Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George von Lengerke Meyer
Subject(s): Argentina--Buenos Aires, Barnes, William, 1866-1930, Brazil--Manaus, Butler, Nicholas Murray, 1862-1947, Crane, Winthrop Murray, 1853-1920, Democratic Party (U.S.), Elections--Corrupt practices, Guggenheim, Simon, Illinois--Chicago, Immorality, Intra-party disagreements (Political parties), Kellogg, Frank B. (Frank Billings), 1856-1937, Lawrence, William, 1850-1941, Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865, Lowell, A. Lawrence (Abbott Lawrence), 1856-1943, Penrose, Boies, 1860-1921, Political campaigns--Corrupt practices, Political parties--Platforms, Presidents--Election, Progressive Party (1912), Progressivism (United States politics), Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ), Root, Elihu, 1845-1937, Smoot, Reed, 1862-1941, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930, United States. Supreme Court, Whig Party (U.S.), Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
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Theodore Roosevelt tells George von Lengerke Meyer he is not sure there is anything to be done to make things better in politics. Roosevelt believes Republican leaders “stole the nomination” in Chicago, Illinois, and that such action “creates a train of evil consequences so extensive that it is almost impossible by any single act afterwards to undo the evil.” It was extraordinary to see men such as Bishop William Lawrence and President A. Lawrence Lowell of Harvard University “explicitly or implicitly, endorse the lowest forms of political immorality.” Roosevelt compares the Progressive platform to that of Abraham Lincoln and the early Republicans, and accuses the men who object to these principles of being the “spiritual heirs of the Cotton Whigs.” He believes that what happened in Chicago makes it likely that Woodrow Wilson and the Democratic Party will win the fall presidential election. When Roosevelt returns, he would like for Meyer and Frank B. Kellogg to visit him.
Collection
Massachusetts Historical Society
Creation Date
1913-10-07
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Meyer, George von Lengerke, 1858-1918
Language
English
Period
Post-Presidential Years (1913-January 6, 1919)
Repository
Massachusetts Historical Society
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George von Lengerke Meyer. [October 7, 1913]. Massachusetts Historical Society.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o294186. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George von Lengerke Meyer. [7 Oct. 1913]. Multi-image.
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. June 4, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o294186.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1913, October 7]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George von Lengerke Meyer.
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o294186.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Massachusetts Historical Society. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/massachusetts-historical-society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. June 4, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/massachusetts-historical-society.
APA:
Massachusetts Historical Society. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/massachusetts-historical-society.
