When William Jennings Bryan returned from his trip abroad, Bryan began his next presidential campaign. At Madison Square Garden, Bryan proposed that railroads be publically owned and dually operated by federal and state government. However, many expressed their worries of his proposal due to concerns about socialism and race problems, so Bryan retreated from his proposal in accordance to majority opinion. Roosevelt decided not to run for reelection and chose William Howard Taft as his successor. Bryan took the Democratic Party nomination first at the Denver Convention with John Kern also on the ticket. Due to Roosevelt's rhetorical presidency and the small difference between the Republican and Democratic platforms, Bryan tried to find reform proposals that would be unlikely for Taft to also support. Bryan decided to support the American labor movement, creating an alliance with Samuel Gompers ans the American Federation of Labor. In this campaign, Bryan tried to appear less radical than previous elections by saying he supported reformation not revolution. Opponents of his campaign used his alliance with the AFL against him, by claiming that Samuel Gompers was telling the organization what to do and who to vote for. W.E.B. Du Bois and the Niagara movement's turn away from Taft provided an opportunity for votes from African American voters, but Bryan decided to reassert his racist view and support of Jim Crow instead. Bryan believed he had a good chance at winning this election because the Democratic Party was more united, but he was disappointed when he yet again lost to Taft. When he asked his supporters why the Mystery of 1908 happened, some suggested the idea that it was due to corporate corruption and others blamed the Catholics.
Key Terms
The Leader by Mary Dillon
National Farmers Union
American Federation of Labor
Samuel Gompers
William Howard Taft
W.E.B. Du Bois
Niagara movement
American Protective Association
Questions
How did Bryan's campaign in 1908 compare to the ones in 1896 and 1900?
Does Bryan's racism agree or disagree with Bryan's beliefs of Social Gospel and progressivism? Why does he ignore the colored issue?
Why did Bryan give up his railroad proposal so easily when he was known for staying true to his beliefs?
How does Mary Dillon's The Leader reflect Bryan's reputation?
American presidential election, 1908, Map, from Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, accessed March 10, 2015, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/67678/Results-of-the-American-presidential-election-1908-Presidential-Candidate-Political
Kazin, Michael. "The Ordeal of Reform." In A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan, 142-168, New York, NY: Anchor Books, 2006.
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