[3] Johnson's rags-to-riches story, honesty, reformist credentials, and ability to win in a heavily Republican U.S. state made him popular within the Democratic Party.

[3] For Bryan's vice presidential running mate the convention delegates selected John W. Kern, a former state senator (1893–1897) and two-time gubernatorial candidate (and later U.S.

"[3] In addition, the Democrats condemned the "arbitrary power" of the Republican U.S. House Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon (of Illinois) as well as the use of patronage by President Roosevelt to nominate "one of his Cabinet officers" (Taft) as his successor.

[3] The platform reiterated the party's longstanding support of tariff reform and welcomed Republicans' "tardy recognition of the righteousness of the Democratic position".

[3] Labeling private monopoly "indefensible and intolerable," the trusts plank advocated three laws: banning directors from sitting on the board of more than one competing business, federal licensing of any corporation before it could control 25% of a market and prohibiting control of over 50% market-share of an American-consumed product, and requiring corporations to sell to all purchasers on the same terms (except for transportation costs).

[3] The Democratic platform nevertheless advocated regulatory authority for the Interstate Commerce Commission, emergency currency "issued and controlled by the Federal Government," and an income tax on individuals and corporations.

[5] Late in the campaign, Bryan was hurt by his ties with Democratic National Committee treasurer and Oklahoma Governor Charles Haskell.

[7] In addition to this, and despite Bryan's loss, many of his proposed reforms from 1908 eventually became law, such as the direct election of senators (1913), a federal income tax (1913), and the government guarantee of bank deposits (1933).