Alger, George W. (George William), 1872-1967 |

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt will send William H. Taft a copy of his letter to Representatives Henry C. Loudenslager and William Brown McKinley. He wonders if Taft has seen George W. Alger’s recent article on Taft, which Roosevelt believes should be widely circulated. Roosevelt agrees Taft should give a number of big speeches in several states and earnestly wants Taft’s personality to be more evident. Regarding Governor Charles Evans Hughes, Roosevelt still thinks he should be renominated. He discusses the guaranty of bank deposits but can offer no advice on the subject.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Walter Chadwick Noyes

President Roosevelt informs Walter Chadwick Noyes that his commission as judge will be sent within the next few days. Roosevelt also tells Noyes how much he enjoyed meeting and conversing with him, and notes that the title of a volume they discussed is Moral Overstrain, by George W. Alger.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Simeon E. Baldwin

Theodore Roosevelt has not received Judge Baldwin’s letter, but has seen extracts from it in newspapers and wishes to answer some of Baldwin’s accusations. The quotations Baldwin references were from incorrect transcriptions of Roosevelt’s speech, which Roosevelt corrects by summarizing the main points of his speech. Roosevelt does not believe that people, driven by desperation, cannot be bound to contracts that do not protect them in case of injury. Referencing George W. Alger’s Moral Overstrain, Roosevelt notes that many judges have taken the opposite position and, while he is sure they are legally sound, he believes they are nevertheless retrogressive in this view. As Baldwin agrees with these other judges in his own legal decisions, Roosevelt felt justified in saying he was not progressive.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry L. Stimson

Theodore Roosevelt encloses a copy of his article on the judiciary and would like Henry L. Stimson to send it back to him as soon as possible with changes, editions, and suggestions. Roosevelt has also sent a copy to George W. Alger and asked him to give it to New York Supreme Court Justice John Proctor Clarke.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Gardiner Howland Shaw

Theodore Roosevelt advises Gardiner Howland Shaw regarding his future plans, as he will graduate from Harvard in just a few months. (Shaw’s father, Henry Russell Shaw, was a Harvard classmate of Roosevelt’s, and died in 1904.) Roosevelt advises against studying law for a year if Shaw does not intend to be a lawyer. He recommends that Shaw meet with Arthur Dehon Hill, who was district attorney in Boston. If Shaw is ultimately interested in politics, Roosevelt suggests an apprenticeship at a newspaper. Shaw should not look for a diplomatic position until he acquires some experience in local politics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William R. Day

President Roosevelt encloses a copy of George W. Alger’s “Moral Overstrain.” He hopes Judge Day will pay special attention to the last two chapters. Roosevelt has been struggling with how much to fight for the labor and working classes in light of recent court decisions. He does not know how to balance respect for the law and rights of legislatures with what he believes are basic rights that workers should be afforded, and is concerned with making sure that he does not diminish respect for the courts. He encloses a telegram he sent to Judge Willard Bartlett of New York last fall regarding Bartlett’s request for support.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-01-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Willard Bartlett

President Roosevelt does not suspect Judge Bartlett of working against him. Roosevelt is concerned that New York judges interpret the law in ways that limit social and industrial reform. He has always liked Bartlett, but wonders if he believes in interpreting the Constitution so that it might help help bring justice to the common people. Roosevelt understands that many other Republicans do not agree with him, but wants to give Bartlett an idea of how he believes a judge should approach the law.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick Morgan Davenport

President Roosevelt appreciates Professor Davenport’s article in The Outlook. Roosevelt believes that he has dealt fairly with labor unions, although sometimes he has acted to keep them in check.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles C. Burlingham

President Roosevelt trusts Charles C. Burlingham’s judgement, but explains that he not only has to consider Charles M. Hough’s character, but also how the public might view him. While Roosevelt is sure that he would be a good judge, his connection with railroad interests might harm his reputation with the public, as Roosevelt has seen happen with some judges in western states. Roosevelt does not believe he will appoint George W. Alger, but encourages Burlingham to read his articles in the Atlantic Monthly and then get in contact with him, as Roosevelt believes Alger could be of some use.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Collier Platt

President Roosevelt agrees with Senator Platt that Thomas I. Chatfield is a good candidate, but he is not from the correct district in New York, which could cause problems if he were appointed. Concerning the other candidates, Roosevelt believes that Charles M. Hough best meets the requirements. While there had been concern regarding Hough’s connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad, Roosevelt has come to the conclusion that they do not impact Hough’s qualifications for the position, and that he can be trusted to deal with corporations fairly. Roosevelt encloses three letters supporting this position.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Collier Platt

President Roosevelt wishes he could have seen Senator Platt before Platt left on vacation, as he would have liked to discuss the question of the New York judgeship with him. Roosevelt does not believe Robert C. Morris fits the requirements of the position, but is reluctant to appoint Charles M. Hough because of his ties with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Roosevelt comments on some other candidates as well, and guesses that he will be able to write to Platt on the matter more definitively in a couple days.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

William H. Taft is glad to see the rough draft of President Roosevelt’s letter to Representatives Henry C. Loudenslager and William Brown McKinley. He has not seen George W. Alger’s article. The New York situation concerns Taft, and he hopes Roosevelt will secure Governor Charles Evans Hughes’ renomination. He has no intentions of making the guaranty of bank deposits an issue and believes the system is erroneous.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-01

Creator(s)

Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930

Answers without looking

Theodore Roosevelt recently responded to the open letter of Judge Simeon E. Baldwin, Democratic nominee for Governor of Connecticut, accusing Roosevelt of slander. In his speech, Roosevelt clarified his actual statement, which had been misquoted, and expanded upon his opinion that the statements of several judges, including Baldwin, regarding the unconstitutionality of enacting labor legislation limiting the hours of work was “a retrogressive attitude” and one which the Republican party opposed. While Roosevelt is sure that the judges holding these attitudes are honorable men, he strongly opposes their views.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-10-25

Creator(s)

Unknown

The books that I read and when and how I do my reading

In his article for Ladies’ Home Journal, Theodore Roosevelt describes the benefits of reading and provides advice on how to get people of any age interested in reading “serious literature.” Roosevelt elaborates on his reading habits and book selection processes, which stem from both his current mood and educational desires.

Collection

Marple Collection

Creation Date

1915-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919