This reached the national government; it dug into the national governments roots, the constitution! Another case very similar to this was when the reformers wanted to ban alcohol from America, which was granted in the 18th Amendment. .
State governments were able to gain control over new issues. In Wisconsin, Governor Robert M. La Follette took control from trusts and gave that power to the people. In Oregon and California, the governments ruled the railroads and trusts, which was led by Hiram W. Johnson. Charles Evans Hughes investigated malpractice in gas and insurance companies in New York. This shows that the reformers views reached state governments hopefully it would lead to a success in the reformers plans.
President Roosevelt, representative of the federal government helped to make changes in the national government. After being enlightened by the reformers, he came to realize "good" and "bad" trusts. He was prepared to control these trusts, his first being the Northern Securities Company headed by Morgan and Hill. He brought the company to court, and in 1904, Northern Securities was ordered to dissolve. Roosevelt did this to over 40 trusts, but he wasn't worthy of the nickname "trustbuster." He was hoping that other trusts would follow in the paths of those, which were done with force. Herbert Croly's The Promise of American Life in 1910 was a reform work, stating to control bad trusts, and the good ones good alone.
Child labor was another large issue represented by the reformers. John Spargo's The Bitter Cry of the Children exposed the horrors of child labor. Child labor was so big that it seemed people no longer cared about the children, industry and modernization was overshadowing them (Doc C). This eventually would bring about child labor laws. A fire burned up 146 women workers in 1911 at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York City which aided in the fight against child labor, women labor, and other labor laws.