Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Alien labor, Bigelow, Poultney, 1855-1954, Bishop, Joseph Bucklin, 1847-1928, Brown, Henry Billings, 1836-1913, Burrows, Julius C. (Julius Caesar), 1837-1915, Cochran, Andrew McConnell January, 1854-1934, Foreign workers, Garfield, James Rudolph, 1865-1950, Goethals, George W. (George Washington), 1858-1928, Harlan, John Marshall, 1833-1911, Judges--Selection and appointment, Kentucky, Littlefield, Charles E. (Charles Edgar), 1851-1915, McKinley, William Brown, 1856-1926, Michigan, Moody, William H. (William Henry), 1853-1917, Ohio, Panama--Isthmus of Panama, Root, Elihu, 1845-1937, Shonts, Theodore P. (Theodore Perry), 1856-1919, Speeches, addresses, etc., Stevens, John F. (John Frank), 1853-1943, Tennessee, United States. Court of Appeals (6th Circuit), United States. Supreme Court, Wright, Luke E. (Luke Edward), 1846-1922
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Secretary of War Taft agrees with President Roosevelt’s decision to appoint John Marshall Harlan. Taft then analyzes the political considerations in making the appointment of the Supreme Court justice who will succeed Henry Billings Brown. Taft also expresses concern about Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal John F. Stevens’s inability to answer the charges of Poultney Bigelow’s article in The Cosmopolitan, even if the charges have no foundation. In addition, Taft notifies Roosevelt that he tried to get Major George W. Goethals, an army engineer, to be Secretary of the Board to live on the Isthmus of Panama, but the presence of Secretary of the Isthmian Canal Commission Joseph Bucklin Bishop prevents it. Taft recognizes that Congressman Julius C. Burrows is “indignant” about Taft’s involvement in the appointment of District Judge in the Western District of Michigan, but Taft does not think Burrows is justified.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-08-21
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
3
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. [August 21, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o53922. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930. Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt. [21 Aug. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o53922.
APA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930., [1906, August 21]. Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o53922.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. 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. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
