Borah, William E. (1865–1940)

BORN IN ILLINOIS the same year that the Civil War ended, Republican Senator William Borah spent much of his political life attempting to keep the United States out of foreign wars and to prevent American participation in what he saw as dangerous international entanglements. Borah opposed entering World War I on the grounds that it was based on protecting American corporations rather than serving the interests of democracy. After the war, Borah became an “irreconcilable” opponent of the League of Nations proposed by President Woodrow Wilson. Borah was convinced that the British were influencing Wilson in order to protect their own political and economic interests. Borah and his powerful colleague, Henry Cabot Lodge, were ultimately successful in blocking the Treaty of Versailles, which the Senate failed to ratify by seven votes. The frustration and disappointment over the failure of the League of Nations may have contributed to the stroke in the fall of 1919 that robbed Wilson of his ability to govern for the final year of his term.

As a young man, William Borah set out for California but ran out of money in Boise, Idaho. He remained in Boise, where he made a name for himself by prosecuting “Big Bill” Haywood and other union leaders accused of conspiring to murder ex-governor Frank Steurenberg. Borah represented Idaho in the Senate from 1907 until his death in 1940. From 1924 until 1933, Borah served as chair of the powerful and prestigious Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The election of Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1932 propelled the Democrats to majority status, demoting Borah to ranking minority member of the committee. He then devoted himself to blocking many of Roosevelt's New Deal policies. However, Roosevelt won Borah's support on 11 of 17 New Deal bills on which the Senate voted. Nonetheless, throughout his political career, Borah was well known for fighting liberal reforms such as the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914. Borah provided the main obstacle to passage of the Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. Conversely, Borah was often able to bring factions together to pass legislation.

Well known as a progressive, Borah shared many common values with Democrats and considered himself a follower of classical liberals such as Thomas Jefferson and Adam Smith. Borah, who often identified himself as a Lincoln Republican, was conservative both by nature and by choice. As a result, he rejected many progressive-supported reforms, never totally comfortable [Page 553]able with legislation supported by both right- and leftwing progressives. Despite his loyalty to conservatism, Borah was dubbed “the great opposer” because he refused to adhere to strict Republican party lines.

Borah enjoyed the public life and relished making his positions known to the media at press conferences that he regularly initiated. His opinions were often varied. A supporter of Theodore Roosevelt, Borah hated monopolies and saw himself as an advocate for small businesses. Borah lobbied for recognizing the new government of the Soviet Union when most of his colleagues preferred to defer recognition. He believed that the United States had no right to interfere in Latin American politics. Borah was a strong advocate of disarmament, maintaining that stockpiling weapons made nations more likely to engage in wars.

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