New York. The ACP also ran House candidates and most of them were defeated by Republicans and Democrats though 3 were able to succeed including Charles A. Kennedy who switched to the ACP in 1920 and now represented the party in a Iowa congressional district.

The Prohibition party meanwhile remained stagnant at 1 seat not picking up anything nor losing anything. In the Senate in which they lost in 1918 to newly found majority party status Republicans but in 1920 with a good victory brought them ever so close to taking it. However Republicans were able to win a senate race which resulted in a hung and 1 seat republican plurality which could very easy be flipped if Democrats find Republican votes and vica versa.

Meanwhile Socialists lost worse here losing almost half of there seats and losing alot of status though Sinclair was able to tightly hold onto his seat and remain as minority leader for the party in a California Congressional District.

All in all, the night in the Congress was a Democratic victory with a slight Republican plurality in the Senate and the Democratic majority in the House. It wasn't however the best night and they wanted a decisive control over all of the congressional and executive authority. Nevertheless Democrats would be entering the new year as a tightly held Majority party in general.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 12: Modesty is the Key
Part 1: The Year was 1921

Labour Party Poster for 1920


The election was finished and the winner was clear. It was much closer then expected in the electoral vote. Glass would win a underwhelming 290 votes to Johnson's 217 electors when he was suppose to win much more decisively perhaps with over 350 electoral votes. But that didn't matter since he won and the size of the victory was much less important then whether you won. Johnson's hopes and dreams of continuing being the United States for 4 more years was crushed when he learned early into the next morning of election night that New York which called for Carter by a slim margin.

That didn't give him the victory but it put him within 20 electoral votes of winning. Johnson then learned around 6 AM on the same day that Glass won most of the rest of the swing states and he had passed the 266 needed to win and now held 20+ more needed to win. A official popular percentage county a few hours later showed a similar story.

Glass up to that point held 46% of the popular vote to Johnson's 31% and although his numbers would go up, there still was a clear popular mandate against him and so finally at 10 PM on that same day. Johnson told a aid to call Glass at his home. Carter picked up the phone to hear Johnson conceding to him saying his chances has gone and he was said to say "This Job will take so much out of you wont believe it" occurring to a local aid.

Carter thanked him and put down the phone and had now become a president elect without a doubt. He left his living space where he had been throughout the night listening to the radio to leave his home with a guard of 5 men and left for Washington DC a short distance away from his home. Meanwhile in Cleveland, Ohio the Harding campaign was in disarray. They learned of there results and throughout the night while Harding was sleeping, his campaign managers and aids were growing more and more worried until it was official that he had under performed massively with the final vote count and electoral count.

There only source of happiness was when Ohio, Harding's home state, was called for them but even that was within 2% and only won 33% of the States vote which in future elections would need massive improvements if they wanted to continue this new party. Harding woke to news off this and when outside to great his supporters which had gathered at his porch step and thanked them for voting for him. He then left into town to meet with his campaign national headquarters which was located in the city to discuss future discourse. There was a great talk that said to have happened on the future of the party and he refused to take any questions from journalists on the talk. All he said was "The Future will tell if out cause will die in vain".

Meanwhile the final of the four major candidates, Morris Hillquit, was in his New York home when he found of the results. He picked up a local power to tell him the answer. It read "Glass trumps over Johnson! Harding and Hillquit lack behind". He then looked below and found the official popular vote percentage up to that point and showed him only winning 6% of the peoples vote. Knowing what came for next, he left for the Socialist National headquarters in central New York City and remained quiet for some time.

After reactions by all the major candidates the next phase of the after-election began: The inter period or the time till Carter and the rest of the new congress was inaugurated in March of 1921. Johnson would still be president till then and be considered a Lame Duck. By New Year, Johnson decided to make one last push for his legacy until his time was up and pushed for a nationwide national law which would incriminate and disband the big company's of the day which tried to find loopholes against new federal regulation.

The justification for this was that like citizens, company's and trusts or monopoly's should follow the law and if they break we should fight back hard so others don't follow there steps. Praised by some and criticized by others it entered the House lead by a small collection of progressive northeastern representative republicans as H.R. 1684 or under a official name called the "Anti-Corporate Loophole Act of 1921", it would prevent such actions. In a last call of the progressive era, the Unions and the coalition that formed and helped pass previous progressive bills convened for one of the last time to politically push it through Washington.

But they faced push back from many Democrats and Republicans calling it a political move due to being in Johnson's lame duck period in which a president shouldn't pass any major legislation. Democratic officials argued that "the People elected Glass to end the Legislative nonsense like Johnson wants to put up and the American people are tired of such attitudes". Some Republicans even pushed back against it calling it a uncalled for egotistic driven push by the President to give his legacy a boost in remembrance and popularity.

In the House many debates were held and a democratic congressmen even held a filibuster for 17 hours in opposition. The vote would occur on January 6th, 1921 right into the new year. The day came and the vote was held and it lasted for many hours and by 11 PM the vote was decided and was a close vote of 223 in favor with 210 against and 2 abstaining. Republicans who were the majority at that time till March combined with all Socialist votes and 15-25% of Democrats (Mostly from the Bryanite and Roosevelt wing) were able to get a majority of more then 216 and the bill was able to pass the house without a deadlock tie which was good for the President. The bill went into the senate which was controlled by Republicans.

Majority Leader Frank B. Brandegee promised to keep the vote orderly and expressed support for the bill and was able to get most republicans to vote for it. This combined with 10 out of 12 Socialist votes was able to get 51 votes total in the Senate when it came time to vote with 9 Republican defections and 2 Socialist defections. The bill was past and on February 19th was signed in law and was dubbed the "Fair Business Play Bill" by some in the media and others as the "Give more Governmental Power bill" dubbed by the New York Tribune.

The bill would go into effect on February 12th, 1922 and thus Johnson finally went into the sunlight. On March 4th, 1921 the Inauguration occurred and Carter Glass, the President Elect, and David Francis, Vice President Elect, were officially President and Vice President. His speech went on for 1.5 hours, almost 30 minutes longer then Roosevelt's 1917 Inauguration speech



And finally we have reached this moment.
This moment brought to use by the millions of Americans who had enough of chaotic, government increasing times we have experienced before hand. And that why i ask you, the American people, to take a moment and declare to each and everyone of you that the return to normalcy for which most of you desire and deserve is finally upon us. Normalcy to a time before the Chaotic 8 years prior. We shall return to the peaceful, prosperous times of Cleveland, of McKinley, and of Lincoln. Of peace domestically and fiscally sanity. In my administration we shall remain and maintain the great strides in workers rights and anti-trust legislation that the last 8 years have brought but we will also make sure that the overreach of such a government in regulation and bureaucracy's to be limited and maintain fiscal sanity on this front
- Carter Glasses 1921 Inauguration Speech detailing his plans.

He got to the White House humbled by such a moment and got to work. He first recognized his situation, he had a Democratic House and could very easily win the Senate's votes with Moderates. He first had to assemble a cabinet. Immediately he fired all Johnson-era members in the high ranking positions and got his own in there.

For Secretary of State he put in little known ambassador and potential 1920 Democratic contender John W. David. A conservative from West Virginia he complemented the administration well. For Secretary of the Treasury he chose William Gibbs McAdoo, a compromise to more progressive elements, he had been a strong supporter of the Wilson campaigns and ran for the 1920 democratic nomination as the liberals one.

For Secretary of War, he choose virtually unknown James W. Gerald. A favorite of the New York City and Tammany Hall establishments, he would favor Glasses isolationism. For Postmaster General he choose Irvin Cobb and for Attorney General he choose Pennsylvania Attorney general and strong 1920 democratic contender A. Palmer.

For the Navy he choose Franklin Roosevelt in a compromise to the progressives in the party and was able to work partially well. He choose Robert Latham Owen Jr, A strong Nebraskan Isolationist, as Secretary of the Interior. He choose Edwin T. Meredith for Agriculture and finally he picked young Governor and 1920 contender for the nomination and party heavyweight for Labor. And after he picked Party heavyweight and 1920 contender Oscar Underwood of Alabama for Commerce. All of these were approved easily by the Senate from almost all Democratic support and a strong alliance with Conservative Republican and ACP members.

All in all the cabinet was a very big named one. From Roosevelt to McAdoo to Palmer and Smith it included almost all of the major figures in the party and virtually all of its 1920's democratic nomination.

The reason behind this was to prevent any potential future primary/third party against him by any of the people he nominated to secure his position in the party. And it worked since all accepted with Smith taking the longest being since he actual lost power from Governor of a State to only Secretary of Labor. He made up his mind and accepted in the end though.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Carter Glasses Cabinet

Secretary of State - John W. Davis
Secretary of the Treasury - William Gibbs McAdoo
Secretary of War - James W. Gerard
Attorney General - Alexander Mitchell Palmer
Postmaster General - Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb
Secretary of the Navy - Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Secretary of the Interior - Robert Latham Owen Jr.
Secretary of Agriculture - Edwin T. Meredith
Secretary of Labor - Al Smith
Secretary of Commerce - Oscar Underwood

The cabinet was nominated and voted through successfully by the End of June and a series of legislation under his new term could be in order. The first act was a bill to lower the income tax (created 1915) to near zero calling the tax unnecessary and Un-American due to its overreaching affect. H.R. 1860 went into congress dubbed the "Income Tax reduction bill". The House run by Democrats passed it 254-180 with 1 abstaining with almost all Democrats and alot of Republicans voting for it.

It entered the Senate in July were it was voted on. The vote was 51-45 with none abstaining. It was settled and the President signed it into law in Mid July. The bill would officially lower the tax rate to 5.6% down from 13.8% under Johnson. The next act around the same time which was major and pushed by the president was a end to the Rooseveltian Universal Healthcare policy's. He argued that it was just one example of where Government went to far into normal american's lives and said that repealing it would be better for the american taxpayer then not repealing it.

The bill at the time was still moderately popular at 61% and many voted for Glass but were on a universal healthcare plan. Conservatives supported this and were nearly all for it while the opposite was true for the other side with moderates as the deciding vote. It entered the House as H.R. 1699 on June 13th. Dubbed the "Market Based Healthcare Act" or also by some "Glass-Caraway" (due to the presidents and senate minority leaders close work on this bill) it would soon become very divisive. The House voted on it on June 20th and it voted 220-215 against it with none abstaining. In a blow to the president he didn't give up and decided to rework it to make it more fitting to moderates since they were the reason it failed.

A new version of the bill was finally worked out on August 5th by Democratic leaders and would be put into the house of August 8th. The bill would not totally remove universal healthcare but it would make sure to establish a Healthcare agency to make sure its working efficiently and cost effective. It would keep government run healthcare but it would not for mandatory for all and made sure that there would be competition within the system so that people could increase there healthcare status. Compared to completely removing it, this was satisfying to many moderates and polled at 53% when first done after its inception. H.R. 1724 was put into the House where it was voted on 239 for-194 with 2 abstaining. It passed the House which was the first success.

It entered the Senate on September 15th where it would face for struggle. The majority leader Frank Brandegee was a close friend of Johnson and promised to fight to maintain the bill intact. He was no progressive and was a Northeastern Moderate but he kept close ties with Progressives and wanted them to remain friendly to him.

As soon as it passed the house he stated he would not accept anything more then a bill to keep what we have. Entering the Senate it was heavily debated and the Majority Leader with some progressive democrats were able to filibuster and stall the bill for quite a while. Whenever it was up to a vote, they would stall it and his coalition of Republicans, Progressive Democrats, and Socialists would make sure that happened by a majority vote. It wasn't until Late November of 1921 when his monopoly over the bill in the House was toppled on the 21st vote to try to end the filibuster and let the bill through to be voted on.

He faced mass defections from over 18 republicans on the conservative side calling for the bill to be voted through and it was enough already. It was 60-46 and the bill was to be voted on December 19th. The bill was finally voted on and by 2 AM in the morning it was decided. 49 against compared to 49 for it. It was deadlocked which stalled the situation further. It wasn't until January 30th until the Vice President could finally vote on it and he voted like expected for the bill which allowed the bill to pass.

The bill was signed into law on February 9th and went into practice on March 1st, 1923. This was the basis of a new system of multi payer healthcare which although Glass didn't want, it was the best he could get. Another focus of his on the domestic front for that year was to institute a promise which he made to supporters: Tariff Reform.

The last push for this was under the Wilson–Gorman Tariff Act in 1894 but was repealed a year later and this was under the last Democratic President, Grover Cleveland. Since then under three very tariff friendly republicans the rate has gone up to 57%-62% on taxable goods coming in and out of the United States.

Being pro free trade Glass and many Democrats opposed high tariffs and wanted for the freest movement of goods and services across nation lines as possible without tariffs scaring off potential retailers and sellers which they argued would hurt the United States Economy. Wanted to return to low tariffs rates he proposed H.R. 1801 or the "Robinson-Heflin Tariff Reform Act" would lower official tax rates from 60% at the time to 42.5% and proposed a flat tax of 3.6% on the tariffs themselves to counterbalance the lost revenues from which hey would lose from a lower tariff.

Widely praised by many Democrats and Republicans Robinson-Heflin entered the House of Representatives on September 15th and was voted for 228-201 with 6 abstaining. Nearly all republicans and socialists opposed it while almost all Democrats supported it and the bill passed the house. The bill would enter the House on the 18th and was voted on and was passed 50-44 with two abstaining and the bill was signed into law on October 2nd.

It faced criticism from republicans who argued with a high tariff rate and argued it would hurt american workers and industry. Even if the bill was settled the issue of tariffs would continue to be a issue in american politics. It should also be noted that leading American progressives in the Democratic Party like William Jennings Bryan were very much against this and free trade and voting against it in the house and senate but were not enough for a majority.

It was nearing December and the winter recess for congress would take place until they came back in February of 1922. In a final legislative push of the year, Carter called for a overhaul of the tax system calling for lower taxes across the board and to simply many progressive era taxes. In a bill officially known as the "United States National Revenue Act" it would increase all major taxes across the board and would also include a major tax cut to social and military services to reduce national debt and maintain national economic stability in a post war world.

The tax system would still be progressive however with the top rate at 62% down from 81% in the Johnson administration and lowest at 3.8% for those making under $4,000 a year. It was a true package of a bill and would not go in easily and out like he had planned. He meet with top democratic officials and many congressmen from all sides to try to get them to vote for it. He was faced with stiff opposition from the same people that opposed him in all party's but he was praised by moderate members and agreed with overall tax reduction.

But he couldn't introduce it to the congress yet as he wanted it too be as decisive as possible to prevent any stalling and also due to the winter break. He would delay any vote till next year while he was getting it ready and would present it when the congress came back into session. The Congress closed on December 13th and the Legislative agenda for the year was over and Glass was able to start a legacy for himself.

In Global news for that year the post-war year was beginning to settle a little from the chaotic 1918-1920 periods. Socialist regimes had been firmly established in Germany, Russia, and Italy and in February 2nd, 1920 Italy joined the Russo-German Pact in a new treaty known as the Treaty of Turin (1921), it would establish a economic alliance between the three country's to grow them after years of war. In Italy the new Socialist Regime banned elections and began on a economic agenda in a goal to help the people.

In the rest of Europe things were getting better but there was still struggles. In France and the UK, they emerged victorious from the war but the post war economic slump from the war which affected most major western country's hit these two country's especially hard and with the death of Andrew Bonar Law, the conservative prime minister, from throat cancer, a special election was held in March of 1920. In a surge, the young Labour Party found themselves in second place in a large surge and gained 34% of the vote but still failed.

In France meanwhile emboldened by other socialist movements, French Section of the Workers' International which was formed in 1902 from a merger of France Socialist Party's held a surge in support and in the January 1920 elections reached a record 19.5% of the vote. In the September elections of that same year they formed the only opposition to the incumbent president Alexandre Millerand of the National Republican League and gained a bigger 22.4% of the vote. They would continue to grow but a right and left wing coalition in the French Senate prevented them from getting anywhere.

In Spain Eduardo Dato was the incumbent conservative and the depression hit this country hard. In the 1920 election the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party under Pablo Iglesias got a record 21 seats becoming the third largest party in the nation.

In Sweden, the country which was neutral in the war, found a complete opposite affect as the incumbent Social Democratic Government under Hjalmar Branting faced a strong decline from a increased right wing vote.

In Hungary, the war against the communists was still going on, while in Poland a Right Wing Government comes to power and a purge in socialists occurs in the top areas of government.

In Russia the war was nearly done and Vladimir Lenin established himself the leader of the new country of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The new nation continued to try to regain lost lands and in March of 1920 re annexed Georgia and Armenia under new Soviet Republics.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

In Greece meanwhile the fear of Communists swept the Right into power and ousted the Prime Minister with it. In China civil war was still going on and the Nationalists were the dominant faction while in Japan a series of revolts and coups swept the country and the nation was in chaos.

But the theme that swept the world was the sense of calmness as the revolutions that hit the world the previous year were starting to wind down. And this sense occurred right as the year was ending. The clock struck 12 PM and the Year was 1922...

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Oh well, the 1922 file which i started and was done with was accidentally deleted because i accidentally shut off my google chrome. Here is a summary for that year since i dont want to rewrite all of that again:

1922

United States News

1. Revenues Act Passes

2. World Stabilized from previous years of revolutions and government changes

3. Champ Clark (House Majority Speaker dies) and Andrew Jackson Montague is the new house speaker

4. Two attempts at flat tax by president fail the Senate with the first set at 31.9% and the second at 40.2%. Criticism is bi-partisan.

5. Minimum Wage abolished due to progressive infighting the the House and a lack of turnout among many Socialists and Progressives to vote in the Senate

6. Slew of minor legislation occur between July and September

7. Glass produces first use of a radio by a president in September when giving a speech to listeners

8. Glass supported bill to end Haiti Occupation lead by Isolationist Dems passes the congress and troops leave by 1926

9. Glass orders troops from occupied Honduras by 1925

10. Immigrant Act of 1922 forces a reduction of immigration towards the United States as a whole but prioritizes Western and Northern European Immigrants for the ones that do get in. The reasons for the bill are due to national and economic stability too not repeat the chaotic immigrant lead 1910s.

11. Major Winter in the 1921-1922 season killed hundreds in New England and the Midwest

International News

12. Conservatives fall in the 1923 UK election and J. R. Clynes of Labour becomes the Prime Minister

13. Failed Socialist Revolt in France
14. Germany beefs up Military Spending to ensure isolationism

15. Russia finally ends Civil War as the White forces fall in Siberia by November of 1922

16. Communist Rebels in Hungary fall in the eastern poorer part of the nation after the fall of there capital city

17. Nationalists in China take the Cliques of the Western Part of China while the Socialist Party of China formed

18. 2 failed coups in Japan

19. Failed revolt in Santiago, Chile.

20. Narcotic Drugs Import and Export Act in August 1922 allows for the importation of the psychoactive drug provided any opium derivatives and preparations will be for medicinal purposes only.

 

[DuckymcDuckface]

Chapter 12: Modesty is the Key
Part 3: The Year was 1923

Carter Glass is Person of the Year for the year 1923

The Year of 1923 brought a different condition to the world. 1922 brought big news to Global and United States domestic affairs but the big issue that categorized the year was a sense of settling in of a New World order. By now both of the old governments of the World War 1 era had either been pushed out by new party's or been pushed out in Evolution. Major country's throughout the world with new governments experienced major radicalization from previous governments.

In the United States meanwhile the Carter Glass Administration was in its third year. 1922 had brung a establishment and maintenance of his legislative hallmarks so far. He expanded upon his 1921 achievements while expanding into new fields to further give America his vision. He had gone along with a new congressional authority of democrats who could now pass much more easier his legislation but in the Senate still were not a majority but a plurality but a "Modern Majority" coalition of with some Republicans allowed for a pseudo-majority support for his bills and this allowed him to pass several hallmark achievements in the last year including the passing of the Revenues Act, Immigrant Act, withdrawal from the Central America's, and most importantly and recently the Minimum wage act which had sent shock waves throughout the political world of the United States and further deepened Glasses problem with Progressive's.

His own Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt commented to a local reporter

"This bill is disgraceful to the workingmen and women and America who go by day after day barely making food scraps. A minimum wage allows for this men and women to get by with there basic necessary's and for those same people to not worry above future income as the employer is forced to pay the labor aspect of the company. This bill completely strips away at this basic right and that is why the bill is a disgrace".

But at the same time he was praised by conservatives and many moderates who say the bill originally as a overreach of government. Governor Coolidge stated

"Good Riddance! Such a abomination of federal intrusion is contrary to the american principle of individualism"

while New York Representative (Elected 1920), former New York governor and prominent Republican Charles E. Hughes called the repeal

"A Honorable move however i find the idea of replacing the wage with other government programs as a better idea in the long term to deal with future problems that a non-existent minimum wage may bring".

But the real opinion that mattered was the American people's opinion and most polls conducted showed anywhere from a 51% to 70% approval rating and held a moderately positive to positive view from the American public.

With this he enacted it and come July of 1923, businesses would not be forced to pay such a wage. Then came the new year and then came the next year and another year of his administration. And this year with the inauguration of a new democratic senate on March 4th, would be more favorable to Glass. He would be most pleased by this and after the winter break was over in February tried for the last time to deal with the more difficult 67th congress. In early February he proposed the "Federalist Revisionary act" which would be a revisionary act to the 10th amendment reinforcing a federal mandate for the principles of federalism and the rights of individual states and this was as a response to the increasingly powerful federal government seen until recently. The bill was strongly supported by prominent figures Harry F. Byrd (a close Glass friend) and most Southern Democrats strongly.

As a reminder to his and the democratic party's southern roots, he called upon every Democrat and Republican to support the right of each state to govern independent and called upon democrats to join the bill "As Jackson and Cleveland would", alluding to the fact that the founder of the party and last Democratic present supported state's rights. The bill entered the congress by Democratic senator from Louisiana Joseph E. Ransdell as H.R. 1892 on February 8th and would be voted on February 10th in the House.

The vote came in by 5PM and the results were clear. 309 for while 123 were against and 3 abstained the vote. By clear it wasn't necessary about the vote outcome itself but by the way each party voted. All but 19 democrats (Mostly from the Liberal side of the party) supported it while around 69% of the Republican Party and all remaining Socialist house members supported it. But these weren't enough and the bill easily passed the house.

Then came the less favorable House where it was filibustered by Republican senators successfully and they successfully put up a vote to block it from being voting on which with a 51-45 vote split was successful. The vote was stalled until the new Senate arrived. On March 4th that day came and the new Democratic Speaker Joseph Taylor Robinson was put into the majority speaker position. And they finally got the bill back to a vote on March 9th. After voting it became a 49-47 vote for the Democrats and it passed the Senate with all Republicans and Socialists opposed. The president signed it as one of his first bills with the new congress on March 11th and it became US Law on November 19th.

This was despised by many Northern liberals and to many as just a ploy for Southern Racists and the polling that some ensued showed that it wasn't as popular as his other bills. The New York Times held the bill at 53% while the New York Tribune showed the bill at 48% while the Washington Post showed the bill at 44% with 54% disapproving. But this was to be expected from such a bill proposed by Southern Democrats.

To follow this bill up with something more positive and popular and boost up his approval ratings he supported a republican lead bill to give Indian's citizenship to boost bipartisanship. Labeled the "Indian Voting Rights Act" and started by northern Republicans would give Native Americans official voting rights as they would official become American Citizens unlike previous decades. The issue was first started by Theodore Roosevelt who held dozens of dinners with Native American leaders and proposed a voting rights act to Native Americans in 1918 but died and Johnson never decided to act on it. The bill was already being discussed in the House and was voted on May 27th to a 293 yes-140 no with 2 abstaining vote and went to the Senate where it passed easily with a 60 yes - 36 no vote with none abstaining and was voted into law on July 1st and became law on November of 1924 and the 1924 would be the first election they could legally vote in the United States.

The bill of course was widely popular and especially among Native Americans and Glass held two dinners in June with Cherokee leaders who agreed and heavily approved of the bill. The White European public also liked it and the bill enjoyed a 73% rating universally. Next in July came the "Federal Reserve Banking Act of 1923" which would split up the Federal Reserve (Circa. 1913) which was originally located in just one Washington DC location in 10 different Banks in major city's to split up the power between different regions of the nation and to enact his vision of "decentralized centralized banking".

The bill also ended Government control over the reserve and allowed for the reserve to govern itself and operate independently from the federal government but free of wall street domination as quoted by the bill. This was a major turn around from the previous reserve which was under Theodore Roosevelt who established the agency as merely a extension of the government and purpose as explained by the bill itself "it would function as the reserve system and currency supply operated by federal authority to better protect the citizens from the money trusts and would destroy the existing concentration of credit resources in Wall Street". However this new bill would make it independent of the government and able to operate itself.

When it reached the House on July 17th it was discussed. It became a bill of major dispute as Progressives and most Republicans immediately opposed it along with many Progressive Democrats. Many of then formed and supported the "Seger Plan" which was a counter to the bill and allowed for a independent reserve and for there to be 10 reserves but it called for heavy government regulation over there actions and a federal yearly check on the behaviors of the reserve and if negligent which return full power to the government.

The Socialists in the House formed there own plan to abolish the reserve all together in favor of a new government regulated monetary supply system to remove corruption all together however it received little traction, minus a few senators, outside of the socialist senators themselves and was known as the Berger plan. These three plans, the regular bill, the Seger Plan, and the Berger Plan, went up against each other in Mid October after months of arguing. 265 for the bill while 153 opposed the bill and 17 opposing and passed the house. In the senate meanwhile it was debate more and the closer congressional control there meant for a closer result.

The senate though held less of a Progressive influence then the House so the main opposition came from a moderate standpoint calling the bill unreasonable to work without the influence of Wall Street calling for a maintenance of the bill though moderated for the democratic congress. The bill was voted 2 days after it was voted in the House and was voted on and finished by 9PM. 51 for while 45 were against. All but 1 democrat supported the bill while all but 2 republicans opposed the bill while all Socialists opposed it.

October and November brought a slew of more small bills and local legislation of which the most significant was a bill which authorized troops to the US border to guard against Mexican cartels and would be the first form of US protection against the southern border and would evolve into more complex legislation and bureaus. But the peak of the year was over and next year would not be influenced by legislation like the previous 2 but by election season as 1924 brought a new election to the United States.