Bryan 's defeat in 1900 cost him his status as the clear leader of the Democratic Party and conservatives like David B. Hill and Arthur Pue Gorman moved to re-establish their control over the party and return it to the policies of the Cleveland era . Meanwhile , Roosevelt succeeded McKinley as president after the latter was assassinated in September 1901 . Roosevelt prosecuted anti-trust cases and implemented other progressive policies , but Bryan argued that Roosevelt did not fully embrace progressive causes . Bryan called for a package of reforms , including a federal income tax , pure food and drug laws , a ban on corporate financing of campaigns , a constitutional amendment providing for the direct election of senators , local ownership of utilities and the state adoption of the initiative and the referendum . He also criticized Roosevelt 's foreign policy and attacked Roosevelt 's decision to invite Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House
assassinated
Assassination of William McKinley
William Jennings Bryan