Roosevelt example essay topic

The Square Deal: Social Reform to Avoid Disaster Sean DoyelPolitical Science 210 Professor Ware May 5, 2005 America at the turn of the century was a very different place than it is today. The industrial revolution had set into motion a series of events that empowered and enriched some and nearly enslaved others. Theodore Roosevelt's "Square Deal" was a necessary response to growing social unrest. A severely unequal distribution of wealth along with poor living and working conditions were leading workers and capitalists to increasingly extreme means. By enacting a large body of legislation intended to set right the wrongs in society and using whatever force necessary, Roosevelt avoided what could have been a popular revolution of the working class. The purpose of this essay is to develop a better understanding of Roosevelt's "Square Deal".

An examination of historical events will provide a clear picture of the outlook in America during the time of Roosevelt's presidency that led to the necessity of the legislation and presidential actions that characterized Progressive Party politics. Roosevelt's response was nothing short of precisely what was necessary to remedy the social unrest that was overtaking the working people of America. As is the case with any major public policy, the "Square Deal" had its roots in beliefs set forth in the United States Constitution and the basic tenets of Democracy. Without support, large scale changes to the system go down in history as simply another idealistic effort. Roosevelt believed in his ideas and had a way of pushing policies through that resulted in sweeping changes that avoided catastrophe. Every conscious of the possibility of revolution, Roosevelt sought to avoid it by any means necessary.

Beginning in the 1800's, the face of America was changing. As the Industrial Revolution took a firm hold here and around the world, the everyday life of common Americans was affected in almost unimaginable ways. Between 1885 and 1945, a sweeping change was taking place throughout the world. Large scale mechanization as well as new modern modes of transportation and communication changed the way people looked at the world (Rowland, 1997, p. 14). As thousands of new jobs were created, a large scale urban migration began.

People were leaving the farms in large numbers and moving to cities to work in factories. In the United States, the steel, oil, and railroad industries and the jobs they created were the driving forces behind people leaving the farms (Wattenberg, 1998, p. 32). Though these industries were feeding unprecedented economic growth, only the privileged were seeing the benefit. Common people were living and working in abhorrent conditions and discontent began almost immediately. Overcrowding and political corruption were also serious issues.

The press was all too quick to point out social problems and served to bring many issues into public consciousness. Known as "muckrakers", journalists like Lincoln Steffens and Upton Sinclair pointed out dirty politics, unsanitary handling of food food, and dangerous working conditions. Political cartoons, too, were immensely popular and often satirized common social problems. "By 1900, the transformation of the American economy from agricultural to industrial was in full swing, as the nation of farmers and artisans was giving way tot hat of factory workers and manufacturing giants" (Wattenberg, 1998, p. 32). Coinciding with this transformation, an atmosphere conducive to entrepreneurship allowed single families to dominate individual industries, giving rise to the so-called "trusts".

As icons in American business, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and Cornelius Vanderbilt were perceived as the enemy of the working class. Bertrand Russell, a well known British philosopher said in a interview with Life Magazine, "God made the world in 4004 BC, but it was reorganized by James H. Hill, J. Pierpont Morgan and John D. Rockefeller" (Wattenberg, 1998, p. 32). Laissez Faire economics, held by the government and those in power as the only way for a capitalistic society to operate, contributed to the development of huge inequalities in the distribution of wealth. Literally "let go and let pass", laissez fair theory is defined as the theory that the state should not intervene in economic affairs (Laissez Faire). Lack of business regulation by the government led to undesirable and unethical business practices that were obvious to working people. If the picture painted is a bleak one, it is meant to be.

This is the America which Theodore Roosevelt inherited when he became President after McKinley's assassination. A keen observer, Roosevelt realized that something had to be done immediately to curb the popular feeling of inadequate government and a social structure that ignored the common worker. "Perhaps more than any of his predecessors, Theodore Roosevelt believed in an activist government working to effect social change. From his advocacy of a shorter work day to his enforcement of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Roosevelt embraced social reform as the powerful tool of progress" (Wattenberg, 1998, p. 32). Eugene Debs and his Socialist Workers Party were gaining popularity because they presented appealing options to the American workers in the face of inequalities and atrocities that could no longer be ignored. After McKinley's assassination by an anarchist, Roosevelt saw that world events made widespread changes an absolute necessity.

Keenly, he understood that the working people of this country were the backbone and the glue holding things together. "No hard and fast rule can be laid down as to the way in which such [reform] must be done, but most certainly every man, whatever his position, should strive to do it in some way and to some degree", Roosevelt said of changes that must take place (Wattenberg, 1998, p. 32). Roosevelt realized probably more than anyone else what drastic changes must be made in order to calm the tempers of the people and prevent full scale revolution. He began immediately enacting legislation aimed at fixing the wrongs of society perceived by the people. The main body of legislation consisted of the Elkins Act, the Hepburn Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, and the Meat Inspection Act. Perhaps the most important legislation in relation to the Square Deal was not of Roosevelt's doing at all.

By finally successfully applying the Sherman Anti-Trust act, Roosevelt began the transformation. "The labor unions shall have a square deal, and the corporations shall have a square deal", said Roosevelt (E). As an example of how popular sentiment played out in actual historical events, the Great Coal Strike of 1902 works well. In early September of 1902, the coal miners of Pennsylvania went on strike. Nearly every facet of life was affected in some way or another by coal, from the heating of homes to the fuel for transportation to the manufacturing equipment in the factories.

After a cursory attempt at reconciliation, the mine operators and the miners came to a stalemate. Roosevelt called a meeting between the sides and persuaded the miners and operators to agree to the appointment of an arbitration commission, which eventually reached an agreement acceptable to all. The importance of this resolution cannot be overemphasized. Legally, Roosevelt had no authority to force the arbitration. Calling upon his standard "big stick diplomacy", however, Roosevelt superseded the law and took the necessary action. This event left behind the widespread realization for the first time that "three or four great industries essential to the welfare and even to the life itself of the Nation, was in the hands of men who preferred their selfish interests to those of the Nation...

It taught that the people of the states and of the Nation could not go on forever without taking steps to put an end o the already dangerous hostility between Capital and Labor, and that end must be the establishment of justice for all" (E). The stage was now set for Roosevelt and his "Square Deal". The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed in 1890 with the intention of prohibiting monopolies. Based on the constitutional power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce, the act "declared illegal every contract, combination (in the form of trust or otherwise), or conspiracy in restraint of interstate and foreign trade" (Sherman Antitrust Act, web).

From the time it was passed until about 1904, there was little effect on big business and capital. Chief on the list of offenders were the usual suspects: steel, oil, and the railroads. With the Great Coal Strike of 1902 fresh in mind, Roosevelt set about to give the Sherman Anti-Trust act more power in dealing with the huge "trusts" that were having such a negative effect on the economy and the morale of the working class. At his urging, the Supreme Court upheld the power of the government in 1904 and forced the dissolution of the Northern Securities Company. As a target, Northern Securities was significant. Among others, J.P. Morgan and J.D. Rockefeller were major player in the company that controlled the Northern Pacific Railway, the Union Pacific, the Burlington line, and other (Sherman Antitrust Act, web).

Since much animosity existed toward both of these financiers and the railroads in general, the move was symbolic. The working class now realized that Roosevelt was making important decisions with far reaching consequences. A legal precedent was set that extends even today. Having begun his leveling of the playing field, Roosevelt now sought to strengthen the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which he saw to provide insufficient protection of the interest of those dependent upon the railroads. In 1903, the Elkins Act was introduced to end the system of railroads granting rebates to their most valuable customers.

At the time, the immense power of big oil and livestock companies allowed them to negotiate huge rebates on the rates they paid for shipping, driving their costs significantly lower than farmers and other small operators (Interstate Commerce Act, web). The President furthered his idea of a square deal for all since the railroad companies certainly disliked being extorted by the trusts. The Elkins Act required rates be published and that violations would result in prosecution of both the shipper and the railroad. When, in 1906, Roosevelt realized that enforcement of the Elkins Act was more difficult than anticipated, he supported the Hepburn Act to strengthen existing regulations. Oversight was improved by an increase in the size of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) from five to seven members. Additionally, the ICC was given the power to set maximum shipping rates and to restrict the use of free passes.

Other common carriers such as terminals storage facilities, pipelines, and ferries were brought under the oversight of the ICC (Interstate Commerce Act, web). Finally, the Elkins Act required all railroad carriers to adopt uniform accounting practices and placed the burden of proof on the shipper rather than the government. Upon implementation, these new regulations radically improved enforcement and oversight. The intention behind the "Square Deal" was to address social concerns in all area of commerce. In keeping with this ideal, Roosevelt wholeheartedly supported the Pure Food and Drug Act introduced by Dr. Harvey Wiley of the Bureau of Chemistry in the Department of Agriculture. A response to distressing circumstances brought to public attention in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, the Pure Food and Drug Act was intended to regulate the industry.

Proper and honest labeling of foods and medicines was the key idea, and the act made illegal any foreign or interstate commerce in "adulterated or fraudulently labeled food and drugs" (Pure Food and Drug Act, web). The law allowed seizure by the authorities of products and prosecution of offenders. The meat inspection act of 1904 was a precursor with no less important implications, requiring thorough inspection and certification of meat for consumers. The previous examples provide a general overview of a much broader range of legislation included in the "Square Deal". With each new law passed and act put into place, Roosevelt moved away from the dangerous social unrest and toward a government seen as working with and for the people rather than protecting only the interests of big business. He was breaking new ground and setting precedents that would carry weight far into the future.

Certainly, Roosevelt saw it as his constitutional duty to protect not only the people of the United States, but also democracy and the whole system of government which the U.S. had built. Instinctively and by observation, he became aware that the entire system was being threatened by the social injustices being committed against the American people. Exercising both the explicit and implicit powers vested in him by the Constitution as tools, Roosevelt solved the problems his saw. Using his explicit powers, he signed into law the sweeping changes presented to him by Congress and supported their implementation and enforcement. To many observers, however, it was his exercise of powers implicitly given to him by the Constitution that made the most significant impression.

In 2002, U.S. News and World Report said of Roosevelt, "He was the first president to take office in the twentieth century, and in many ways he created the twentieth century presidency. It was TR who referred to the office as a 'bully pulpit,' who promised American workers and American businessmen a 'square deal,' who said one should 'speak softly and carry a big stick' (Barone, 2002, p. 52). This commentary summarizes well the way in which Roosevelt took whatever steps necessary in order to achieve the desired result. During the Great Coal Strike mentioned earlier, Roosevelt exercised executive prerogative in assuming, extra-legally, the power to resolve the issue. Nowhere in the list of executive powers is set forth that the president may intervene in labor issues, but he observed a pressing need. The precedent he set in doing this is deemed dangerous by some constitutional observers, but was nonetheless effective and efficient.

The Square Deal embodies the idea of equal right protection in the U.S. Constitution. Roosevelt easily could have taken either the side of labor or the side of business, but he realized the danger in this. It is imperative when studying historical events such as the Square Deal to evaluate the effectiveness of the solution in addition to the cause of the problem. Roosevelt's policies not only set about to change social wrongs, but they also set precedents for the future. Realizing that the best result would be the most far-reaching solution for the largest number of people, Roosevelt gave the utmost care to providing solutions to problems that were fair and just for all. Many people miss the true importance of the Square Deal as well as its far-reaching consequences.

Because of the Industrial Revolution, tensions between Labor and Capital were coming to a head. Evidenced in so many Eastern European countries, revolution is often the result of mishandling of dispute or misinterpretation of the true cause of social unrest. Roosevelt's foresight combined with the democratic spirit of the American people allowed the result to be one that strengthened democracy and provided for the continuation and of the capitalist system already in place.

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