Your TR Source
President Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan appear as roosters. Roosevelt has just pulled off Bryan’s last tail feather labeled “Curb the Trusts.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-05
Theodore Roosevelt believes the Anti-Trust Law must be kept but is useless by itself. He asks Frank B. Kellogg to read his Carnegie Hall speech on the question of the review of judicial decisions, especially his quote from William Draper Lewis, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-03-25
Theodore Roosevelt tells Felix H. Levy he does not doubt Levy’s ability to write the antitrust law, but the articles should not be published.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1916-02-03
Upon hearing that Lawrence F. Abbott agrees with his position on the anti-trust law, President Roosevelt encloses a letter he sent to Seth Low. In the letter, Roosevelt responds to a letter from Low stating that many New York businessmen want him to amend the law to simply include the word “reasonable.” Roosevelt believes that taking such action would amount to “throw[ing] up our hands and return[ing] to the industrial chaos” that the law is attempting to remedy.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-03
President Roosevelt diagnoses the root cause of the current financial crisis as the public’s lack of confidence caused by the revelations of corrupt practices among several prominent businessmen. In fact, Roosevelt believes such a crisis was inevitable in light of dishonest business practices, and that his policies merely exposed them sooner than expected. Despite this, Roosevelt cannot regret his decisions and can only resolve to do what he can to restore confidence.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-16
President Roosevelt writes to Seth Low that he believes the Sherman law should be modified to permit business combination when the combination is not against the interests of the people. Roosevelt thanks Low for his comments about Roosevelt’s speeches and for his thoughts on the present situation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-30
President Roosevelt informs Attorney General Bonaparte of a meeting he had with Judge Elbert H. Gary and Henry Clay Frick regarding the potential failure of an important Wall Street firm, Moore and Schley. The firm is heavily invested in the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company. Gary and Frick propose that the United States Steel Company purchase that stock from the firm to prevent its failure. This purchase could expose United States Steel to an antitrust attack from the government, but Gary and Frick explain why it would not constitute a monopoly, and feel strongly that preventing the firm’s failure would be in everyone’s best interest. Roosevelt told them that while he could not advise them to take the proposed action, he felt it was not his duty to tell them not to.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-04
President Roosevelt tells Walker Hill that most businessmen and politicians feel that calling on Congress to deal with the current financial crisis would do more harm than good. Roosevelt agrees with the legislation Hill suggests and has asked for it repeatedly but does not know if he will be able to get it from Congress.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-04
President Roosevelt tells John A. Sleicher that he is not sure he can get the legislation to address the current financial crisis from Congress. He urged for reforms to currency and trust laws in his 1905 and 1906 messages to Congress to no avail.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-04
President Roosevelt appreciates Judge Grosscup’s suggestions regarding trust legislation, but given the depth of his knowledge on the subject and progress the legislation has already made, Roosevelt would prefer suggestions that are concrete and definite.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-28
President Roosevelt is pleased with the conclusion Attorney General Bonaparte came to and appreciates his advice. Roosevelt suggests edits for Bonaparte’s letter and memorandum addressed to William H. Murray on the Oklahoma constitution matter. This exchange is likely related to objections Roosevelt had to segregationist and racist clauses in the new state constitution. In a post script, Roosevelt mentions an editorial that advises similar action to that which Bonaparte advised in connection with Assistant Attorney General James Clark McReynolds and tobacco antitrust cases.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-09
President Roosevelt does not know what to say about a conversation Senator Lodge had with Governor Curtis Guild about railroad mergers in Massachusetts, but suggests that Lodge tell Guild that Roosevelt acted at Lodge’s request.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-17
President Roosevelt informs Attorney General Bonaparte that he has directed the Department of Commerce and Labor to make the census of Oklahoma Territory that Bonaparte suggested. Roosevelt trusts Bonaparte’s judgement regarding a novel way to deal with the illegal tobacco trusts that had recently been proposed. Roosevelt would prefer to see the trust offenders put in prison, but thinks the seizure of businesses acquired against the law will be almost as effective.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-20
President Roosevelt believes Eugene Gano Hay’s letter is so important, he has sent it to gubernatorial candidate Charles Evans Hughes. Roosevelt agrees with Hay’s assertion that political adversaries to trust regulation believe falsely that “the choice is between absolute lack of regulation of the trusts and Government ownership.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-07
President Roosevelt has received Senator Lodge’s letter, and has written a message to Representative William Peters Hepburn, of which William Loeb encloses a copy. Roosevelt would be glad if Lodge showed the message to Senator Shelby M. Cullom and Senator Stephen B. Elkins.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-29
President Roosevelt commends the importance of Colonel McCook’s letter. He did not know of the incidents that McCook said happened under President William McKinley but has been assured that railroad and rebate law has been well-enforced in the 18 months of his own administration. Surprised to hear McCook’s opinion, Roosevelt strongly disagrees that there is no occasion for new legislation on the subject of railroad rates and rebates. Roosevelt says both he and Attorney General William Henry Moody believe that the problem cannot simply be fixed by ensuring existing penalties are enforced. Roosevelt asks for permission to share McCook’s letter with Moody.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-10
Theodore Roosevelt writes to Henry W. Taft about Alton Parker’s speech on trusts and common law. Roosevelt views Parker’s position as related to the Democratic state convention’s declaration that states, and not the federal government, should regulate trusts. To Roosevelt, this is an abandonment of every effective attempt by the nation to regulate trusts, and he notes that it could result in Parker receiving several million in campaign donations from Wall Street.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-01
President Roosevelt writes to Joseph Gurney Cannon, Chairman of the Notification Committee, to formally accept his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and to approve the platform adopted by the Republican National Convention. In the letter, Roosevelt provides a comprehensive defense of his foreign and domestic policies and outlines what he believes are the major differences between the Republican and Democratic parties in the upcoming election. Roosevelt discusses, among other topics, his position on international relations, antitrust legislation, tariffs, the gold standard, pensions for Civil War veterans, the military, civil service, commerce, agriculture, taxation, and self-government in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-12
President Roosevelt believes that John Clay Davies has conducted himself well as the New York Attorney General. In terms of the beef trust, Roosevelt does not believe that Congress would give the President the power to suspend the tariff.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-05-12
President Roosevelt disagrees strongly with Paul Dana’s stance against the government’s regulation of trusts. He has consulted a number of Republican leaders and prominent businessmen and feels to do less than he has proposed to regulate trusts would fracture the Republican Party.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-11-18