Ethics

Secretary of War Taft writes to President Roosevelt about a controversy involving the Schuykill Arsenal, under contract to provide uniforms. It has been charged that the seamstresses are overpaid because they are veterans’ widows and children. Taft dismisses this charge. The arsenal won the contract by bidding lowest. However, as enlisted men must purchase their uniforms, Taft is concerned about the ethics involved in the current pricing contract supporting one group’s profits. Taft is concerned about the cost of the uniforms, which are paid for by the enlisted men.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-17

Lucio V. D’Amico encloses a clipping from “The Globe” about teaching children “duties and rights” in school. He believes this will reduce children arraigned in Court.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-16

A large group of politicians and journalists appear as knights on a crusade against graft and corruption. Many carry large pens like a lance. Periodicals mentioned are “Colliers, Harper’s Weekly, Life, Puck, [and] McClure’s” Magazine. Caption: Marching embattled ‘gainst the Saracens of Graft.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon by Carl Hassmann, which resembles a poster, could indeed be a historian’s guide to the leading crusading Muckrakers of the day (circa 1906, the high-water mark of reform before the Progressive Era and certainly in journalism and books). The double-page cartoon is a panegyric to the movement, a paean to the personalities.

An elderly man, John R. Walsh, is being assailed from all sides by people who have been defrauded by his misappropriation of funds from their savings and investments. Caption: Cursed by those whose savings he has squandered and whose trust he has betrayed.

comments and context

Comments and Context

John R. Walsh, an Irish immigrant active in Chicago, is at the center of this Carl Hassmann cartoon. Typically dramatic and apocalyptic, his portrayal such that he might be considered one of American history’s notable villains. Yet he is barely remembered, and might be categorized as an entrepreneur who continually struggled and mismanaged his multitude of dreams.

An elderly man labeled “Corporation Magnate” is sandwiched between the Republican Elephant and the Democratic Donkey, each holding out cups labeled, respectively, “Rep. Campaign Funds” and “Dem Campaign Funds”, seeking contributions. Caption: “Gentlemen, I cannot; my moral sense forbids!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Joseph Keppler, Junior, in this cover cartoon from Puck, tweaks the generic plutocrat after an intense period of chastisement. The administration of Theodore Roosevelt began “trust busting” in its first months and seldom flagged in its zeal. For at least two years, the writers labelled Muckrakers (by President Roosevelt) had burned the pages of numerous magazines, newspapers, and books with exposes and revelations about corruption in big business. In the House of Representatives, a rising corps of Republican “insurgents” picked up where Democratic Populists left off (or effectively joined forces) and fashioned a program of regulatory reform, sometimes radical in nature, to counter elements of Big Business, Big Banking, and Trusts.

A large group of citizens read the latest news of a stock boom and rush off to the stockbroker to purchase the hot commodity. In the background, the corporate monopolist [“Trust Magnate”] is seen paying off the newspaper editor with shares of the stock. Caption: The promoter waters the stock, the newspaper booms it (for a consideration) and the silly public buys it – after which the water is squeezed out.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Pughe’s critique of a dirty collaboration between corporate money was true enough: many newspapers were considered frank mouthpieces for industries or even individual companies. The practice was widespread, however; magazines also operated in similar fashion. A decade later, Harper’s Weekly was subsidized by Standard Oil; and Puck itself, late in its life, was funded by the Democratic Party; and in related fashion, or intent, newspaper publishers and editors sometimes were given ambassadorships as “plums.”

An angry Uncle Sam holds up a lantern labeled “Congressional Legislation” to illuminate a rotund man wearing a crown labeled “Trusts” and a robe decorated with dollar signs. The man has a ring with many keys hanging from a cord around his waist, and he is sitting on a stack of books that are labeled “Day Book, Ledger, Entry Book, Stock Book, [and] Cash Book.” He has his right hand on an open book. All the books are locked with padlocks. Caption: Uncle Sam — You’re a powerful big man, and you have your uses. But if you’re honest why do you hide in the dark? – Open up those books!

comments and context

Comments and Context

Pughe’s cartoon is on a theme that often had been visited by cartoonists and editorial writers for decades in criticism of the trusts and monopolies: publicity. Reformers knew that the glare of public scrutiny would accelerate the demise, or at least the more onerous practices, of rapacious business combinations. The seeds planted by critics bore fruit in the century’s first decade from new unlikely sources — the presidency, under Theodore Roosevelt, and the “Muckrakers” (by coincidence, Roosevelt’s term) who, in print of both fiction and exposes, eviscerated the corruption and venality of monopolists. 

Theodore Roosevelt found himself genuinely interested in I. K. Russell’s letter, and connects Russell’s comments about church people standing by Edward Henry Harriman with Edward Alsworth Ross’s book, Sin and Society. Roosevelt wishes he could get people to “take a greater interest in real things” and create real social benefits, rather than “[wasting] their energies in howling for universal prohibition or universal peace.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-19

The Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt reports that since leaving the White House, Roosevelt does not speak on behalf of anyone securing an official position or promotion.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-22

Theodore Roosevelt recommends his articles on Socialism to Albert A. Hibbard and draws the distinction between Christian Socialism and other forms of Socialism.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-17

Theodore Roosevelt discusses plans to visit Reno, Nevada on a trip through San Francisco, California, Portland, Oregon, and Oakland, California. Roosevelt sends congratulations to Senator Flanagan for his participation in the erection of a new Y.M.C.A building and expresses interest in “progressive Christianity,” which would establish Catholics and Protestants as ethically equal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-31

Theodore Roosevelt quotes a letter from Henry Wallace regarding his opinion of President Taft as an “upright man.” Roosevelt wants to make sure that he did not misrepresent what Wallace had said. He also includes a quote regarding Pinchot’s influence with the administration of the Gila National Forest.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-17

Theodore Roosevelt has a negative opinion of Arthur Ruhl and will not provide a letter to help him in Russia and Serbia. He suggests Mark Sullivan write to Ambassador Jusserand. Roosevelt enjoyed the Jonas story and approves of John Waterbury’s poem, especially since Waterbury styles himself as an appropriate type of hyphenated American, an “American-American.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-04

President Roosevelt was pleased with the letter from Gordon Russell. He feels that Russell clearly understands what he is trying to do, and especially appreciates what Russell said about the moral aspects of his work. He discusses the results of the election. Roosevelt thinks the way to raise the “ideals of the masses” is not to simply point out the wrong, but to especially point out “a safe and proper remedy.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-16

President Roosevelt tells Thomas G. Knight that he would understand the situation differently were he in Roosevelt’s position. The president notes that there is a difference between having the moral conviction that the responsible party should be criminally punished and the ability to find evidence of such for use in court. Roosevelt asks that Knight regard the letter as a private matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-08

President Roosevelt sends good wishes to the banquet. He is interested in the “success of every proper effort to combat the forces of evil.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-21

S. D. Merton shares his argument with Theodore Roosevelt because he is “a real truth-seeker.” He has presented his ideas to many others over the years with no results. Merton discusses how legality and morality are different and should not be unified in the social or judicial system.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-10

Caroline F. Fairchild hopes to enlist Theodore Roosevelt’s help in an effort to improve the morality of posters advertising theatrical productions. She has been at work on a letter writing campaign, and feels that Roosevelt could be a great boon to the cause if he would write an article on the subject for publication in The Outlook.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-09

Arthur T. Robinson asks Theodore Roosevelt if he would be willing to write a short introduction to a book he recently wrote on ethical education. He briefly outlines portions of how he came to write his book, and summarizes some of its contents.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-03

Charles William Eliot, president of Harvard College, replies to President Roosevelt regarding several matters. The telegrams that Roosevelt sent him are correct, and Eliot regrets their publication, as it is the policy of Harvard College not to say anything about students being punished. Eliot discusses the punishment of Charles C. Morgan and Sidney W. Fish, as well as the events that brought about the necessity of punishing them. While Roosevelt thinks that their punishment–suspension from the Harvard crew team–was unjust, Eliot thinks it was deserved.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-14