Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Agriculture and state--Economic aspects, Brown, Henry Billings, 1836-1913, Governmental investigations, Judges--Selection and appointment, Legarda, Benito, 1853-1915, Lurton, Horace H. (Horace Harmon), 1844-1914, Moody, William H. (William Henry), 1853-1917, Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, Panama, Philippines, Rinderpest, Taft, Helen Herron, 1861-1943, Taft, Henry W. (Henry Waters), 1859-1945, United States. Congress, United States. Supreme Court, United States. War Department, United States. War Dept.
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Secretary of War Taft responds to President Roosevelt’s offer to appoint him to the Supreme Court as a replacement for Justice Henry Billings Brown. While Taft sincerely wishes to accept, he believes he should stay as the head of the War Department for the time being, given the situation in Panama and in the Philippines. He addresses several issues, including an ongoing investigation into possible misconduct in the War Department. He summarizes the great progress that has been made in the Philippines, as well as some of the challenges that remain. Taft feels responsible for these issues and thinks he would be able to help push through measures in the next session of Congress that would benefit the Filipinos. Given his reluctance, Taft proceeds to give his opinion on other potential candidates to the Supreme Court. He favors the appointment of Horace H. Lurton over William H. Moody.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-07-30
Creator(s)
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
16
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 H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt. [July 30, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o53663. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930. Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt. [30 Jul. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o53663.
APA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930., [1906, July 30]. Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o53663.
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 29, 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.
