Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt agrees with Secretary of War Taft that Culver C. Sniffen should be appointed Paymaster General and asks Taft to notify General Fred C. Ainsworth. He approves of Taft’s proposed travel arrangements for the Panama trip and is “extremely pleased” that Taft sent his speech to the Maine Committee to be reviewed by Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon or Representative Charles E. Littlefield. He sympathizes with Helen Herron Taft’s views of William Jennings Bryan. In a postscript, Roosevelt advices sending men to Cuba at once as “we cannot afford to neglect any chance of learning the situation down there.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edgar E. Clark

President Roosevelt strongly believes his administration “has had no stouter friend” than Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon. In response to the movement to prevent Cannon’s reelection in his district, Roosevelt asks Edgar E. Clark if he can help.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frank P. Sargent

President Roosevelt strongly believes his administration “has had no stouter friend” than Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon. In response to the movement to prevent Cannon’s reelection in his district, Roosevelt asks Commissioner Sargent if he can help.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James E. Watson

President Roosevelt thanks Representative Watson for his willingness to help the Congressional Committee in the upcoming election, and outlines what he thinks are some of the major accomplishments of Congress and relevant points of the Republican platform. Roosevelt believes that the “real evils in our industrial and economic system” have been and will continue to be addressed by “resolute and intelligent legislation and executive action.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge that he has forwarded the letter from William E. Alger to Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon. He agrees with Lodge about Frederick Scott Oliver’s book, and admits that he could not help telling Oliver what Lodge thought about it, because he knew it would bring Oliver Joy. Roosevelt hopes Lodge still approves of his recent letter now that it is published, and notes a change he made to it, backing a recent statement by Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt does not believe it would be wise for him to discuss immigration in the letter he is writing for James E. Watson, as the purpose of the letter is to influence votes rather than influence Congress. Roosevelt has discussed the tariff issue with several congressmen, and while he wants to work with the people responsible for the House campaign, he disagrees with the use of the phrase ‘stand pat.’

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to J. S. Sherman

President Roosevelt sends J. S. Sherman a copy of a letter he wrote to Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon for him to make public, and wishes particularly to call attention to what he said about the tariff. Roosevelt does not know that anything can be done about the labor movements at present because of the unreasonable attitude of labor leaders, but hopes to be able to show reasonable labor people that they are “far more genuinely their friends than the frothy and sinister demagogues who are opposed to us.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt authorizes Secretary of War Taft to use funds to stable the cavalry at Boise, Idaho as General Fred C. Ainsworth mentioned. Roosevelt additionally comments on several appointments, saying he believes that Walston H. Brown should be allowed to carry out his proposal, that he has decided to appoint James Shanklin Harlan to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and that he is inclined to appoint Horace H. Lurton, which will necessitate appointing a new Circuit Court Judge. Roosevelt also writes at length about some recent articles by Poultney Bigelow which contain some “slanderous falsehood,” but about which he believes some response should be made.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt sends Secretary of State Root a letter of greeting and congratulations on the success of his recent trip to Central America. Roosevelt has enjoyed the rest he has had over the summer and is now beginning to work on the fall electoral campaigns. While the recent Congress has been very productive, Roosevelt fears that “the time has about come for the swinging of the pendulum,” and mentions some areas he believes the Republicans are weak. Secretary of War William H. Taft has decided to not accept a position on the Supreme Court, which may put him in the ranks of possible presidential candidates. Local New York elections for governor have shown Benjamin B. Odell as having an advantage over Governor Frank Wayland Higgins.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge that he plans to “convulse the googoos and mugwumps with horror by taking the chance to write a letter making as strong a plea as I know how for the election of a Republican Congress.” He agrees with Lodge regarding organized labor, and comments on several political candidates. Roosevelt additionally describes some of his recent sailing and rowing adventures he has gone on with his family.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James E. Watson

President Roosevelt tells Representative Watson that he will gladly write the letter that Watson asked for, but recommends that he collaborate with Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon and Representative J. S. Sherman to determine when the letter would be most beneficial. He wonders if it would be better to write the letter as a response to a letter from Watson, rather than appearing to be of his own initiative, which Roosevelt worries may make it appear like he is attempting to interfere.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George C. Pardee

After receiving Governor Pardee’s letter President Roosevelt took up the matter with Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon. He has not been able to arrange anything definite yet, but is still trying.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Eugene E. Schmitz

After receiving San Francisco Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz’s telegram, President Roosevelt took up the matter with Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon. He has not been able to arrange anything definite yet but is still trying.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Nelson W. Aldrich

President Roosevelt sends Senator Aldrich a copy of his letter to Commissioner of Indian Affairs Francis E. Leupp and his reply. He enjoyed their recent discussion and spoke of it with several men, including Secretary of War Taft, who corrected him about the Philippine sugar schedule. However, he told them that he and Aldrich had not made a definite agreement; rather, the purpose of the conversation was to discuss the potential of a policy that could be generally agreed upon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William B. Allison

President Roosevelt has written to Senator Allison, Senator Nelson W. Aldrich, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon, and Representative John Dalzell about the possibility of tariff negotiations with Germany taking place in Berlin. Roosevelt has decided to have Ambassador Charlemagne Tower take up the matter. He asks Allison to write a full set of instructions for Tower as soon as possible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie M. Shaw

President Roosevelt asks Secretary of the Treasury Shaw if it is preferable to send a skilled man to Germany to negotiate the tariff matter. Roosevelt wants to avoid a tariff war and keep relations with Germany as friendly as possible. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Francis B. Loomis

President Roosevelt suggests to Acting Secretary of State that Admiral Melvil Dewey should go ahead of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, although behind Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon and Vice President Charles Fairbanks.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Victor Freemont Lawson

President Roosevelt corrects newspaper reports regarding the appointment of circuit court judges in Chicago for Victor F. Lawson of the Chicago Daily News. Roosevelt outlines his thinking regarding the decision between appointing several men, and future plans for potential appointees who are not appointed at this time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt tells Kermit Roosevelt he has been out horse-riding, despite the cold weather. He details a recent ride with Dan Moore, whose horse ran away, and it took time to find him. The family is well overall. Although, his cousin Granville “Roly” Fortescue acquired “a most gorgeous pair of black eyes” after boxing with Roosevelt. The Senate continues to frustrate Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Paul-Henri-Benjamin Balluet, baron d’ Estournelles de Constant

President Roosevelt informs French Baron d’Estournelles de Constant that he cannot visit France at this time, as the unwritten custom states that the president cannot leave the United States during his term of office. However, Roosevelt will do his best to get Congress to accept d’Estournelles de Constant’s invitation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919