Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft
Subject(s): Anti-imperialist movements, Arnold, Benedict, 1741-1801, California--Berkeley, Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926, Cortelyou, George B. (George Bruce), 1862-1940, Fulton, Charles William, 1853-1918, Hopkins, Albert J. (Albert Jarvis), 1846-1922, Hughes, Charles Evans, 1862-1948, Judas Iscariot, Knox, Philander C. (Philander Chase), 1853-1921, Loeb, William, 1866-1937, New England, New York (State), Oregon, Pacific Ocean, Political conventions, Presidential candidates, Press and politics, Thomas, Charles E., United States, West, United States. Navy. Atlantic Fleet. Battleship Force
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President Roosevelt tells Secretary of War Taft that he admires his willingness to sacrifice his own interests for a principle, but encourages him to avoid talking about delicate subjects where his words could be twisted. Roosevelt is glad that Taft understands the situation with another potential presidential candidate, Governor Charles Evans Hughes, remarking that he has a “distinct strength with the people.” The president believes that Taft will get the majority of the delegates in the West on the first roll and that the majority of people in New England are for Taft. Finally, Roosevelt notes that the New York papers are “almost insane” in regard to his actions, suggesting that Judas Iscariot and Benedict Arnold were “pretty good citizens by comparison.”
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-09-19
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
4
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 William H. Taft. [September 19, 1907]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o200339. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft. [19 Sep. 1907]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o200339.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1907, September 19]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o200339.
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 30, 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.