Your TR Source
President Roosevelt explains that the way he has been attacked for the dismissal of the soldiers in the Brownsville affair has nothing to do with the dismissal at all, but rather his policies towards corporations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-26
A list of all men of color appointed to or continued in office by President Roosevelt, complete with the office and date.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01
Sixteen appointees are listed for the State, Treasury, War, Post Office, and Interior Departments. The list includes the posts to which President Roosevelt nominated them and the dates of the appointments.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-22
Lyman Abbott returns to President Roosevelt a letter by Judge Jacob Trieber which described the positive actions of some white Southerners towards black Southerners. Abbott expresses his desire to see such news shared with Northerners. Abbott also mentions the delay in confirming the appointment of a black man, William Demos Crum.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-03-06
On the occasion of his inauguration, the New York Times re-examines President Roosevelt’s record of the past three years, and asks, can the nation expect an even bolder Roosevelt in the years to come? Roosevelt’s policies and actions of the past three years are subjected to a critical analysis.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-03-04
President Roosevelt holds the Door of Hope open with Dr. Crum preparing to walk through it holding his federal appointment. A large firecracker is going off, letting out social equality and “negro supremacy” as two men skip away from the explosive, one labeled Rockefeller and the other T. C. P. Item is regarding the appointment of African Americans to federal posts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-03-04
At the direction of President Roosevelt, William Loeb encloses a memorandum of recess appointment of William D. Crum as Collector of Customs at Charleston, South Carolina.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-07
President Roosevelt defends his appointments of African Americans, particularly the appointment of Dr. William Demos Crum as collector of customs in Charleston, South Carolina. Roosevelt will look into charges that Crum is unfit for the appointment but he will not reject Crum, or anyone else, on the basis of skin color. He denies that “negro domination” enters into the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-11-24
President Roosevelt informs James Adger Smyth that he will consider the charges against Dr. Crum, but that Crum’s race will not bar him from office. Roosevelt addresses race relations in regards to government employment.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-11-26
President Roosevelt thanks President-Elect Taft for his warm letter, and effuses praise of Taft’s inauguration speech. Roosevelt suggests appointing William Loeb during the Senate recess to prevent Representative Charles N. Fowler of New Jersey from exercising power before he leaves office.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-26
President Roosevelt had recently finished Owen Wister’s book Lady Baltimore, and sends Wister his thoughts and criticisms of the work. While he enjoyed the story, Roosevelt believes the book is unfairly critical of northerners and uncritical of southerners. Similarly, Roosevelt points out that while the book lauds the past at the expense of the present, there are many examples of violence, brutality, greed, and other vices in the past. Roosevelt also remarks on the status of African-Americans, and while he agrees with Wister in certain regards, believes the work has gone too far in the racist stereotypes. He hopes that Wister will be able to visit him soon. In a postscript, Roosevelt mentions a number of other books he has read or is reading that similarly make readers “feel that there is no use of trying to reform anything because everything is so rotten that the whole social structure should either be let alone or destroyed.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-27
President Roosevelt sends Lyman Abbott a letter he might find interesting. Roosevelt says that a South Carolina State Senator, Stanwix G. Mayfield, told him he heartily approved of Roosevelt’s appointment of William Demos Crum as Collector of the Port of Charleston.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-03-01
President Roosevelt wants to know why William Demos Crum’s nomination has not been reported from the committee. The president also asks where he can get a copy of Senator Gallinger’s report on the merchant marine, as Senator Lodge has praised it highly.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-31
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 asks Attorney General Knox to begin an investigation into why William Demos Crum has not been paid his salary for his service as collector of the Port of Charleston, South Carolina.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-02
President Roosevelt forwards several letters of support that he has received for the appointment of William Demos Crum. He is displeased with the lack of action on Crum’s nomination and suggests a special Senate session could be called to discuss the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-04-27
President Roosevelt urges Senator Aldrich to take action on William Demos Crum’s confirmation. They are “being taunted with insincerity and timidity in the matter.” If Senator Tillman cannot talk, someone else should take up his objections.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-04-16
With Senator Tillman back in the Senate, President Roosevelt would like to take up the confirmation of William Demos Crum.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-04-13
President Roosevelt agrees that William Demos Crum should not visit as it would appear that he was lobbying his own case. William Loeb encloses a letter Roosevelt sent to Senator Jacob H. Gallinger.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03-09
President Roosevelt argues in favor of the confirmation of William Demos Crum’s appointment.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03-09