Your TR Source
President Roosevelt asks Lyman Abbott to tell his son, Lawrence F. Abbott, that he will write to him soon. Roosevelt will show Abbott’s letter to William H. Taft because he would like to discuss the matter with him before he answers. He also sends Abbott a letter from George Otto Trevelyan that he thinks will interest Abbott.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-11
President Roosevelt tells Lyman Abbott that he is amused that the Outlook just printed an article that comes close to expressing his own views on socialism. Roosevelt compares some of the figures involved in socialist movements of the present to figures of the French Revolution, and says that while the French Revolution was beneficial and necessary in its early stages, it turned sharply towards evil as it progressed. Roosevelt has sent Abbott the open letter that he wrote to Rudolph Spreckles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-18
President Roosevelt explains his thoughts related to socialism, saying that socialists do some good in waking some people up to the evils of modern life and the great disparities of wealth, but that for the most part they “merely add to the mass of aimless discontent.” Roosevelt discusses several instances in which socialism praises people who he believes do not deserve it, such as Eugene V. Debs. He believes that socialism also is frequently associated with an “only partially concealed crusade against domestic morality.” For Roosevelt, trending too far towards the ideas of socialism is just as bad as going too far towards the actions of swindling financiers or corrupt politicians.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-17
President Roosevelt acknowledges Lyman Abbott’s note and says that letters he wrote to Lincoln Steffens and Ray Stannard Baker “express good Outlook sentiments.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-05
President Roosevelt denies the rumors of his seeking renomination at the convention, and points out that he has steadfastly supported Secretary of War William H. Taft. He also tells Lyman Abbott that he approves of the articles on immigrants that Edward Alfred Steiner has written in The Outlook. Roosevelt has tried to make his Cabinet representative of all types of Americans.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-05-29
President Roosevelt sends Lyman Abbott letters he wrote to various Senators about the Brownsville incident and a matter concerning Colonel William F. Stewart. Roosevelt asserts his executive authority as President to make determinations about the dismissal and stationing of soldiers, citing past precedents. He also provides his rationale for dismissing the Brownsville soldiers and for refusing to grant Stewart a court of inquiry.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-05-10
President Roosevelt forwards Lyman Abbott a letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-06
President Roosevelt protests a recent editorial in The Outlook, and tells Lyman Abbott that it condoned mutinous and insubordinate conduct in the Navy by defending Admiral Willard H. Brownson. He quotes a letter he received from General Grenville M. Dodge on the topic of Brownson’s resignation. Dodge opines that Roosevelt should have insisted Brownson obey the order and if he refused to then court-martial him instead of just accepting his resignation. Roosevelt explains why he did not follow this course, but says that this may have set a precedent for rampant insubordination in the armed forces, which The Outlook has not helped.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-01-17
President Roosevelt sends Lyman Abbott an article from The Chicago Banker. He wishes that there were some way that part of it could be quoted in The Outlook, as he thinks it is sound.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-09
President Roosevelt hopes that Lyman Abbott has a nice trip to Germany and reports that he sent copies of his letter to the Secretaries of War and Navy.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-13
President Roosevelt writes to Lyman Abbott encouraging him to publish a speech by LeRoy Percy, a Southern Democratic lawyer who operated sharecropping plantations in Mississippi. Roosevelt believes that Percy’s speech demonstrates the path that the nation must take to promote racial harmony in the South.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-05-23
President Roosevelt thanks Lyman Abbott for changing a paragraph in the Outlook after speaking to him. Roosevelt states he has already read “The Function of the President” and agreed with it. He also enjoyed having Abbott at dinner the other night.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-10
President Roosevelt reports that he is reluctant to accept Lyman Abbott’s invitation to speak at a banquet generally, but if he did it would be on Monday with Elihu Root and Governor Charles Hughes. In all likelihood, he will not speak, but could send a letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-01
President Roosevelt cannot attend the peace conference in person, but will send a letter. He plans on quoting Saint Paul, as Abbott quoted in his previous letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-02
President Roosevelt corrects a statement from a previous letter regarding the price of Indian land recently opened to settlement. He reports that the Department of the Interior regards the pricing as just, given that there will be less demand because the lands require irrigation. Roosevelt tells Lyman Abbott that he wishes to dispose of Indian lands in a way that brings the “most advantage” to them, but also “will be best for the settler, noting that settlers will be the “best instructor” an Indian can have.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-27
President Roosevelt would like Lyman Abbott to come to dinner with him and “one or two men.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-17
President Roosevelt invites Lyman Abbott to send one of his sons to visit so that he can inform the family of problems in the Department of the Interior.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-21
President Roosevelt informs Lyman Abbott that there is not a vacancy on the Interstate Commerce Commission and that the only appropriate job for Andrew Jackson Montague would be that of the current commissioner, Judson C. Clements, and there is little chance of him quitting the position.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-22
President Roosevelt explains to Lyman Abbott the process of selling Rosebud reservation land. Roosevelt’s agents wanted to sell the land for $5 per acre, however, they decided to sell for $4 and $3 to settlers. There is still a lot of available land for sale. They want to ensure that Native Americans receive as much money as possible while still settling as many homesteaders too.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-26
President Roosevelt is concerned by Lyman Abbott’s letter, hopes everything goes well, and would like Abbott to visit when possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-08