Your TR Source
President Roosevelt shares his view on railroad rates, currency regulation, and reconstruction with Henry Lee Higginson. He disagrees with Higginson, believing that railroad rates should be further regulated by the federal government, but agrees with him about the need for currency regulation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-11
President Roosevelt asks Judge William P. Potter if he truly believes that it will require a constitutional amendment in order to institute an inheritance tax, and points out that there was a statute for a federal inheritance tax shortly after the adoption of the Constitution. Roosevelt does not believe that much can be done by the individual states in matters concerning the entire nation, and says that “while I am a Jeffersonian in my genuine faith in democracy and popular government, I am a Hamiltonian in my governmental views, especially with reference to the need of the exercise of broad powers by the National Government.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-23
President Roosevelt fundamentally agrees with Henry S. Pritchett and James Ford Rhodes about the Southern question. Although Roosevelt believes it is unwise and impractical to repeal the Fifteenth Amendment now, he does agree it should not have been passed in the first place. The president can also agree with Pritchett and Rhodes that Congress should not press for active enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment; however, it cannot go too far with Mississippi Senator John Sharp Williams having more power than Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon. Roosevelt believes Southern states cannot enforce the laws themselves because they are trying to readopt slavery through peonage. Additionally, Southerners demand the exclusion of African Americans from offices, although Southerners have approved of Roosevelt’s choices for offices in the South on the whole even though the president has appointed some African Americans. Roosevelt insists he has tried Pritchett’s course of action, but it has not worked because the South has not met him even halfway. The president believes cooperation depends on Southerners, and the difficulty will vanish when they “quit lying.” Finally, Roosevelt says he has not observed outside criticism of the South and asks Pritchett how Congress needs to respond since it has not controlled the South. Roosevelt concludes by asking for one specific thing he is doing wrong, as he wants to learn.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-14
President Roosevelt agrees with Secretary of State Hay that the Parker Constitution Club is the “most absurd feature” of the Democratic Party’s presidential campaign. Roosevelt encloses a cartoon that he thinks will amuse Hay. He also worries that the New York governorship race might swing the state’s electoral votes to the Democrats.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-15
President Roosevelt tells Henry W. Taft that he is sorry Taft would not accept the nomination for Governor of New York. Roosevelt thanks Taft for standing up for Roosevelt’s interpretation of the Constitution. Roosevelt believes that if someone wants to bring up his actions towards the Constitution, they should also talk about the South wanting to nullify the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Constitutional Amendments as that is the true violation. He accepts his failure if someone wants to blame him for not protecting those amendments. Roosevelt asks Taft to come to lunch.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-12
President Roosevelt does not know whether he will say anything publicly about the fourteenth amendment, but encloses his position to Booker T. Washington. Roosevelt would like to give African Americans the same “fair treatment” that Secretary of War William H. Taft and Governor Luke E. Wright have given to Filipinos.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-18
President Roosevelt tells Dr. Abbott that he might not mention the Fourteenth Amendment. He wants to highlight Alton B. Parker’s hypocritical attitude towards the Fourteenth Amendment and gives southern Democrat Luke E. Wright’s stance as an example of how “colored people should be treated here.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-18
President Roosevelt comments on recent press coverage by Lyman Abbott in The Outlook. Roosevelt acknowledges the article captures his “mental attitude” exactly regarding racial discrimination, black suffrage and equality before the law. He names John Sharp Williams of Mississippi as a prime example of how “whites have suppressed this colored vote so absolutely by force, by fraud, by every species of iniquity.” Roosevelt explains that although the race question was not part of his acceptance speech, if the issue is forced upon him in the upcoming campaign “I shall certainly not hesitate to meet it.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-07-26
President Roosevelt believes that educating African Americans is only one part of the problem and has not yet looked into the violations of the fourteenth amendment. Roosevelt will not speak publicly on the topic and doubts that scholastic education would help a community that would elect James Vardaman, they would need “lessons of decency and honor” before seeing to the education of the illiterate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-18
Senator Bristow appreciates Theodore Roosevelt mentioning Bristow’s proposed constitutional amendments in a recent speech. Bristow reviews the two bills he has been working on, one for the industrial commission and the other for the direct election of postmasters.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-12-19
Senator Bristow has received the Pinchot bill and considers it incomplete. Bristow would like the “literary force” of the Progressive Party to write articles supporting the constitutional amendments that are being advocated by the party. He considers these amendments fundamental to the progressive fight.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-12-05
Senator Bristow is pleased that Theodore Roosevelt will support the constitutional amendments he has proposed. Bristow has contacted Senator Smith regarding Helen Dortch Longstreet’s situation. She is being punished for her loyalty towards Roosevelt and Smith has suggested that she could succeed the Congressman from Gainesville, Georgia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-12-10
Governor Hadley expresses the concerns of Missouri Republican leadership over Theodore Roosevelt’s support for the recall of judges and judicial decisions. While they are in favor of the initiative and referendum, the recall of judges threatens the independence of the judiciary. Hadley interpreted Roosevelt’s recent speeches as a warning that the recall of judges could be a last resort and suggests that Roosevelt clarify his position to lessen the “popular alarm.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-03-03
James L. Wells discusses the changing landscape of America and argues that the people need more of the spirit of Abraham Lincoln.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-19
Senator Dixon reviews recent events in the effort to pass a constitutional amendment for the direct election of United States senators. He requests that Theodore Roosevelt express his support for the amendment to the progressive Republican senators. Dixon has also been working to secure progressive support for the naming of Senator Gallinger as the Senate’s president pro tempore. He fears that the Republicans are headed for defeat in the presidential election and sees Democratic support gathering for Woodrow Wilson.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-11
On behalf of the Equal Suffrage Amendment League of Oakland, Sarah C. Borland writes to Theodore Roosevelt and asks him to speak in favor of the cause of women’s suffrage in his lectures. An amendment has already passed the legislature, and will go before the population of California in September for ratification. Any support Roosevelt is able to give will go a great way towards helping drive enthusiasm and advance the cause of women’s suffrage.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-03-21
Clara Shortridge Foltz, and the other members of a committee representing the Votes for Women Club, asks Theodore Roosevelt what his views are on the topic of women’s suffrage. An amendment granting women’s suffrage is currently pending ratification in California.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-03-20
Stuyvesant Fish encloses a copy of his earlier letter and tells Theodore Roosevelt that he thinks any proposed amendment to the Constitution calls for more consideration than the one currently at hand has had.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-03
Surveyor of Customs Clarkson summarizes a letter he had received from Davis S. Chamberlain, who had recently been to Japan and warned of its looming military threat. Clarkson is forwarding the letter to William Loeb and adds that he considers Chamberlain’s insight regarding how to improve the Navy to prepare for a potential Japanese attack valuable.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-20
Charles Evan Hughes outlines his platform for the 1906 New York gubernatorial campaign.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-22