Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft
Subject(s): Alcohol, Prohibition, Thompson, David Decamp, 1852-1908
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President Roosevelt approves of William H. Taft’s position regarding prohibition. The people who advocate for a law so drastic that it cannot be enforced have “a wicked attitude,” and such extreme measures would lead to contempt of the law. Roosevelt suggests, however, that Taft express his sympathy with the people who seek to decrease the influence of alcohol, as so many bad things come from it. Roosevelt favors allowing local governments to prohibit the sale of alcohol where there is support for doing so, but encourages Taft not to get into discussions with prohibitionists.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-07-16
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
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 William H. Taft. [July 16, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203335. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft. [16 Jul. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 23, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203335.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, July 16]. 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/o203335.
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 23, 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.
