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Director Johnson of the National Legal Reform Association reviews the malpractice of Evarts, Choate & Beaman against their client James R. Watts. He requests that President Taft order an investigation by District Attorney Henry A. Wise.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-02-10
William O. Manson rails against Wall Street issuing “worthless watered stocks” that are then used to borrow money. He believes that preventing these stocks would end financial panics and the need for a protective tariff.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-11
Elihu Root provides a letter of introduction for Charles W. McMurran, a journalist from New York.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-24
Charles Freeman Johnson of the People’s National Legal Ethics Society requests President Taft’s support for the reform of legal procedure to prevent needless litigation and lawyer misconduct.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-18
Albert Henry Walker fears that the independence of the federal judiciary can lead to irresponsible behavior as federal judges can only be removed through impeachment. He suggests that federal judges should be able to be recalled similar to the plan for state judges in Arizona. He supports his suggestion with the case of Judge Henry W. Blodgett who altered his judicial conduct after facing potential impeachment. He also points to Judge R. W. Archbald whose current deviations from impartial justice cannot be corrected.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-09
Supervising Inspector Harris of the Steamboat Inspection Service claims that he has been mistreated for his reform efforts. Harris was appointed to his current position by President Roosevelt after the General Slocum disaster and believes that he has been a successful administrator and reformer. He requests that President Taft examine his record and judge his performance.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-07-31
D. C. Resnick claims that his previous advice has been ignored to President Taft’s detriment. Resnick is disappointed with Taft for his treatment of Theodore Roosevelt, the removal of Roosevelt men in the public service, and support for high tariffs. Resnick believes that if Taft fails to agree to the wool tariff schedule, he can never be elected to a second term.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-07-31
William Borsodi warns President Taft that the invitation to appear at an advertising convention in Boston, Massachusetts is an attempt to construe his presence to be an endorsement of its “unhealthy policy” to “swell the volume of advertising” at the expense of business.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-16
Judge Speer requests assistance for Cecil Morgan, a long time deputy clerk at a circuit court in Georgia. Morgan is Speer’s brother-in-law and under new regulations Morgan will be forced to retire due to their familial ties. Speer hopes that President Taft will lend his support for the relief of Morgan.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-12
On behalf of Sojourners Lodge #874, Clinton G. Carty invites President Taft to attend the cornerstone laying of a new Masonic Temple at Cristobal, Canal Zone, Panama.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-03
H. S. Jeffery has applied to be Chief Inspector and received recommendations from congressmen and professional societies. It appears that Mr. Deans, a prominent railroad official, received the applications from the Interstate Commerce Commission and decided that Jeffery is not a suitable candidate due to his support of the Locomotive Boiler Inspection Bill. Jeffery believes that he has been wronged and requests that President Taft take up the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-14
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1910-02-11
Knox, Philander C. (Philander Chase), 1853-1921
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1910-02-17
Swift, Lucius B. (Lucius Burrie), 1844-1929
Bishop Brent defends the success of the International Opium Commission, of which he was President. He wanted to secure unanimity on the resolutions it passed, and so could not be as stringent as he wanted due to the interests of Great Britain. He encourages President Taft to push the matter of the International Opium Conference.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-12-29
Oscar S. Straus declines President Taft’s offer to be Ambassador to Turkey because he has already spent many years there in various capacities. He is interested in being appointed to Japan or an equally important European mission if that is possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-03-13
Harry Johnston enjoyed meeting President-elect Taft and his wife, Helen Herron Taft, during their Panama Canal inspection. Johnson is optimistic about Taft’s plan for a dam at Gatun, but advises that the city of Colón poses another significant threat to the Canal. He offers suggestions for improving Colón’s dated and unsafe infrastructure.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-02
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge has written to Ambassador Reid that Reid will remain at his post until August, at which point a successor will replace him. Reid recommends that President-Elect Taft wait to replace him, both because of Reid’s family’s needs and because if a successor came instead in June he would arrive when the King, Court, Ministers, and Parliament were all in session. The rumor that Reid announced he would remain at his post under Taft’s administration is false and Reid published a contradictory statement when it was brought to his attention.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-22
Assistant Attorney General Cooley recommends Harry Skinner, current Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, to President-Elect Taft for the appointment as District Judge. Cooley cites Skinner’s handling of Internal Revenue Service cases as evidence of his qualification and notes that he was an “outspoken Taft man” despite popular support for Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou. Cooley hopes he has not troubled Taft with the letter, as he has already communicated its contents to President Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-11
John Ripley Freeman has spoken to a number of people about the Panama Canal who are sure that it will ultimately be built as a sea-level canal, but Freeman does not believe this will be the case. The current slipping at Gatun has done nothing to shake Freeman’s confidence in this, and he has communicated as such to Senator Kittredge, who he met by chance recently. Freeman sends Taft a copy of a book relating to the work of the New York State Water Supply Commission which references a pair of earth dams that he was formerly involved with.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-19