Corporations, American

President Taft and the Republican Party

Samuel Strasbourger writes of the importance of this moment when President Taft has called a special session of Congress to deal with tariffs, reciprocity, and other big issues facing the nation. Strasbourger believes the Republican Party can continue to make the country and its people prosperous if they stick to Republican principles. Taft will need to continue to be firm and courageous, willing to be vilified to do what is right for the country.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-05

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to E. T. Colburn

Senator Lodge acknowledges E. T. Colburn and his friend’s concerns over the decline in the stock market. However, this decline results from many causes affecting not only the United States but the world. Therefore, Lodge argues that blaming President Roosevelt’s administration and investigations of corporations is unreasonable and unjust.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-19

Letter from Elbert H. Gary to Theodore Roosevelt

Judge Elbert H. Gary, a constituent, approves of President Roosevelt’s policies, especially the Square Deal, and has spoken to others who agree. Gary has personally benefited from the policies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George L. Record

Theodore Roosevelt writes to George L. Record that he read the piece and has sympathy for what Record wrote but takes issue with some of the proposal. Roosevelt recommends that Record read what Richard Ely wrote in his last two volumes about corporations, public utilities, the Georgia Legislature, and other topics. Roosevelt thinks it is “quite hopeless to try to launch any program of this kind at present.” Roosevelt asks if Record can visit next Thursday morning at the Progressive Party Headquarters in New York to speak further on the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-12-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Clarence H. Esty

President Roosevelt takes exception to Clarence H. Esty’s criticism of his administration and policies. Roosevelt states that thus far no one has pointed out to him a single policy or action that should not have been done. The issues stem not from his administration, but the problems the administration is attempting to eliminate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edwin Packard

President Roosevelt refutes an editorial that reflects poorly on his labor relations. Roosevelt will meet with corporations and labor unions if they conduct themselves properly. Mr. Gillis has strong character and Roosevelt doubts that he is responsible for any crime.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-17

Letter from Herbert David Croly to Theodore Roosevelt

Herbert David Croly sends Theodore Roosevelt a chapter of his biography of Marcus Alonzo Hanna, requesting that Roosevelt read over Croly’s account of the Republican National Convention of 1900. The chapter also contains statements made by Roosevelt during interviews with newspaperman James B. Morrow and letters Roosevelt had written to Hanna, all of which Croly asks Roosevelt to approve. According to Hanna’s son Daniel Rhodes Hanna, Roosevelt could possibly speak to Hanna’s involvement with the Panama Canal. Croly closes by asking about Hanna’s reaction to Roosevelt’s suit against the Northern Securities Company. Croly is open to meeting with Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill if needed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-04

Letter from W. H. Cameron to Theodore Roosevelt

W. H. Cameron wonders if Theodore Roosevelt might discuss further the restraining of corporations buying stock in other corporations. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-20

Letter from Ralph B. Yewdale to Theodore Roosevelt

Ralph B. Yewdale, a student at the University of Wisconsin, will be participating in a university debate soon regarding whether corporations participating in interstate commerce should be required to obtain a federal charter. Yewdale plans to argue that they should instead be required to obtain a federal license, and asks Theodore Roosevelt for his opinion on the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-02

Letter from Jonathan Bourne to Theodore Roosevelt

Jonathan Bourne believes that a settlement of the Standard Oil matter will be made through the executives—President Roosevelt, Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, and John D. Archbold—and not through the attorneys for the government and the company. Bourne agrees that working through him is inadvisable at this point, but he takes credit for having started negotiations and for convincing Archbold and others that Roosevelt would be fair to both labor and capital.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-07

Letter from Joseph H. Kibbey to William Loeb

Joseph H. Kibbey, Territorial Governor of Arizona, responds to accusations that his organizing of a joint territorial committee meeting on Arizona statehood was inappropriately conducted. Kibbey maintains that there was nothing in the form of his call or his allowance of proxy votes, that would indicate the Committee had not properly convened. Regarding his resignation as Chairman of the Committee, Kibbey notes that he presented his statement of resignation at the beginning of the proceedings and refused to preside further despite being presented with several questions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-14

Letter from William H. Andrews to William Loeb

William H. Andrews agrees with William Loeb about Joseph H. Kibbey, Governor of Arizona Territory, and discusses his strategy for getting Kibbey’s support. Andrews addresses Major William H. H. Llewellyn’s reaction to a letter written by Kibbey, noting that Llewellyn has done nothing or said nothing to anyone about it. Andrews expresses a need for financial support from the Congressional Committee and hopes that Loeb can get them to do something. He further discusses getting support for statehood from corporations, which he thinks may provide great assistance to the cause.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-09

Letter from John Campbell Greenway to Theodore Roosevelt

John Campbell Greenway feels the country is prospering under President Roosevelt’s administration, with corporations earning plenty of money despite Roosevelt’s “attacks” on them. Greenway wants Roosevelt to run for president in 1907 because the people want him to and because he thinks William Jennings Bryan will give the next candidate a tight rub.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-08

Letter from Ethan Allen Hitchcock to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock repeats what President Roosevelt said in Roosevelt’s note about a bill. Regarding the bill, Roosevelt intends for it to specify that the city of Los Angeles is not allowed to let individuals or corporations have the right to sell water from the city for irrigation use.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-29

We of the west

Newspapers in New York are publishing information about President Roosevelt that was not fit to print, which irks the writer of this article because the people of the West love Roosevelt. Although Roosevelt did the best he could to deal with the financial crisis, the writer does acknowledge that it has negatively impacted New York City in ways that the people of Kansas City could not fathom.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-06

Remarks to representatives of English Industrial Association

Theodore Roosevelt believes in the importance of emphasizing conduct over unions or corporations.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-26

Statement on government regulation of railroads and other corporations (edited)

President Roosevelt argues that the federal government must regulate interstate commerce and the railroad corporations, especially to stop over-capitalization. However, he affirms that he is against the Sherman Anti-Trust Act notion that all corporations are bad, and he opposes the arbitrary reduction of rates or government direction of railroad operations, especially considering the need for private investment in railroad infrastructure. He states that his views on these matters have not changed since he was the Governor of New York, and that his executive actions and all laws passed by Congress regarding the issue of interstate railroad commerce in the past six years have been positive.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906

Statement on government regulation of railroads and other corporations

President Roosevelt discusses what he believes should be the national government’s attitude toward railroads in particular and corporations in general. He advocates for increased regulation of the railways by the federal government, arguing that such supervision will protect the interests of both large and small investors, as well as the public who depends on the railroad’s services. This statement was most likely part of Roosevelt’s campaign to encourage the enactment of the Hepburn Bill.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lincoln Steffens

President Roosevelt responds to journalist Lincoln Steffen’s allegations that Roosevelt wanted to give back money contributed to the Republican campaign from insurance companies and other corporations. Roosevelt denies it and says he is beholden to “the many, not the few” and it would be impossible for him to research the motives of every person who contributed. If any corporation contributed for the purpose of receiving special legislation then they were very mistaken.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1905-09-25

Report from Joseph Bullock Coghlan to William H. Moody

Translation of a question from Rear Admiral Coghlan to Secretary of the Navy Moody regarding protection of American interests in Chiriqui Lagoon and Bocas del Toro, Panama. The question is: does Coghlan have permission to prevent the landing of Colombian forces in Chiriqui Lagoon?

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-30