Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926

After speaking with Speaker of the House Cannon, President Roosevelt has been thinking about the immigration bill and wishes that Cannon could support it and encourage others to support it. Roosevelt believes the opposition to the bill comes from people who look to obtain masses of cheap labor, as well as steamship companies. Roosevelt believes that in spite of agitation among German and Scandinavian populations against the bill it would not affect immigration from either region. Roosevelt admits that the bill is not drawn up as he himself would have done it and enumerates several changes he wishes were in place. Overall, Roosevelt wishes for an immigration bill to stem the flow of cheap labor, allowing wages to rise, and to focus on admitting people of good character who will improve the communities that they join. In a handwritten note, Roosevelt recognizes that the Pure Food bill and the Naturalization bill must be considered first but hopes to be able to have all three bills pass.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-27

President Roosevelt believes the United States should pass the citizenship bill for Puerto Rico, and asks for Speaker of the House Cannon’s help in helping pass it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-26

President Roosevelt believes that the shipping bill is in “really good shape” and hopes that Speaker of the House Cannon will support it. He believes that there is political need to pass it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-26

President Roosevelt asks Speaker of the House Cannon if there is a chance of a bill passing that will restructure the Isthmian Canal Commission. Roosevelt believes that it only needs one commissioner, and that the other commissioners can remain in their positions without the title. This would allow the funds to hire consulting engineers as necessary.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-28

President Roosevelt asks for Speaker of the House Cannon’s consideration of the enclosed letter about the conditions in Hawaii. Hawaii has not benefitted materially following annexation by the United States, and Roosevelt hopes that something can be done.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-26

President Roosevelt encloses a copy of Attorney General William H. Moody’s proposed amendment to the railroad rate bill, which he would like Speaker of the House Cannon to show to Representative A. Barton Hepburn. Moody, Roosevelt, and two members of the Interstate Commerce Commission find the amendment satisfactory, and believe that it would avoid any question of the constitutionality of the bill. After Cannon and Hepburn have discussed the matter, Roosevelt would like Cannon to see him to discuss matters.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-19

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-13

Creator(s)

Loeb, William, 1866-1937

Recipient

Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926

President Roosevelt assures Speaker of the House Cannon that what he said was exceptional and in alignment with the “American standpoint.” Roosevelt says he will use Ambassador to Germany Charlemagne Tower as a means to mitigate “Germany’s susceptibilities.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-23

President Roosevelt asks Speaker of the House Cannon for suggestions of who to send over to negotiate a new tariff agreement between the United States and Germany.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-18

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-08-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926

President Roosevelt feels there is a tendency to treat the Immigration Committee of the House as seemingly less important. He hopes Speaker of the House Cannon will think over its composition when making appointments.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-05-29

President Roosevelt suggests assisting the soldiers penalized for their actions after the Galveston disaster. Roosevelt has learned that the bill on the matter has passed the Senate, and was reported favorably from the Committee on Military Affairs. He promises, however, to stand by Speaker of the House Cannon’s decision on the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-08

President Roosevelt excuses Speaker of the House Cannon and his daughter Helen A. Cannon and will have them at dinner later “when there will be no Supreme Court Justices to have their feelings hurt.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-02

President Roosevelt sends Speaker of the House Cannon a letter from “a pretty good type of veteran” concerning military pensions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-19

President Roosevelt followed Speaker of the House Cannon’s suggestion and offered Vespasian Warner the position of commissioner of pensions. As such, it will be difficult to appoint Scott as the public printer. He asks Cannon to stop by to discuss issues.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-13

President Roosevelt writes to Speaker of the House Cannon, enclosing a letter from Wayne MacVeagh and asking that Cannon makes the arrangements that MacVeagh desires. He mentions that the French Ambassador is feeling some chagrin at the apparent neglect.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-10

President Roosevelt is concerned about what he is reading in the papers about cutting funding for the United States Navy, which he believes is a bad idea. Roosevelt does not believe he is an “alarmist, or an imperialist, or an amateur war lord” when he tells Speaker of the House Cannon he believes cutting funding for the Navy would be worse than any other cut in funding the government could make. Roosevelt wants to build up the Navy, not for the sake of building it up, but for the sake of letting other nations know the United States is able to back up its policy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-27

President Roosevelt sends Speaker of the House Cannon a copy of a telegram from Connecticut Senator Orville Hitchcock Platt discussing reducing the Philippine tariff to 50 percent. Roosevelt wants the House of Representatives to support this reduction and does not believe there will be “serious opposition” from the cigar and tobacco industry.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-23

President Roosevelt would like to speak with Speaker of the House Cannon regarding a draft of an act that was suggested to him. In a handwritten addition, Roosevelt wonders if Cannon can help the movement seeking to honor John Paul Jones and John Barry with statues.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-19

President Roosevelt lays out his thoughts about the tariff to Speaker of the House Cannon, suggesting that Congress ought to take up the tariff law because it has been eight years since it was passed. Roosevelt proposes that the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means put together a joint commission to discuss the tariff question and report at a special session of Congress as soon as possible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-30