Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to L. V. McKesson
Subject(s): Dick, Charles, 1858-1945, Foraker, Joseph Benson, 1846-1917, Ohio, Ohio--Toledo, Political corruption--Government policy, Presidents--Influence, Public officers--Selection and appointment, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930, United States. Department of the Treasury, United States. Dept. of the Treasury, Waldorf, George P. (George Plumb), 1849-1939
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President Roosevelt thanks L. V. McKesson for the nice letter he sent to Secretary of War William H. Taft, and was impressed by what he wrote. He reminds McKesson, however, that he as president only controls the nominating portion of the process appointing people to government positions, and that it is the Senate who confirms them. If he is notified by senators that they will reject a candidate, it is a waste of time for him to nominate them. For local positions, this places a great deal of power in the hands of the senators from the state affected, as most of the senate follow their wishes. Much of Roosevelt’s power, therefore, is that he can “refuse to appoint any unworthy man, and to remove any man of proved unworthiness.” While Roosevelt would not now appoint George P. Waldorf, Internal Revenue Collector for Toledo, Ohio, to his position, the Treasury Department investigated him and did not find anything warranting his removal.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-07-07
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
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 L. V. McKesson. [July 7, 1906]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o196030. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to L. V. McKesson. [7 Jul. 1906]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 2, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o196030.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919.: , [1906, July 7]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to L. V. McKesson. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o196030.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. 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 Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 2, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
