Abbott, Lyman, 1835-1922

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt will add the phrase that Lyman Abbott has suggested, but is afraid that he will have to put “opponents” in his letter as well to make his points. Roosevelt thanks Abbott for his support and “proper” attitude regarding the Outlook‘s position. Roosevelt believes that William Jennings Bryan would be a more dangerous president than Alton B. Parker, although his campaigns were more honest than Parker’s “trickery.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt tells Dr. Abbott that he might not mention the Fourteenth Amendment. He wants to highlight Alton B. Parker’s hypocritical attitude towards the Fourteenth Amendment and gives southern Democrat Luke E. Wright’s stance as an example of how “colored people should be treated here.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt thanks Dr. Abbott for making clear his point of view. As is often the case when people share a common end while differing over the means, their differences seem to be in terminology more than substance. Roosevelt agrees with Abbott’s policy and is responding to revelations of peonage in Mississippi, working through a district attorney and marshal who are “decent democrats.” Roosevelt has no idea how the election results will turn out, and though he believes he and his principles will triumph, he would not be ungrateful to the American public if he were to lose.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt asks Lyman Abbott what he knows about Thomas Taggart, chosen to run the campaign for Democratic Presidential candidate Alton B. Parker. Roosevelt insists he appointed George B. Cortelyou to run his own campaign to be “handled on a high plane.” Conversely, Roosevelt is critical of Taggart who he believes has “succeeded in politics by his finished ability in purchasing votes” and has questionable ethics when dealing with reporters.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt comments on recent press coverage by Lyman Abbott in The Outlook. Roosevelt acknowledges the article captures his “mental attitude” exactly regarding racial discrimination, black suffrage and equality before the law. He names John Sharp Williams of Mississippi as a prime example of how “whites have suppressed this colored vote so absolutely by force, by fraud, by every species of iniquity.” Roosevelt explains that although the race question was not part of his acceptance speech, if the issue is forced upon him in the upcoming campaign “I shall certainly not hesitate to meet it.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-07-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt responds to a recent letter from Lyman Abbott and addresses a number of Abbott’s inquiries. Roosevelt references a book he sent to Abbott, most likely Presidential Addresses and State Papers, and provides specific page numbers regarding tariffs, the Philippines, Panama Canal, and labor. Roosevelt reiterates that his administration is “neither against corporations or labor unions” and concludes that his record is one of fulfilled promises.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-06-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

The post office report was released in condensed form because the Associated Press refused to carry more than ten thousand words. The full report has been printed and will be released when the Chairman of the House Committee authorizes. The release of some testimony has been delayed due to pending prosecutions. Overall, President Roosevelt thanks Lyman Abbott for his treatment of the post office frauds.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt believes that the enclosed gives a good idea of the best type of officer in the Philippines. Lyman Abbott may publish it if he would like.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt wants to keep Senator Hanna and his forces in line with the party but Hanna’s Southern policy and racial views are at odds with Roosevelt’s. With Tammany Hall’s victory in New York, Roosevelt believes that the logical candidate for the Democrats is Grover Cleveland. Roosevelt respects Cleveland but views him as an unconscious ally of Wall Street who can only understand the corporation attitude.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt describes to Lyman Abbott a recent meeting with Episcopal bishops and clergy, including two African Americans. The two men were received without incident, and Roosevelt finds it odd that he could have these men in the White House without a problem but inspires controversy for dining with Booker T. Washington or appointing an African American in the South. While President, Roosevelt does not recall ever scolding the South, but he feels it would be worse to “let them think that they were blameless.” He also notes that Senator Arthur P. Gorman of Maryland is campaigning “largely on the race issue,” even distributing a campaign button depicting Roosevelt dining with Washington. Gorman has also denounced Roosevelt as “against the business interests,” which leads Roosevelt to believe that the Rockefellers back Gorman as they do mayoral candidate George B. McClellan in New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt will have Lyman Abbott’s son, Lawrence F. Abbott, meet with Joseph L. Bristow after Bristow’s report is ready.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-14

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt calls Lyman Abbott’s attention to the “foulness and violence” of James Kimble Vardaman, the recently elected Governor of Mississippi. Roosevelt has a low opinion of Vardaman and considers him even lower than John Edward Addicks of Delaware.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt explains to Lyman Abbott the difficulties in appointing suitable “Indian agents” and reviews six affirmative steps he has taken regarding capital and labor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-09-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

In this letter to Lyman Abbott, President Roosevelt encloses his Labor Day speech at Syracuse, which is general in statements and principles. Roosevelt briefly alludes to the Post Office Department investigation, and intends to go over it in detail with Abbott when he has additional information.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-09-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

In this letter to Lyman Abbott, President Roosevelt encloses clippings that might be of interest.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-30

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt writes to Dr. Abbott and encloses clippings regarding the “color-line question.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt encloses a copy of a letter that was sent to James Sullivan Clarkson, who wrote strongly on behalf of the “union people,” referring to the issue in the Government Printing Office where William A. Miller was dismissed as a result of labor union pressure. Roosevelt denies that his military appointments are influenced by politics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt complains about Russian “mendacity” and their underhanded efforts to prevent China from recognizing the open-door policy owed to the United States. Roosevelt also hopes for Northern support for Judge Thomas Goode Jones, whose “peonage decisions” in favor of African Americans have angered a large segment of the white South that seeks to reintroduce “serfage or slavery.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt would like to meet with Rev. Dr. Abbott.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt invites Rev. Dr. Abbott to Oyster Bay for lunch in late June.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-19