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Theodore Roosevelt sends holiday wishes to both John Callan O’Laughlin and Mabel Hudson O’Laughlin. Roosevelt wants O’Laughlin to stop by to discuss several things in his letters. He wishes he could use Senator William Edgar Borah and Senator Joseph M. Dixon, as he thinks they are both trumps.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-23
President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Bonaparte that it is simply a matter of expediency whether or not someone should resign from a federal office when running for an elected position, and trusts Bonaparte’s judgement. The president also believes that New Mexico District Attorney William H. H. Llewellyn and his people are incorrect about Department of Justice agents Ormsby McHarg and Peyton Gordon willfully telling lies, and Roosevelt has received a number of letters confirming this belief. Roosevelt will discuss the Idaho land fraud case with Bonaparte when he sees him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-14
President Roosevelt thinks that the Landis-Sims-Wilkerson matter will gradually resolve itself after they confer with the judge. He does not understand Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch’s telegram and asks Attorney General Bonaparte whether Burch is proceeding against all of the defendants or only Senator William Edgar Borah.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-07
President Roosevelt is pleased with Attorney General Bonaparte’s telegram to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick and gives some suggestions for the follow-up letter. He congratulates Bonaparte “on the way you have handled the matter.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-26
President Roosevelt details how Attorney General Bonaparte is to respond to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick, using quotations from various correspondences.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-24
President Roosevelt directs Attorney General Bonaparte to release United States District Attorney Asa. P. French’s letter publicly. He asks if Bonaparte can visit to discuss Senator William Edgar Borah’s case. Roosevelt needs time and information to make a decision, and requests copies of communications from United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-23
President Roosevelt agrees with Attorney General Bonaparte’s conclusions in the Standard Oil and Chicago Alton Railroad case. While he thinks Bonaparte’s letter to Henry Lee Higginson is admirable, Roosevelt thinks it best not to publish it and open himself to further attacks by the press. He cautions against attending the conference of attorney generals. Roosevelt suggests how to respond to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick and handle the situation in New Mexico.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-22
President Roosevelt instructs Attorney General Bonaparte to stop investigating the matter involving William B. Sheppard, and to fill out his appointment as the judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Roosevelt has directed Special Assistant Attorney General Ormsby McHarg to continue the prosecution in New Mexico. While Roosevelt feels that McHarg lacks the experience to handle the case, he understands that halting the prosecution would likely result in the statute of limitations coming into play. He hopes to send Assistant Attorney General Alford Warriner Cooley to new Mexico to help take up the matter. Bonaparte should continue insisting on an immediate separate trial for Senator William Edgar Borah. The press continually attacks Roosevelt and Bonaparte.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-15
President Roosevelt enjoyed visiting with Attorney General Bonaparte and agrees with his views of United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick and Senator William Edgar Borah. In a postscript, Roosevelt discusses how Ruick has been “playing a sharp, clever, tricky game” and hopes Francis J. Heney can take over. Roosevelt shares his thoughts on the situation in New Mexico.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-12
President Roosevelt sends an editorial for Attorney General Bonaparte to comment on, as well as a rough draft of his speech for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, which he asks Bonaparte to read and comment upon as soon as possible. Roosevelt discusses the railroad rate case in North Carolina, bemoaning the “yellow press” coverage of the situation. In the matter of the case against Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah, Roosevelt agrees with Bonaparte and the action that must be taken, but feels obligated to meet with Borah’s representatives.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-02
President Roosevelt invites William Allen White and a lawyer or lawyers representing Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah to meet him and Attorney Charles J. Bonaparte to Oyster Bay to discuss the senator’s case on August 9.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-30
President Roosevelt shares his thoughts regarding the upcoming presidential election and the land fraud case against Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah with William Allen White. Roosevelt outlines his personal reasons for supporting Secretary of War William H. Taft for president as well as the political considerations necessary to secure his nomination. In the case of Borah, Roosevelt would like White to come to Oyster Bay to discuss the matter with him and Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte; Roosevelt thinks it would look bad for Borah to come himself, and asks White to bring Borah’s lawyers on August 9.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-30
President Roosevelt tells Idaho Governor Gooding that William Allen White, of the Emporia Gazette, made a similar suggestion to Gooding’s, for Roosevelt and Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte to meet with Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah to discuss his case. Roosevelt does not think meeting Borah himself is a good idea, but would like to meet with his lawyers and the attorney general, if possible by August 9.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-30
President Roosevelt asks Idaho Governor Gooding to arrange a meeting between him, Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, and Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah’s lawyers on August 9.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-30
President Roosevelt considers Oscar K. Davis’s reporting on the land fraud case in Idaho to be admirable and gives his word careful consideration. Roosevelt believes that the worst thing he can do is to be seen as shielding Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah from prosecution, but if what Davis says about the grand jury proceedings is true, he will remove District Attorney N. M. Ruick at once. Roosevelt will bring up the matter with Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-20
President Roosevelt approves of Attorney General Bonaparte’s handling of Japanese seal poachers in the Bering Sea. Roosevelt sends a letter from a reporter to Secretary of War William H. Taft about Senator William Edgar Borah.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-19
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on various matters before the Department of Justice, specifically pertaining to the cases of William Edgar Borah and N. M. Ruick. Bonaparte also goes into great detail about the case of the People of Puerto Rico vs. the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church in Puerto Rico. He encourages Roosevelt not to get involved but instead to let the courts work it out. In a postscript, Bonaparte discusses the political considerations of federal appointees who run for elective office.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-15
Attorney General Bonaparte forwards President Roosevelt a telegram he received from Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch regarding the misconduct of District Attorney N. M. Ruick. Bonaparte asks Roosevelt to wire him with any instructions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-13
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on several political matters. He believes the evidence that could be brought against Senator William Edgar Borah is not enough to convict him, but it is likely that Borah knew about the conspiracy. Bonaparte also wants to talk with Roosevelt about what is going on in the New Mexico Territory and the charges made against William H. H. Llewellyn. Finally, Bonaparte mentions a letter he received from W. Hall Harris about whether he should resign the postmastership in order to accept the nomination for a judgeship in Baltimore, Maryland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-11
Attorney General Bonaparte informs President Roosevelt about a variety of telegrams he has received pertaining to current issues, such as the trial in Idaho concerning Senator William Edgar Borah, the work of Special Assistant U.S. District Attorney Grace Humiston (Mrs. Quackenbos), and a revised constitution for the Territory of Oklahoma.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-10