Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte
Subject(s): Holidays, Labor movement, Navy-yards and naval stations, Root, Elihu, 1845-1937, Shipbuilding, South Carolina--Charleston, United States. Navy Department, United States. Navy Dept., Washington (D.C.)
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President Roosevelt is not surprised by the conclusion Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte is coming to in the Charleston navy yard matter. He offers his view regarding the work done in the Washington, D.C., navy yard, saying that while labor people are concerned with making sure work is given to the laborers there, they also demand extra rights and holidays that laborers in exterior shipbuilding yards do not get. Roosevelt feels they should act along the lines they decided on earlier in the summer and see what the result is.
Comments and Context
The “Charleston navy yard matter” refers to an incident in which Lieutenants J. W. G. Walker and Francis R. Harris were transferred out of supervisory roles in the Charleston navy yards, seemingly due to political pressure from a corporation that had been contracted to conduct government work, and which Walker and Harris had been holding to strict standards of quality. While Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte concluded the transfer was not influenced, he ultimately reversed it so as to avoid the appearance of having been pressured.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1905-07-10
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte. [July 10, 1905]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o192104. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte. [10 Jul. 1905]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. July 31, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o192104.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1905, July 10]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o192104.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. July 31, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
