Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Contracts, Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924, Interstate commerce, Labor unions, Public opinion, Semantics (Law), Separation of powers, Sherman Act (United States), Trade regulation, Trusts, Industrial, United States. Department of Justice, United States. Dept. of Justice, United States. Interstate Commerce Commission, United States. Supreme Court
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Attorney General Bonaparte writes to President Roosevelt to follow up with him on recent conversations regarding interstate commerce and anti-trust legislation, and to put some of his positions in writing so that Roosevelt may reflect upon them more thoroughly. Bonaparte discusses a proposed change in anti-trust legislation altering the language to read “in unfair or unreasonable restraint of trade,” saying that such a change would produce major complications as it would essentially delegate a judicial duty to an executive officer or board. He also describes how the proposed changes to the law would alter the government’s ability to enforce certain parts of the law, and comments on the idea of the government giving amnesty to corporations who had previously violated anti-trust legislation in minor ways.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-03-12
Creator(s)
Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921
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
12
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 Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt. [March 12, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58318. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921. Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt. [12 Mar. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58318.
APA:
Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921., [1908, March 12]. Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58318.
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 30, 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.