Competition

Newspaper clipping quoting Theodore Roosevelt regarding competition in business. Roosevelt also reminds conservatives that the unfair methods used by businessmen have created more discontent than the rhetoric of all the socialist orators put together, a point which was underlined by a reader.

Comments and Context

This clipping comes from a letter by Fred L. King in which the author states he wants Roosevelt to know he is a “live case” to prove Roosevelt’s points are correct. The phrase quoted can also be attributed to Roosevelt in multiple newspapers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Charles Richard Van Hise speaks of the nuances present in monopolies and unrestricted competition in the American economy. Van Hise gives the railroads system as an example of successful use of commissions with no price competition. His thesis proposes there can be great economic advantage to maintain a concentration of industry and therefore those corporations should not be broken up by enforcing the Sherman Act. Instead, commissions should be created to determine prices and Van Hise provides a list of powers these commissions should have and how to achieve success.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-09

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary explains to D. S. Greenwood that Roosevelt receives numerous similar requests and cannot respond. Roosevelt has already spoken about eliminating the middleman. He shares a block quote on the matter from one of Roosevelt’s recent addresses.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-26

Theodore Roosevelt asks Mary J. B. Frazer to congratulate the father and mother of the prize-winning baby and all parents who participated. He encloses a handkerchief from Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt for the winner.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-15

President Roosevelt congratulates Ernest Von Lengerke on his achievement in winning the schoolboy championship in the shooting contest at the Sportsmen’s Show. Roosevelt believes that in a nation like the United States, with important international responsibilities and a small standing army, it is important for citizens to know how to shoot well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-11

H. B. Jones thinks Theodore Roosevelt can do more in the present than ever before. He reflects on commercial competition and the harm it caused in leading to wage reductions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-27

Frank W. Coolbaugh shares W. T. Marshall’s views as expressed in his recent letter to the North American, “Trusts Retard Progress.” It is competition that has allowed the United States to develop so quickly into an industrial power, and the elimination of competition through the establishment of trusts has left the country with its resources only half developed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-29

Bernard Nadal Baker sends Theodore Roosevelt a brief summary of the matter about which he had recently hoped to speak with him. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which is controlled by trans-continental railway interests, is seeking to crowd out any competition sailing from San Francisco to Panama. Baker feels that the question of developing commerce via Panama is of substantial national importance, and hopes eventually to be able to discuss the matter with him in person

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-09-29

Maurice Francis Egan writes to President Roosevelt regarding the competition to produce a bronze sculpture of Commodore John Barry. John Boyle has sent Roosevelt a bronze model already and is attempting to sway the competition in his favor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-07

Edgar S. Wilson says that the other fellow cannot say it as well as President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-31

The speech discusses what it means to be “truly conservative” and distinguishes between being a true conservative and what it means to be radical. The author discusses farming and farmers, railroads, the Panama Canal, and the Sherman Act.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

Unknown

An annoyed Uncle Sam sits against a full moon with his hands over his ears. He is caught between the noise of the “G.O.P. Salvation Army” with William H. Taft on the bass drum and James S. Sherman on the cymbals, and “The Bryan Volunteers of America” with William Jennings Bryan also on the bass drum, Samuel Gompers on the cymbals, John W. Kern singing, Alton B. Parker with a large bell, and Henry Watterson with a tambourine, among others. Uncle Sam has papers labeled “Agricultural Prospects” and “Industrial Reports” spread across his lap, “Crop Forecast” in his pocket, and is sitting on papers labeled “Resumption of Business.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

In 1880, Joseph Keppler, founder of Puck and father of Udo J. Keppler, who drew this cartoon, published a similar drawing of partisans of Ulysses S. Grant as the “Political Army of Salvation” — annoyingly singing, banging drums, and parading on behalf of a third term for Grant.

One large hand, labeled “City Tradesman,” has grabbed a family of four from another large hand, labeled “Country Hotel Keeper.” Caption: “Let go there! Give me a chance at ’em! You had ’em all Summer!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-09-20