In 1870, Crane entered the family business and, with his brother Zenas Jr., presided over a period of significant growth of the company.

The Crane Company continues to be the sole supplier of currency paper to the federal government today.

Although he was from western Massachusetts, he was viewed by the party's mainly eastern leadership as a "safe" and moderate choice, who would be good at fundraising.

[5] In 1896, Crane was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, serving under another Young Republican, Roger Wolcott.

He won a comfortable victory against a disorganized Democratic opposition and was reelected the next two years by wide margins.

Crane was appointed October 12, 1904 by Governor John L. Bates to continue the U.S. Senate term of the late George F.

Senator, he used his influence to help secure the state's approval of a merger of the Boston and Maine with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

[13] He was an opponent of reciprocity (reduced tariffs) with Canada and the Dominion of Newfoundland, working to water down provisions of a proposed treaty.

Douglas, a successful and widely-known shoe manufacturer, won election in 1904 with labor support and high name recognition.

[15] According to Charles S. Hamlin, Republicans discovered that Douglas had apparently fraudulently acquired an honorable discharge after deserting during the Civil War.

The quid pro quo for this information not being revealed, supposedly engineered by Crane and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, was that Douglas would not run again.

This placed him in opposition to fellow Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, a strong Taft supporter, in a struggle for control of the state delegation to the national convention.