The Republican platform celebrated the Roosevelt administration's economic policies such as the keeping of the protective tariff, establishment of a permanent currency system (the Federal Reserve), additional government supervision and control over trusts. It championed enforcement of railroad rate laws, giving the Interstate Commerce Commission authority to investigate interstate railroads, and reduction of work hours for railroad workers, as well as general reduction in the work week.
In foreign policy, it supported a buildup of the armed forces, protection of American citizens abroad, extension of foreign commerce, vigorous arbitration and the Hague treaties, a revival of the U.S. Merchant Marine, support of war veterans, self-government for Cuba and the Philippines with citizenship for residents of Puerto Rico.
In other areas, it advocated court reform, creation of a federal Bureau of Mines and Mining, extension of rural mail delivery, environmental conservation, upholding of the rights of African-Americans and the civil service, and greater efficiency in national public health agencies.
The platform lastly expressed pride in U.S. involvement in the building of the Panama Canal, the admission of the New Mexico and Arizona Territories; called for the celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln; and generally deplored the Democratic Party while celebrating the policies of the Republicans. The platform explained the differences between democracy and republicanism in which the Republicans made clear that democracy was leaning towards socialism and republicanism towards individualism.
Speakers
The following individuals spoke at the 1908 Republican National Convention. Many spoke with the goal of nominating a specific nominee as this was before the age of the primary and the nominees were all decided at the convention.
Prior to the convention, Vice President Charles Fairbanks and New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes both seemed like plausible nominees, but Roosevelt was determined to pick his own successor.[1] Though Roosevelt preferred Secretary of State Elihu Root, Root's age and background in corporate law made him an unpalatable nominee, so Roosevelt instead supported Secretary of War William Howard Taft.[2] Entering the convention, Taft, buoyed by the support of the popular Roosevelt, was virtually assured of the nomination.[3] Taft won the presidential nomination on the first ballot, overcoming Fairbanks and the other favorite son candidates.[4]
Taft preferred a progressive running mate such as Indiana Senator Albert Beveridge or Iowa Senator Jonathan Dolliver, but Representative James S. Sherman of New York had the support of Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon and the New York delegation,[2] as well as western support from Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas.[5] Sherman was a fairly conservative Republican who was nonetheless acceptable to the more progressive wing of the party.[2] Sherman won the vice presidential nomination on the first ballot, taking 816 of the 979 votes cast.[6] Former New Jersey Governor Franklin Murphy received 77 votes while Massachusetts Governor Curtis Guild, Jr. received 75 votes, with the remaining votes going to Governor George L. Sheldon of Nebraska and Vice President Charles Fairbanks.[6]
1908 1908 in film List of elections in 1908 1908 Summer Olympics 1908 Dartmouth football team 1908 VFL season Boldklubben 1908 1908 TCU football team Bayard 1908 1908 U.S. Open (golf) 1908 VPI football team US Savoia 1908 1908 Tennessee Volunteers football team 1908 Arizona football team 1908 Detroit Tigers season 1908 Denver Ministers football team 1908 Svenska Mästerskapet 1908 Florida football team 1908 United States gubernatorial elections 1908 Geneva Covenanters football team 1908 Baylor football team 1908 Washington football team 1908 University of Utah football team 1908–09 Scottish …
Cup 1908 Australasian Championships 1908 USC Methodists football team 1908 Atlantic hurricane season 1908 Svenska Mästerskapet final 1908 State of the Union Address Tritium Calcio 1908 1908 Sewanee Tigers football team 1908 Arkansas Razorbacks football team 1908 Vanderbilt Commodores football team 1908 Carlisle Indians football team 1908 Montana football team 1908 New York to Paris Race 1908 Penn Quakers football team Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympics 1908 Texas Longhorns football team 1908 Australasian Championships – Singles 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain 1908 Oregon Webfoots football team 1908 Liverpool City Council election 1908 College Football All-America Team 1908 Chattanooga Moccasins football team 1908–09 Swiss Serie A 1908 Rutgers Queensmen football team 1908 Georgia Bulldogs football team 1908 Chicago Maroons football team 1908 Mercer Baptists football team 1908 NSWRFL season 1908 Hong Kong typhoon 1908 in the United States 1908 Tulane Olive and Blue football team 1908 Kansas Jayhawks football team 1908 United States House of Representatives elections 1908 Vermont Green and Gold football team 1908 Clemson Tigers football team 1908 Canadian federal