The 1912 Crucial Election

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The year 1912 brought one of the most important presidential elections in United States history. Four nominees confronted one another during this election: Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson, Progressive leader Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, Republican William Howard Taft, and Socialist Eugene Debs. This election also proved to be crucial as it brought forth new considerable and “substantive” discussions concerning the Union and its future. These issues included, whether government should expand democracy, apply more control over businesses, and how solve the labor conflict, among others. Each of the four major presidential candidates took a position on these issues, either choosing to support or oppose such changes. The presidential election of 1912 involved aggressive and “violent” politics. In fact, these candidates offered choices which would be “unimagined in today’s political world.”

As a voter in 1912, the most important issue by far to me would have been the “labor question.” This issue concerned what to do with the problems of America’s industrial workers. At this time in America, conditions for the individual worker were horrific. Many employees had little or no protection and were often taken advantage of by their employers. However, working conditions were not the only thing the laborers sought to fix. They also sought for higher/better wages, shortened working hours and regulation of women and child labor. In the fight to obtain their worker’s rights, many employees often joined labor unions. However, the involvement of unions often brought violence into the industry. The strikes also caused many workers to lose their jobs. Employers would easily fire their workers because of misconduct or injury as factory jobs ...

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...ion.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/labor_problem/default.cfm.

“Parties and Direct Democracy.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/direct_democracy/PartiesDirectDemcracy.cfm

“Progressive Party.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/1912documents/progress.cfm.

“Progressives.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/labor_problem/progress.cfm.

“Republicans.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/labor_problem/RepublicansLabor.cfm.

“Socialist Party Platform.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/1912documents/socialis.cfm

“Socialists.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/labor_problem/socialis.cfm.

Theodore Roosevelt.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/candidates/RooseveltBio.cfm.

“Unions.” Online at http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/1912/labor_problem/unions.cfm.

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