Roosevelt and Harding

The US Presidential Elections of 1912 and 1920

On November 2, 1912 the New York Times ran the article, “Roosevelt Cheers Go On,” that reported on the Progressive Party’s rally at Madison Square Garden the night before. According to the article, presidential candidate Colonel Theodore Roosevelt received a cheer that lasted for 54 minutes before he raised his hand to stop it. This thunderous ovation came even though the crowd had been told not to try to outdo the cheer that presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson had received the night before. On November 1, 1920, the New York Times ran the article, “Harding Declares Paris League Dead,” which reported on Republican presidential candidate Warren Harding’s final public statement before the election. Speaking from his home in Marion, Ohio, Harding stated that the election rested on two issues, the League of Nations and a “constructive domestic policy.”