Letter from William Allen White to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Bowersock, Justin De Witt, 1842-1922, Calderhead, William Alexander, 1844-1928, Democratic Party (U.S.), Governmental investigations, Kansas, National Republican Party (U.S.), Political corruption, Postmasters--Selection and appointment, United States Postal Service
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William Allen White, editor of the Emporia Gazette, informs President Roosevelt of his concerns about a new order that gives congressmen hiring and firing power over rural postmasters. White is worried that politicians he considers corrupt, like Representative Justin De Witt Bowersock, will misuse the order to fire their political opponents. White is not as concerned that this power will be abused immediately under the Roosevelt Administration’s watch or by elected officials he finds upright, like Representative William Alexander Calderhead, but that it will be abused when the Roosevelt Administration is out of power or distracted. White asks Roosevelt to assure Calderhead that the editor holds him in high regard, as White worries a rumor has made Calderhead think White considers him as corrupt as Bowersock.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1905-01-19
Creator(s)
White, William Allen, 1868-1944
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
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 William Allen White to Theodore Roosevelt. [January 19, 1905]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o48553. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
White, William Allen, 1868-1944. Letter from William Allen White to Theodore Roosevelt. [19 Jan. 1905]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. November 25, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o48553.
APA:
White, William Allen, 1868-1944.: , [1905, January 19]. Letter from William Allen White to Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o48553.
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. November 25, 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.
