Elections--U.S. states

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Clay Davies

President Roosevelt is concerned over the controversy for political candidates in John Clay Davies’s district, Oneida County, for the upcoming elections for New York State Legislature. Roosevelt believes that Davies should consider William Cary Sanger as an alternative to the current candidates, and believes him to be “a man of the highest character, the kind of man whose presence at Albany is a guaranty of courage and good faith.” Roosevelt believes the upcoming race for governor of New York between William Randolph Hearst and Charles Evans Hughes is of great importance and all should be done to uphold the Republican party’s strength. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to J. S. Sherman

President Roosevelt is concerned over the accusations made by Edward Henry Harriman, a prominent railroad executive, particularly a “wilful untruth” concerning a request to raise money for the Republican party during the 1904 presidential campaign. Roosevelt tells Representative Sherman that he believes the dispute with Harriman stems from a dissatisfaction with regulations made on interstate commerce, particularly affecting railroads. Harriman is also disappointed that Roosevelt failed to appoint Senator Chauncey M. Depew as Ambassador to France as he had requested, and refuses to support the Republican party as long as Roosevelt’s policies dominate. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt thanks Senator Lodge for the letter informing him and his wife about their son, Ted, who does not write home often enough. Roosevelt wrote to Ted an “earnest and truthful” letter about his “folly.” Roosevelt also informs Lodge of the meeting in Cuba between Secretary of War William H. Taft, First Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon, and Cuban President Tomas Estrada Palma. The temporary agreement for a provisional government with military support from the United States will help secure peace while Cuba begins self-government. Roosevelt hopes this will secure Cuba’s liberty, and any future policy will be in the “permanent interests of both Cuba and the United States.” Roosevelt also has acted to “prevent hurt” to the Republican nominees in the upcoming state elections, particularly in New York, and New York City. Wealthy business men, like William Randolph Hearst, and “Bourbon reactionaries” are running for office to gain political power, not for the “have-nots,” but to deflect regulations on their wealth. Roosevelt believes Charles Evans Hughes is the right man to run against Hearst for governor, as he will enact progressive reforms with a fair mind.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Evans Hughes

President Roosevelt tells Charles Evans Hughes, Republican candidate for Governor of New York, of his concerns that William Randolph Hearst is gaining favor with the labor vote and using his wealth to “buy up” more Democratic support. Roosevelt encourages Hughes to contact Mayor of New York Julius Mayer.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Emory Smith

President Roosevelt forwards Charles Emory Smith a letter from Senator Philander C. Knox. He is concerned that the success of Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania Lewis Emery will be viewed as both an attack on his administration and an endorsement of William Jennings Bryan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frank Wayland Higgins

President Roosevelt asks if Governor Higgins can visit soon to discuss New York’s “very serious” Republican situation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie M. Shaw

President Roosevelt sends Secretary of the Treasury Shaw a letter similar to several others he has received from Congressmen dealing with Shaw’s lack of support for Iowa Governor Albert Baird Cummins. Roosevelt does not wish to force Shaw to back Cummins against his conscience, but requests that if Shaw cannot support him, that he take no part in the political campaigns in Iowa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Alfred Spring

President Roosevelt enjoyed hearing from New York Supreme Court Justice Spring, and comments that he has been concerned with attacks against various New York politicians. While the situation in Erie County is bad, it is not the only place in the state where the situation is not good. He also agrees with Spring’s opinion about appointing a new justice on the Supreme Court.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-09

Letter from William Loeb to Jacob Van Vechten Olcott

William Loeb sends Representative Olcott the text of a letter in which President Roosevelt evaluates the conflict between Representative Herbert Parsons and Olcott, who have both declared their candidacy for chairman of the County Committee in New York. Although Roosevelt knows that both men are independent, the public perceives them as being representatives of opposing factions within the state Republican party. If Parsons issues a statement declaring his independence from both Benjamin B. Odell and Senator Thomas Collier Platt, Roosevelt will advice Olcott to withdraw from the race.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Eben S. Draper

President Roosevelt congratulates Lieutenant-Governor-elect Draper on his success at the polls.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Curtis Guild

President Roosevelt congratulates Governor-elect Guild on his and Lieutenant-Governor-elect Eben S. Draper’s success in the Massachusetts gubernatorial election, and criticizes some of the press coverage he has gotten in that state.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt comments to Senator Lodge on the election results in various states. He is particularly pleased about the Massachusetts results. He wishes that Ambassador George von Lengerke Meyer had gone back to Saint Petersburg when the trouble started three weeks ago.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Kean

President Roosevelt believes that if he does what Senator Kean asks, it will hurt Governor Myron T. Herrick in Ohio. In Ohio, the Democrats are trying to say that “the Republican ticket is the Roosevelt ticket.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt affirms his strong support for the Massachusetts Republican ticket, and advises Senator Lodge on how to respond to a statement from Henry Melville Whitney that misrepresents Roosevelt’s feelings on trade reciprocity with Canada. Roosevelt believes that it will do no good for him personally to make a statement, but approves of Lodge’s plan of publicly affirming Roosevelt’s support of the Republican ticket and stating that the Senators from Massachusetts have always agreed with him on reciprocity and that Roosevelt’s views on the matter have never changed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie M. Shaw

President Roosevelt discusses the political situation in various states ahead of the upcoming election. He instructs Secretary of the Treasury Shaw to make appointments if he thinks it is wise, but to make sure not to embarrass political campaigns.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

In light of Senator Lodge’s campaign commitments, President Roosevelt says he does not need to go to Oyster Bay to meet with Joseph Hodges Choate. Roosevelt hopes that Curtis Guild’s gubernatorial race in Massachusetts goes well. He discusses the current unrest in Japan, where foreigners and Christians are being targeted in riots.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas K. Niedringhaus

President Roosevelt congratulates Thomas K. Niedringhaus on being the first Republican Senator from Missouri since the end of the reconstruction period.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-09

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge that he has “swept the country by majorities which astound me.” Roosevelt asks about the outcome in the Massachusetts legislature.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Muir

Theodore Roosevelt is pleased that John Muir thinks their time in Yosemite was as pleasant as any part of his travels. Roosevelt is not sure how the election is going, but he has nothing to regret.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Henry Grosvenor

President Roosevelt was delighted to hear from Ohio Representative Grosvenor, and is glad to hear the news he shares.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-02