1908 Republican National Convention

1908 Republican National Convention
1908 presidential election;
	Nominees ; Taft and Sherman
Convention
Date(s)	June 16–19, 1908
City	Chicago, Illinois
Venue	Chicago Coliseum
Chair	Henry C. Lodge
Candidates
Presidential nominee	William H. Taft of Ohio
Vice presidential nominee	James S. Sherman of New York
Voting
Total delegates	980
Votes needed for nomination	491
Results (president)	Taft (OH): 702 (71.63%); Knox (PA): 68 (6.94%); Hughes (NY): 67 (6.84%); Cannon (IL): 58 (5.92%); Fairbanks (IN): 40 (4.08%); La Follette (WI): 25 (2.55%); Foraker (OH): 16 (1.63%); Roosevelt (NY): 3 (0.31%); Abstaining: 1 (0.10%)
Ballots	1
	‹ 1904 · 1912 ›

The 1908 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago Coliseum, Chicago, Illinois on June 16 to June 19, 1908. It convened to nominate successors to President Theodore Roosevelt and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks.

U.S. Secretary of War William H. Taft of Ohio won Roosevelt's endorsement and received the presidential nomination. The convention nominated New York Representative James S. Sherman to be his vice presidential running mate.

The Platform

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 1908 Republican National Convention in session at Chicago Coliseum.

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.

June 16

Prayer by Rt. Rev. P.J. Muldoon V.G.
Julius C. Burrows, Michigan Senator

June 17

Prayer by Rev. William Otis Waters
Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusetts Senator

June 18

Prayer by Rev. Dr. John Wesley Hill
George Henry Williams, Former Attorney General
Henry Sherman Boutell of Illinois, Lawyer and diplomat
Joseph W. Fordney, Congressman of Michigan
Frank Hanly, Governor of Indiana
Charles A. Bookwalter, Mayor of Indianapolis
Stewart L. Woodford, Former Congressman and Judge of New York
Theodore E. Burton, Congressman of Ohio
George A. Knight, Attorney and Businessman
C.B. M'Coy, Ohio Factory Owner
W.O. Emory, Young Black Delegate from Macon, Georgia
Robert S. Murphy, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
James Scarlet, Prominent Attorney from Danville, Pennsylvania
Henry F. Cochems, Wisconsin Football Star
Charles A.A. McGee, Author of "The Truth About Money" from Wisconsin

June 19

Prayer by Rabbi Tobias Schanfarber
Timothy L. Woodruff, Businessman and Former Politician
Joseph Gurney Cannon, Speaker of the House
Augustus E. Willson, Governor of Kentucky
Henry Cabot Lodge (again)
Chase Osborn of Michigan
James Brownlow Yellowley, Mississippi State Legislator
Thomas N. McCarter, Former Attorney General of New Jersey and public servant
William Warner, Senator from Missouri
Julius C. Burrows of Michigan

Presidential nomination

Presidential candidates

War Secretary
William Howard Taft
of Ohio
Senator
Philander C. Knox
of Pennsylvania
Governor
Charles E. Hughes
of New York
Speaker
Joseph G. Cannon
of Illinois
Vice President
Charles W. Fairbanks
of Indiana
Senator
Robert M. La Follette
of Wisconsin
Senator
Joseph B. Foraker
of Ohio
Former
Treasury Secretary
L. M. Shaw
of Iowa
(Not Nominated)

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]

Withdrew Before Convention

Treasury Secretary
George B. Cortelyou
of New York

Declined to Seek Nomination

State Secretary
Elihu Root
of New York
President
Theodore Roosevelt
of New York

Presidential Balloting
Candidate	1st	Unanimous
Taft	702	980
Knox	68
Hughes	67
Cannon	58
Fairbanks	40
La Follette	25
Foraker	16
Roosevelt	3
Not Voting	1

Presidential Balloting / 3rd Day of Convention (June 18, 1908)

1st Presidential Ballot

Vice Presidential nomination

Vice Presidential candidates

Representative
James S. Sherman
of New York
Former Governor Franklin Murphy
of New Jersey
Governor
Curtis Guild, Jr.
of Massachusetts
Governor
George L. Sheldon
of Nebraska
(Not Nominated)

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]

Declined to Seek Nomination

Senator
Albert J. Beveridge
of Indiana
Governor
Albert B. Cummins
of Iowa
Senator
Jonathan P. Dolliver
of Iowa
Attorney General
Herbert S. Hadley
of Missouri
Governor
Charles E. Hughes
of New York

Vice Presidential Balloting
Candidate	1st	Unanimous
Sherman	816	980
Murphy	77
Guild	75
Sheldon	10
Fairbanks	1
Not Voting	1

Vice Presidential Balloting / 4th Day of Convention (June 19, 1908)

1st
Vice Presidential Ballot

References

^ "Charles Warren Fairbanks, 26th Vice President (1905–1909)". US Senate. US Senate. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c "James S. Sherman, 27th Vice President (1909–1912)". US Senate. US Senate. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
^ "Convention on, Taft Controls". New York Times. 17 June 1908. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
^ "Taft Named; First Ballot". New York Times. 19 June 1908. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
^ Curtis, Charles. In His Own Words. Kansas State Historical Archives.
^ ^a ^b Tweedy, John (1910). A History of the Republican National Conventions from 1856 to 1908. Republican National Convention. pp. 389–390. Retrieved 8 October 2015.