Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Lincoln O’Brien
Subject(s): Courts--Evaluation, Hearst, William Randolph, 1863-1951, Humphrey, J. Otis, 1850-1918, Political questions and judicial power--Public opinion
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President Roosevelt tells Robert Lincoln O’Brien that “the trouble is that the courts need to have a little rapping now and then,” and that they should not feel that they are above criticism. Roosevelt believes it is unhealthy to not criticize such decisions as that of Judge J. Otis Humphrey in the recent beef trust case, but is not sure if he will personally say anything. He qualifies this by saying that not all criticism of the courts is justified, and that many criticisms from papers owned by William Randolph Hearst are counterproductive.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-04-16
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
O'Brien, Robert Lincoln, 1865-1955
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
1
Production Method
Record Type
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 Robert Lincoln O’Brien. [April 16, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o195216. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Lincoln O’Brien. [16 Apr. 1906]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 16, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o195216.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1906, April 16]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Lincoln O’Brien.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o195216.
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. January 16, 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.
