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President Roosevelt is glad William H. Taft has been going after William Jennings Bryan in the right way. Even though Governor Charles Evans Hughes remains spiteful, Roosevelt is pleased with his renomination. Roosevelt feels they will do well in most states, but cautions against taking chances. Letters are still coming in against Taft’s golfing.
President Roosevelt tells William H. Taft that his playing golf is causing a public stir, and he hopes Taft will avoid it until after the election. Roosevelt agrees with Jones on the religious topic, and sends a letter from John Sleicher with an article by Charles M. Harvey, which might garner support among Jewish voters. Roosevelt feels the East will see a mostly positive political outcome, with the railroad situation being handled fairly and a top man being put in charge at the Chicago headquarters.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-14
William Jennings Bryan, as a golfer holding a club labeled “Spite,” is stuck in a sand trap trying to hit a golf ball labeled “Cleveland” and showing his likeness. Shafts of broken clubs lie in the sand, labeled “Envy, Jealousy, Malice, [and] Cussedness.” A hat labeled “Bryan” lies in the grass and there is a marker in the background labeled “16 to 1.”
When William Jennings Bryan broke upon the national political scene with his “Cross of Gold” speech at the 1896 Democrat convention and his subsequent years of party domination and three presidential runs, his populist critique was a veiled attack on Grover Cleveland as president and Democratic party leader. Conservative Democrats like Cleveland, who were loyal to sound money, the Gold Standard, and such policies, were the enemy of Bryanism, although the populist scarcely ever attacked the former president by name.
A woman lying in a hammock daydreams of engaging in various social and sport activities with handsome young men. She imagines herself shooting, sailing, dancing, sitting on a beach, golfing, playing ping-pong and badminton, and fencing.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-07-30
Two young women, holding golf clubs, discuss one’s relationship with a male friend in the context of a round of golf, punning on the word “paresis.” Caption: Gladys — Is Ferdy suffering from paresis? / Ethel — Suffering? Dear me, no! Why, he thinks he’s a golf champion!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-04-30
Theodore Roosevelt congratulates William H. Thomas for his appointment to the Alabama Supreme Court and suggests that they meet if he is ever in New York. Roosevelt wishes he played golf, but he does not.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-12-12
Gifford Pinchot returns the three first galley proofs of Theodore Roosevelt’s articles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1913-06-24
Henry C. Rein thanks Frank Harper for attending to his subscription. However, he forgot to answer his question about whether subscribers will have an opportunity to point out Theodore Roosevelt’s flaws in his columns for The Outlook. Rein sends several of his letters to the New York Herald and plans to send his pamphlet on the tariff question when it is finished.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-04-05
President Roosevelt confidentially shares with William H. Taft his feelings on the Republican National Committee’s lack of accomplishment. He believes Taft’s idea for making speeches is wise and counsels Taft to actively put himself in the campaign.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-05
William H. Taft describes the reception of his acceptance speech in Cincinnati to President Roosevelt, which was well attended and generally met with great approval. Taft mentions that he is having trouble with Frank H. Hitchcock, who is headstrong and has appointed his executive committee without any of Taft’s input. Taft was pleased that Frederick Dent and Ida Grant attended the speech. William Jennings Bryan has taunted Taft in the press.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-31
William H. Taft has read the New York Times editorial that President Roosevelt sent him, and agrees that some portions of it could be used. He is glad that Roosevelt agrees with his choice of George Rumsey Sheldon for a position with his campaign. Taft has been enjoying his time at Hot Springs, Virginia, and has been golfing and riding horseback frequently, in addition to carrying out the business of the campaign. He is very nervous about his acceptance speech, and expects to begin drafting it in earnest soon, now that both parties have released their political platforms. Taft emphasizes that the Republican Party wants to control the trusts, while the Democratic party seems to want to destroy them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-12
Senator Bourne hopes all is well with William Loeb and his family. He asks Loeb to deliver the enclosed letter to President Roosevelt personally. Bourne invites Loeb to play golf.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-08
Senator Bourne requests William Loeb deliver the enclosed letter to President Roosevelt. He tells Loeb his golf skills are improving and that he suspects the next session of Congress will be strenuous.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-09
Finley Peter Dunne is puzzled by the Hapgood correspondence and does not understand why the charge was made. Dunne enjoyed seeing the long line of fighting ships at the review. He would also like to attend target practice with President Roosevelt and then go to Boston.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-11
J. Sloat Fassett justifies John C. Bostelmann’s hiring as a lawyer in the “Alienation Roll” of the Indian Department. Fassett will make sure he signs this letter personally. In the past letters were dictated and left for a secretary to sign, while Fassett was “engaged in the noble work of playing golf.” Fassett holds Frank Higgins in “utter contempt.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-20
William H. Taft debates the possibilities of encountering a conflict of interest if Justice John Marshall Harlan’s son, James S. Harlan, serves on the Interstate Commerce Commission. Taft will have a discussion about this with Justice Harlan while they golf.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-19
Canada’s new premier, Robert L. Borden, visited New York City for the first time since the election. He denounced the rumor of Canadian hostility towards the United States and emphasized that recent events will not interfere with the current cordial relations between the two countries. Borden was the guest of honor at a luncheon with members of the Anglo-American Peace Centennial Committee.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-29
President-elect William H. Taft swings at the “Roosevelt policies” golf ball on a green labeled “administration line.” Philander C. Knox is behind him and holds the caddy and two other golf balls–“Taft policies” and “Republican policies.” Knox says, “If that ball gets lost I’ve got others!!”
Many political cartoonists, especially those antagonistic toward Republicans, were downcast (as many admitted in ink) that their favorite subject, Theodore Roosevelt, was retiring from the political scene. With the planned African safari, Roosevelt would not merely be out of office, but off the national stage for at least a year.
President Roosevelt holds “the big stick” golf club as he is prepares to hit a globe golf ball. Secretary of State John Hay, acting as Roosevelt’s caddie and holding several other golf clubs—”conservatism,” “statesmanship,” “diplomacy,” “tact,” and “arbitration”—looks on. Caption: A would-be champion, who is somewhat erratic, labors under the disadvantage of wielding a very large stick, and insists on playing with a big ball, but they say that his caddie is fine, and will pull him through.—From the Baltimore News.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10
This film includes brief shots of Japanese Prime Minister Nobosuke Kishi throwing out a pitch at Yankee Stadium and planting cherry trees at Sagamore Hill with Theodore Roosevelt Association President Oscar S. Straus. Following these is an interview with Kishi regarding his experiences during a trip through the United States and the differences between the United States and Japan.
Theodore Roosevelt Association
1957