In many instances the government is an unnecessary evil. They should be afraid of the citizens they swindle.
… The thesis of the state socialist is that no line can be drawn between private and public affairs which the state may not cross at will; that omnipotence of legislation is the first postulate of all just political theory. Applied in a democratic state, such doctrine sounds radical, but not revolutionary. It is only an acceptance of the extremest logical conclusions deducible from democratic principles long ago received as respectable. For it is very clear that in fundamental theory, socialism and democracy are almost, if not quite, one and the same. They both rest at bottom upon the absolute right of the community to determine its own destiny and that of its members. Men as communities are supreme over men as individuals. […]Just a little insight into Wilson’s thinking. For those who still think that the word “democracy” can be equated with limited government, think again—Wilson here equates democracy with socialism, which means that democracy is inherently totalitarian and inherently against individual rights.
Corporations grow on every hand, and on every hand not only swallow and overawe individuals but also compete with governments. The contest is no longer between government and individuals; it is now between government and dangerous combinations and individuals. Here is a monstrously changed aspect of the social world. In face of such circumstances, must not government lay aside all timid scruple and boldly make itself an agency for social reform as well as for political control? “Yes,” says the democrat, “perhaps it must.” …
— Woodrow Wilson, Socialism and Democracy, 1887
The Progressive philosophy had successfully take over both political parties.
Wilson pushed it much harder than Theodore ever did, but he followed precedents created by Theodore.