American Conservatism, 1900-1930: A Reader

by Joseph Postell (Editor), Johnathan O'Neill (Editor)

Overview

This book presents the most significant speeches and writings of American constitutional conservatives during the period 1900-1930. Figures such as William Howard Taft, Calvin Coolidge, Elihu Root, Warren Harding, and David Jayne Hill present the alternative arguments that challenged the leading Progressive views of the period. Issues such as natural rights, civil rights, economic regulation, federalism, executive power, political parties, and foreign policy are addressed in these primary sources, many of which are reproduced for the first time. The readings in this book are relevant not only for understanding the political issues of the Progressive Era, but also for understanding the foundations of contemporary American conservatism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498533911
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	10/04/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	322
File size:	523 KB

About the Author

Joseph Postell is associate professor of political science at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Johnathan O’Neill is professor of history at Georgia Southern University

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Foundations of Constitutional Conservatism

1.From Experiments in Government and the Essentials of the Constitution: Elihu Root

2.Human Nature in the Constitution: David Jayne Hill

3.Our Charter of Law and Liberty: David Jayne Hill

4.The Inspiration of the Declaration: Calvin Coolidge

Chapter Two: Tradition, Culture, Civilization, and Progress

5.The Supports of Civilization: Calvin Coolidge

6.Education: The Cornerstone of Self-Government: Calvin Coolidge

7.Principle or Expedient?: George Sutherland

8.The New American Revolution: Nicholas Murray Butler

Chapter Three: Natural Rights and Human Nature

9.The Progress of a People: Calvin Coolidge

10. Address at the Celebration of the Semicentennial of the City of Birmingham, Alabama: Warren Harding

11.The Revolt of the Unfit: Some Reflections on the Doctrine of Evolution : Nicholas Murray Butler

12.Comments on Herbert Spencer’s “The Great Political Superstition”:

Nicholas Murray Butler

13.Commentary on Herbert Spencer’s “The Duty of the State”: William Howard Taft

Chapter Four: Federalism and Economic Regulation

14.How to Preserve the Self-Government of the States: Elihu Root

15.Government and Business: Calvin Coolidge

16.The Reign of Law: Calvin Coolidge

17.Social Justice: Warren Harding

18.The Problems of Business: Warren Harding

19.The Constructive Side of Government: Campaign Speech in St. Louis, November 2, 1928: Herbert Hoover

20.From Our Wonderland of Bureaucracy: James M. Beck

Chapter Five: Constitutionalism, Executive Power, and the Threat of Bureaucratic Government

21.The Constitution and Its Makers: Henry Cabot Lodge

22.The Limitations of the Law: Calvin Coolidge

23.From Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers: William Howard Taft

24.From The People’s Government: David Jayne Hill

25.The Changed Conception of the Constitution: James M. Beck

26.President Gains Power in Old Congress Fight: James M. Beck

Chapter Six: Congress, Political Parties, and Constitutional Government

27.The Role of Parties in Congress: Speeches from the Revolt of 1910: Jacob Sloat Fassett and Joseph Cannon

28.Address of the Temporary Chairman, 1912 Republican National Convention:

Elihu Root

29.From Liberty Under Law: An Interpretation of the Principles of our Constitutional Government: William Howard Taft

30.Party Loyalty and the Presidency: Calvin Coolidge

31.Political Parties: Calvin Coolidge

Chapter Seven: Foreign Policy

32.Fraternity: Warren Harding

33.Towards Making Peace Permanent: 1912 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture: Elihu Root

34.Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Nations and Opening Address by Elihu Root

Elihu Root and the American Society of International Law

35.The Proposed Convention for a League of Nations: Elihu Root

36.The Nations and the Law: David Jayne Hill

37.A Constructive Plan for Human Betterment: William Howard Taft

Editorial Reviews

With familiar notions of political ‘conservatism’ now coming apart at the seams, it is a good time to think about those who laid much of the groundwork for it a century ago. Who better than Professors O’Neill and Postell to re-introduce us to those men and their ideas?

Adam J. White

A collection of marvels, most of them forgotten, all of them neglected, but each shedding light on the origins and challenges of modern American politics. Joseph Postell and Johnathan O’Neill have assembled an anthology of contemporaneous conservative responses to, and dissents from, the Progressive movement, the first wave of modern American liberalism. Their volume will be indispensable to a fair and more complete account of 20th century American history, which for generations has been told as the story of liberalism’s timely rise, inevitable triumph, and curious decline or, at least, frustration. This volume fills in a missing chapter of the story of 20th century conservatism, too, allowing readers to discover for themselves the pre-New Deal roots of the opposition to modern liberalism, to evaluate for themselves both the older conservatism’s fidelity to founding principles, and its relevance for the ongoing reinterpretation of American conservatism in the 21st century.

Charles Kesler