Who Ran Things in Washington
Senate - Republican “Big Four”
Nelson Aldrich - Rhode Island. Known as the General Manager of the Nation. He was a pivotal member of the Senate Finance Committee dominating tariff and monetary policy in the first decade of the 20th Century.
The Aldrich Plan strongly influenced the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 That established the Federal Reserve System. He also sponsored the 16th Amendment that allowed for a direct Federal Income Tax.
He was deeply committed to the efficiency model of the Progressive Era. He believed that his financial and trade policies would lead to greater efficiency.
Reformers, however, denounced him as representative of the evils of big business.
His daughter Abigail “Abby” Aldrich was a philanthropist who married American financer and philanthropist John Rockefeller the only son of John D. Rockefeller. Their 2nd son Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller who became Governor of New York and Vice President under Ford.
Orville H. Platt - Connecticut. Known as a reaction by labor because he voted against the Asher man Anti-Trust Act, the Eight-Hour Labor Act, and the Anti-Injunction Bill. Platt Park in Oklahoma (since 1976 part of the Chickasaw National Recreational Area) was named for Orville Platt.
William B. Allison - Iowa. It was said Allison was the sage old pilot of the Senate. No man knew more about how the Senate works. From 1881–93 and again from 1895 to 1908, he was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee where he had great influence
and continued to serve there until his death in 1908. For 30 years he sat on the Senate Finance Committee.
John Coit Spooner - Wisconsin. He is credited with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 that enabled the government to prosecute Standard Oil. He was the author of the Spooner Act which gave Roosevelt the authority to purchase the Panama Canal Zone.
Spooner and fellow Wisconsin Senator, Robert La Follett were bitter rivals. Spooner disagreed with La Follett’s progressive policies, which were opposed to his conservative own policies.
Congress - Joe Cannon
Joe Cannon was Speaker of the House and Head of the Rules Committee when TR was president. Cannon wielded power that today would seem unimaginable. He was tough, shrewd and the first person on the cover of Time Magazine. He was a good cusser. He knew his way around profanity and for TR he was a terrible stumbling block. His nickname was “not one cent for scenery Cannon.” At a time when the country wanted change, he did not. He would say, "Everything is alright out west. The country doesn’t need any legislation.” When a bill came before him to add the word “Birds” to the Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Cannon refused saying he didn’t like adding new words. He deemed it unacceptable and so it was.
Robert Marion Lafollette (Fighting Bob) from Wisconsin - Founder of the Progressive Movement. Lafollette enjoyed giving speeches sometimes speaking 15 hours in a day. His delivery was in the old Shakespearian style popular before radio. He was loud and demonstrative. He was part of the Madison Movement that included a progressive tax plan and workers compensation. Runs for President in 1924 against Coolidge and Democratic candidate Davis.