James Ford Rhodes would be happy to have lunch or dinner with President Roosevelt after Christmas and is pleased with his suggestion to invite James Bryce, Secretary of State Elihu Root, and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. Rhodes discusses past elections and notes that the 1908 election marks the first time that the party in power has won an election following a financial panic. President-elect William H. Taft’s victory in Illinois, in light of high unemployment and discontent, is a “marvel.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-09

Creator(s)

Rhodes, James Ford, 1848-1927

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

4

Production Method

Handwritten

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

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 James Ford Rhodes to Theodore Roosevelt. [November 9, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o59464. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Rhodes, James Ford, 1848-1927. Letter from James Ford Rhodes to Theodore Roosevelt. [9 Nov. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o59464.

APA:

Rhodes, James Ford, 1848-1927., [1908, November 9]. Letter from James Ford Rhodes to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o59464.

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.