Democratic Party (U.S.)

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Joseph Bucklin Bishop

President Roosevelt finds amusement in the clipping from The World about the Evening Post, and he thinks it base and hypocritical for the Post to continue to support the candidacy of Alton B. Parker in light of such speeches as that of Henry Gassaway Davis. Roosevelt provides two quotations addressing the “colored issue” for inclusion in his speech and letter of acceptance. Roosevelt aims to make his points clear while at the same time making them in such a way as to cause minimal irritation in the south.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edgar Dean Crumpacker

President Roosevelt discusses his concern about Indiana in the upcoming election. Roosevelt also talks about the tension between William Jennings Bryan and democratic nominee Alton Brooks Parker within the Democratic Party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John St. Loe Strachey

President Roosevelt informs John St. Loe Strachey that he has also been reading Sydney Smith’s essays as well as Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Critical and Historical Essays. Roosevelt agrees with Strachey that parties are important in politics but party adherence cannot become servility. Roosevelt feels good about his reelection chances and disparages his Democratic rivals, Alton B. Parker and Henry Gassaway Davis by calling them Blifil and Black George, a hypocrite and a charity case, respectively, a reference from Henry Fielding’s The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Roosevelt is worried about the similarities with both James K. Polk and James Buchanan’s successful Democratic campaigns for president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-13

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry S. New

Certain things President Roosevelt has heard recently make him uneasy about Indiana. Roosevelt says Indiana and New York are two states where the Republican Party should put in its best efforts, and he thinks Corporal Tanner, Senator Fairbanks, and several others can do the best work in Indiana. Roosevelt further thinks William Jennings Bryan’s actions in Indiana, Colorado, and Montana should be closely monitored.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-14

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt encloses a letter from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury Horace Adolphus Taylor which shows that Robert B. Armstrong was right about a decision having precedent. Roosevelt has written the Treasury Department asking them to reverse their action. Roosevelt regrets William H. Moody was not appointed Senator after John L. Bates left his seat, although Winthrop Murray Crane is also a good choice. Moody updated Roosevelt on his stump work, where Indiana feels confident and New York has seen an upturn. He describes the Democratic campaign as “pure slander.” Roosevelt hopes Lodge will be nice to Father John C. York, an Oyster Bay area Catholic priest, next time he comes to New York, as York thinks Lodge is anti-Catholic.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James M. Rice

President Roosevelt will take the action that Colonel Rice suggests. The whole point of the Democratic pamphlet is to confuse people about the “worthless, unorganized militia” present earlier in the country’s history.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leonard Wood

President Roosevelt is not sure what the outcome of the election will be. He thinks the Republicans have 216 electoral votes. According to current vote calculations, they may win by a small majority. Roosevelt is keeping busy as president and as a presidential candidate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Julius M. Mayer

President Roosevelt sends Julius M. Mayer information on the Democrats who are supporting his reelection. Roosevelt would like to see meetings taking place on the east side of New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles S. Francis

Theodore Roosevelt is surprised by dissatisfaction with the state ticket. If the dissatisfaction becomes high enough, it could impact the national ticket. Roosevelt also believes that the charges against Governor Odell are “partisan nonsense.” Roosevelt will attack Alton Parker for being “insincere.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-29

Memorandum from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt directs Secretary of War Taft not to take a defensive tone in his speeches and to attack Alton B. Parker and his policies as insincere and disingenuous. Roosevelt stresses the continuation of his administration’s policies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Peter Fenelon Collier

President Roosevelt has too many matters to discuss with Peter Fenelon Collier for a letter. Collier’s Weekly occupies “a neutral position between the two candidates.” Alton B. Parker has announced that common law may be sufficient for dealing with the trusts. Roosevelt believes it is impossible to tell what Parker really intends to do from his speeches, letters, or the Democratic Party’s platform.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry W. Taft

Theodore Roosevelt writes to Henry W. Taft about Alton Parker’s speech on trusts and common law. Roosevelt views Parker’s position as related to the Democratic state convention’s declaration that states, and not the federal government, should regulate trusts. To Roosevelt, this is an abandonment of every effective attempt by the nation to regulate trusts, and he notes that it could result in Parker receiving several million in campaign donations from Wall Street.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay

President Roosevelt will follow Secretary of State Hay’s suggestion on the Congo matter. Roosevelt believes that Democratic presidential candidate Alton B. Parker’s letter was a “Mr. Facing-both-ways performance,” but also acknowledges it was an adroit political move. Roosevelt is concerned about the situation in New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Yates Satterlee

President Roosevelt recommends that the Right Reverend Yates not attend a particular service during the political campaign. Recently, Roosevelt’s minister preached a sermon on peace, and Democratic newspapers misconstrued the sermon as an attack on the President. Roosevelt believes that they would be likely to use the same tactic again. Roosevelt will confine himself to his own ordinary church services until after the election when “our opponents return to the ordinary customs of morality and decency.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Joseph Gurney Cannon

President Roosevelt writes to Joseph Gurney Cannon, Chairman of the Notification Committee, to formally accept his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and to approve the platform adopted by the Republican National Convention. In the letter, Roosevelt provides a comprehensive defense of his foreign and domestic policies and outlines what he believes are the major differences between the Republican and Democratic parties in the upcoming election. Roosevelt discusses, among other topics, his position on international relations, antitrust legislation, tariffs, the gold standard, pensions for Civil War veterans, the military, civil service, commerce, agriculture, taxation, and self-government in the Philippines.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Booker T. Washington

President Roosevelt does trust the “mental honesty” of Rollo Ogden and Oswald Garrison Villard and is not surprised they are supporting Alton B. Parker and the Democratic Party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-11

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Hay

President Roosevelt finds it funny that people support Alton B. Parker in the presidential campaign because he represents a higher morality. Roosevelt cites a number of instances of voter fraud and corruption within the Democratic Party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Sullivan Clarkson

President Roosevelt appreciates Mr. Ford’s letter to James Sullivan Clarkson, particularly the section about the revolt at the Democrats appealing to Irish Americans on the basis of race.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leonard Wood

President Roosevelt sends Leonard Wood a report by Admiral George Dewey regarding American occupation of the Philippines and notes that he agrees with this report. Roosevelt also tells Wood that he is in the midst of the Presidential campaign and is unsure what the outcome will be.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-05