Your TR Source
President Roosevelt thanks Representative Madden for the letter, and tells him how much he appreciates Madden’s support towards the cause of good government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-25
President Roosevelt regrets not being able to be present at the meeting in honor of the late Carl Schurz, and instead hopes to be able to express his appreciation for Schurz through Harry Rubens. Roosevelt praises Schurz as having upheld the policies of Abraham Lincoln and as having been a champion of civil service reform and sound money policy. He also holds Schurz’s biographies of Lincoln and Henry Clay in high regard, as well as his other writings.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-28
President Roosevelt believes that John Watson Yerkes in Kentucky stands strong in favor of civil service reforms against “the assaults of Senators and Congressmen and the spirit of Yale ’78 as embodied in the Secretary of War.” He asks Secretary of War Taft why he thinks Ingram is a good candidate when he was an inefficient clerk under Yerkes.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-01-24
President Roosevelt regrets having to send Jacob A. Riis a letter from Commissioner of Internal Revenue John Watson Yerkes, but believes that he either has to stand by Yerkes, “or give up every pretence [sic] of cleaning up and rendering more efficient the internal revenue service.” When Yerkes previously tried to remove inefficient men from the Internal Revenue Service, they would frequently try to appeal to Roosevelt to reinstate them, and Roosevelt has pledged to stand by Yerkes in his attempt to improve the service. While he would like to oblige Riis and Paul Underwood Kellogg in this instance, he does not feel that he can.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-08-17
President Roosevelt believes if Carl Schurz will vote for Alton B. Parker after Parker’s speech on the Philippines, then he will be satisfied with Parker’s civil service law. Roosevelt wishes that Schurz would tell the “plain truth” about Roosevelt’s work in civil service law, which has surpassed that of any previous President. He has put a “pretty stiff” statement about civil service reform in his letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-22
President Roosevelt outlines his accomplishments while in office for Elihu Root’s address to the Republican National Convention. Roosevelt highlights his international relations with China, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, and the Philippines; discusses all acts and legislation associated with Alaska; highlights the establishment of the Department of Commerce and Labor as well as the United States Treasury reform; and touches on the civil rights and laws for the Indian populations of North America.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-02
President Roosevelt wants it understood that positions in the White House, such as telegrapher and clerk, must be treated as special due to the confidential nature of the work. Great damage can be done by men in these positions, such as the recent unauthorized publication of War Department documents. Roosevelt is also distressed by the civil service reformers and their support for Mrs. Taylor’s suit. The suit is making it difficult to remove “recalcitrant clerks” and Roosevelt fears that this is damaging public service.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-07-30
President Roosevelt will not investigate the dismissal of Mrs. Taylor because she clearly criticized her superiors in public.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-06-17
President Roosevelt goes over his thoughts on the Executive Order issued by President Cleveland that limits the political activity of public servants. Roosevelt finds the wording of the order to be exceedingly vague and it implementation uneven. Roosevelt would like there to be a distinction between the activity allowed to public servants within the classified service and those outside the classified service.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-06-13
President Roosevelt dismisses the slanderous articles regarding Evans’s departure because he knows that Evans resigned. Roosevelt also defends James Clarkson as an “honorable and capable man” even though Clarkson opposed civil service reform.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-05-12
President Roosevelt is opposed to the enclosed resolution but will not take official notice of it. He considers it a simple effort to retain Edward McSweeney in his current position.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-04-15
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt informs Melvin C. Apman that he will try to “stir up the friends of civil service reform” and hopes Apman and his associates will continue the work.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-09-16
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt is interested in the Police Commissioner Board and feels for Police Commissioner Andrews in this crisis. He is surprised by Police Commissioner Frank Moss’s efforts to reconcile with Police Commissioner Andrew D. Parker. Andrews can show Moss the rest of the letter if he wants. Roosevelt hopes promotions will be made in a way that will not hurt civil service reform.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt reports to Woodrow Wilson the disappointing outcome of E. I. Renick’s case. Secretary of the Navy Long refused Roosevelt’s proposed positions for Renick. Roosevelt suggests that Wilson write to Long expressing regret that the custom of giving a turned-out chief clerk a new position has not been followed and that civil service reformers and gold democrats would appreciate Long acting on Renick’s behalf.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-04-29
At the suggestion of Senator Dixon, Senator Bristow provides observations on trusts, the judiciary, and the civil service that he would like to see incorporated into the platform of Theodore Roosevelt’s new party. He suggests amending the Sherman Act and advocates for widespread adoption of the initiative, referendum, and recall. Bristow would like to reorganize the federal courts to make them more responsive to modern conditions and public opinion. He would like the civil service to be based on an elective system to remove patronage and free the president to focus more on general public welfare as opposed to appointments. Bristow concludes by suggesting that the party only be referred to as the “progressive party” as this is more positive then the new or third party.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-07-15
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
President-Elect Taft advises President Roosevelt to veto the bill in response to Congress’s refusal to put the Census Bureau under the Civil Service Act. Taft believes that vetoing it will help to put an end to the “pernicious spoils system.” Taft reports that Representative Joseph R. Foraker claims Taft and Roosevelt have taken money from an emergency fund unlawfully and has requested that they make their expenditures public. Taft details the expenditures he has made over the past four years from the fund, most of which covered his travel expenses. Taft reasons it may not be in the best interest of the public to reveal all of the expenditures, but recognizes that failure to do so would “create such a row.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-01-13
Richard Henry Dana tells Elliott H. Goodwin that he thinks they should find out what William Dudley Foulke thinks about Goodwin’s idea to investigate presidential appointments. If Foulke is willing to conduct the investigation, they might be able to bring elements of the situation to light, and advance the cause of civil service reform.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-20
William Dudley Foulke tells Elliot H. Goodwin that he is always in favor of investigation of improper use of patronage, but thinks that the suggestion to investigate the use of patronage in favor of William H. Taft, as suggested by the Indianapolis News, does not make sense. Foulke also tells Goodwin about some of the proceedings of a recent Indiana Civil Service Reform Association meeting.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-22
William Dudley Foulke writes to President Roosevelt about accusations that Roosevelt is manipulating patronage in favor of Secretary of War William H. Taft’s candidacy. Foulke presented a statement from Roosevelt to the executive committee of the Indiana Civil Service Reform Association and offered an investigation of the matter, but the critics of Roosevelt did not want that, and instead demanded a blanket statement against official interference. Foulke sends Roosevelt a copy of a statement he gave to the Indianapolis News for his own information.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-23