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Speaker of the House Cannon is detained at the Capitol and asks William Loeb to seal and deliver to his messenger the document he was supposed to collect.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-13
Representative Cannon advises President Roosevelt about the proper seating for an upcoming State Dinner to meet the Supreme Court.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-02
Speaker of the House Cannon wrote to President Roosevelt about a letter sent to him by the President. Cannon agreed with Roosevelt that the writer, Joseph B. Potter, was a patriotic citizen who represented the sentiment of veterans.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-21
Speaker of the House Cannon found a copy of Elbert Hubbard’s “Essay on Silence” meant for “Teddy Rex,” or President Roosevelt, in his mail. He returns the book and assumes that Roosevelt may soon find one meant for “Joe Czar,” or Cannon, in his own mail.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-19
Speaker of the House Cannon acknowledges receipt of a letter from President Roosevelt requesting permission to take the chairs from the Cabinet room, as well as a small couch, but says that as it was not addressed as “personal,” he believes it should be referred to the House Committee on Appropriations. A handwritten note appended to this letter states that “Mrs. Roosevelt would like this letter to be withdrawn.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-02
Speaker of the House Cannon explains his previous praise for President Roosevelt that Roosevelt “had contributed more to the success of the Republican ticket in the recent campaign than any other agency.” Cannon believes that Roosevelt’s letters to William Jennings Bryan and Senator Philander C. Knox had the effect of exposing the dangers and conflicts in the plan of the Democratic Party, and helped check the “hysterical demagoguery.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-11
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon tells President Roosevelt of his itinerary in New York before he heads to Detroit for his next meeting. Cannon also shares his observations on the gubernatorial campaign of William Randolph Hearst and the Republican Party’s chances in New York in the upcoming election.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-21
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon returns to William Loeb a letter that had been shared with him by Maurice Latta.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-04
Representative Cannon hopes John Mitchell does not sympathize with the attacks by Samuel Gompers on Republican candidates for Congress. Cannon thanks William Loeb for including a copy of Mr. Sargent’s letter. Cannon feels he has gone out of his way to treat Gompers with courtesy. He has discussed the demands of Gompers related to the Pearre bill and finds them “unwise” for labor and is glad railroad leaders agree.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-22
Speaker of the House Cannon agrees with President Roosevelt that Samuel Gompers should not be “magnified by name or by personal attack” unless his policies and demands affect local districts. Cannon mentions politicians blacklisted by Gompers, and the power in numbers he has in members of the American Federation of Labor. Cannon will devote time to the matter in October and strike if necessary. Cannon notes Secretary of War William H. Taft’s willingness to campaign and speak for him but will only ask if necessary.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-22
House Speaker Cannon informs William Loeb that he will be on the campaign trail for at least a month. Cannon believes that Federation of Labor President Samuel Gompers will come into his district to campaign against him. He is glad Edgar E. Clark is looking after the railroad union.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-16
Representative Cannon tells President Roosevelt that he is gratified by the kind tone of Frank P. Sargent’s letter and by the fact that Sargent seems to understand his attitude, though there are reports among railway laborers in Chicago that Cannon is unfriendly to railway brotherhoods. While Cannon believes there is value in organized labor, he does not agree with those who, following the lead of Samuel Gompers, seek class legislation and wish to blacklist those who do not agree. These, says Cannon, “are the worst enemies that organized labor can have.” Cannon thinks Gompers’s principal fight is against Roosevelt, yet the labor leader levels his attacks against those in the administration who are not quite as strong. Cannon reveals his campaign tour strategy for the coming months and discusses the local conditions he recently observed in Maine.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-14
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon assures President Theodore Roosevelt that he played no role in the publication of a recent cartoon in the Washington Post and has told anyone who spoke to him about it that the drawing has “no foundation in fact.” The cartoon by Clifford K. Berryman depicts Roosevelt telling Cannon “You will be President,” but Cannon wants Roosevelt to know that he lacks “the Presidential bee” and is focused solely on the upcoming midterm elections. So that the cartoon does not become a distraction to the nation, Cannon wonders if Roosevelt wants him to release a rebuttal or simply ignore it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-23
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon informs Secretary of the Treasury Shaw that he has no designs on running for President and has discouraged those promoting his candidacy; his focus is solely on the upcoming midterm elections. Cannon recounts a conversation with men from the Manufacturers of Agricultural Implements League in which he urged them not to believe the promises of the Democratic Party with regard to tariff revision. He hopes that President Roosevelt’s letter on the matter, which is due for imminent release, will help to sway their opinions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-20
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon shares with President Roosevelt a copy of a letter he sent to Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw. Cannon has just reread Roosevelt’s letter with the amendment about labor and finds it valuable. In fact, Cannon finds the letter “worth more than all the speeches and letters” that he expects from the upcoming campaign.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-20
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon notifies President Theodore Roosevelt that he has received the telegram and will not journey to Oyster Bay unless needed. Cannon leaves contact information so Roosevelt can reach him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-18
Speaker of the House Cannon advises against the proposition President Roosevelt has made, believing the letter should remain as it is. He informs Roosevelt that he will be in New York soon.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-17
Representative Cannon tells William Loeb that though the letter Loeb asked about should have been received this morning, it has not arrived. Cannon decides to postpone his departure for New York until the letter has come.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-17
Speaker Joseph Gurney Cannon tells President Roosevelt that he did not know of Roosevelt’s suggestions before delivering his speech, but he still thinks the speech was close to Roosevelt’s proposal. Cannon describes the part of his speech that spoke about tariff revision and explains his thoughts on when the matter should be broached by the Republican Party. He also shares the pressure within his home state of Illinois for him to run for President in 1908 and drop out of the House of Representatives now.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-17
Speaker of the House Cannon offers his suggestions on a letter that President Roosevelt plans to send to Representative James E. Watson. He recommends eliminating a small section on the tariff, and slightly altering another portion to make the letter more internally consistent. Cannon shares his thoughts about his own upcoming political campaign where he will praise the Dingley Tariff. He comments that Representative Charles E. Littlefield of Maine will have a difficult election, and believes Roosevelt’s letter may be of valuable assistance there.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-13