Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward Porritt
Subject(s): Civil service ethics, Civil service positions, Civil service reform, Civil service--Corrupt practices, Writing--Evaluation
Click on image to zoom in
Civil Service Commissioner Roosevelt answers journalist Edward Porritt’s letter by sending him copies of reports dealing with the Civil Service Act and Rules, addressing the abuses and consequences of the spoils system. Roosevelt responds to a paper written by Porritt by saying there is no basis for a charge of favoritism in the working of the Civil Service Law at Washington. He adds that the belief appointments and removals are based on favor and influence was perpetuated by the spoils system that prevailed for sixty years.
Collection
Creation Date
1895-01-11
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Language
English
Period
Civil Service Commissioner (1889-April 1895)
Repository
Harvard College Library
Page Count
5
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
Electronic copy sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University. For reproduction or publication permission, contact the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Houghton Library. See the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library Terms of Use for further copyright information.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward Porritt. [January 11, 1895]. Harvard College Library.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o283405. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward Porritt. [11 Jan. 1895]. Multi-image.
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o283405.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1895, January 11]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward Porritt.
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o283405.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Harvard College Library. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library.
APA:
Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library.