Gompers, Samuel, 1850-1924

Letter from Lyman Abbott to Theodore Roosevelt

Lyman Abbott writes to President Roosevelt regarding the recent judgements passed down by Ashley M. Gould and Daniel Thew Wright, of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in a case involving labor leader Samuel Gompers. Abbott thinks that Gould was correct in issuing an injunction, but is less certain about Wright’s actions. He believes that Roosevelt is correct to not interfere at this point.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-27

Creator(s)

Abbott, Lyman, 1835-1922

Letter from Joseph Gurney Cannon to Theodore Roosevelt

Speaker of the House Cannon explains his previous praise for President Roosevelt that Roosevelt “had contributed more to the success of the Republican ticket in the recent campaign than any other agency.” Cannon believes that Roosevelt’s letters to William Jennings Bryan and Senator Philander C. Knox had the effect of exposing the dangers and conflicts in the plan of the Democratic Party, and helped check the “hysterical demagoguery.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-11

Creator(s)

Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926

Letter from William Dudley Foulke to Theodore Roosevelt

William Dudley Foulke details the conditions which led to a Republican slump in Indiana during the election. Men such as Lucius B. Swift who offered their services to the Republican committee were boycotted. Foulke also believes that editorials and false articles in papers such as the Indianapolis News also contributed to a distrust of President Roosevelt and William H. Taft. He details a telephone conversation he had with editor Delavan Swift about a letter that Roosevelt had written about him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-07

Creator(s)

Foulke, William Dudley, 1848-1935

Letter from Joseph Bucklin Bishop to Theodore Roosevelt

Joseph Bucklin Bishop effusively praises and celebrates President Roosevelt’s political victory. In particular, Bishop is proud of how Roosevelt triumphed over the press and his political rivals.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-08

Creator(s)

Bishop, Joseph Bucklin, 1847-1928

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

William H. Taft tells President Roosevelt that he appreciated the letter he wrote regarding William Jennings Bryan and Samuel Gompers. He believes that it may make an impression on previously-apathetic people. Taft discusses his chances in Ohio: despite concerns from Roosevelt and the press, he believes that he will win the state.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-01

Creator(s)

Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930

Letter from Daniel J. Keefe to Theodore Roosevelt

Daniel J. Keefe is pleased with the election results, especially the efforts of the National Republican Committee Chairman Hitchcock and Assistant Attorney General Ellis. Keefe leaves Thursday for the annual convention of the American Federation of Labor, which he expects will be “a warm one.” He will report anything of interest to President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-04

Creator(s)

Keefe, Daniel J., 1855-1929

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge relays numbers from the Massachusetts canvass to President Roosevelt. They suggest that William H. Taft will win by the about the same majority that Roosevelt won in 1904. Lodge spoke with Secretary of the Interior James Rudolph Garfield about the concerns of the New York Republicans. He understands why they are concerned, but notes that they have not conducted a canvass of their own. Lodge believes that the silence from labor men indicates that they are intending to vote for Taft, but are keeping quiet out of fear of Samuel Gompers and the Democrats.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-26

Creator(s)

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

William H. Taft has been mentioning Samuel Gompers in relation to the labor vote, but he believes it is being met with resentment. If President Roosevelt thinks it is best, Taft will start discussing labor issues without referencing Gompers. Taft assures Roosevelt that he will urge for New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes’s reelection. He tells Roosevelt that he will arrive in Washington on the train Sunday morning, and will have all day there. His trip to Ohio was successful, and he spoke “straight out” to labor people.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-14

Creator(s)

Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930

Letter from Ralph M. Easley to Theodore Roosevelt

Ralph M. Easley informs President Roosevelt that labor leader John Mitchell will be publishing a letter in the Mine Workers’ Journal next week which will repudiate the hand bill and telegram that are being circulated with an interview he did not endorse. Easley believes that this will lead to attacks on Samuel Gompers for violating instructions. Easley also reports that he has been given information that William H. Taft is being criticized on Catholic and Unitarian matters, although he is being defended by Homer C. Stuntz, who was in the Philippines during the Taft administration.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-16

Creator(s)

Easley, Ralph M. (Ralph Montgomery), 1858-

Letter from John Hays Hammond to Charles Patrick Neill

John Hays Hammond, President of the National League of Republican Clubs, sends Commissioner of Labor Neill “hot campaign stuff” and suggests that he discuss with President Roosevelt how best to make it public. The information confirms William H. Taft’s position about securing the rights of laborers through the courts, and shows his interest in the welfare of workers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-16

Creator(s)

Hammond, John Hays, 1855-1936

Letter from Ralph M. Easley to Theodore Roosevelt

Ralph M. Easley reports conflict between members of the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor, with members refusing to back Samuel Gompers’ plan for Denver. Easley tells President Roosevelt that John Mitchell is loyal to him and asks him to invite Mitchell for a meeting. In a postscript, Easley says he cannot trust anyone with this information.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-08

Creator(s)

Easley, Ralph M. (Ralph Montgomery), 1858-

Telegram from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge updates President Roosevelt on the status of several issues at the Republican National Convention, including several planks in the party’s platform, and the status of the vice presidential nomination.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-16

Creator(s)

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

Letter from Ralph M. Easley to Theodore Roosevelt

Ralph M. Easley informs President Roosevelt that John Mitchell is being encouraged by Democrats and labor unions to run for Governor of Illinois, but that Mitchell is on the fence. Mitchell has also been suggested as a vice-presidential candidate for the Democratic ticket, but will not accept, as it will hurt many of his Republican friends. Easley asks Roosevelt to urge Mitchell to join the National Civic Federation, as that is where he believes he would be of the most use, and which Mitchell has been advised to do by other people as well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-17

Creator(s)

Easley, Ralph M. (Ralph Montgomery), 1858-

Letter from Seth Low to Theodore Roosevelt

Seth Low forwards President Roosevelt a letter from Samuel Gompers, and comments on discussions he has recently had with many people about a bill currently under consideration. The present bill is very important to both the business and labor community, and Low is trying to navigate between the two forces.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07

Creator(s)

Low, Seth, 1850-1916

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte writes to President Roosevelt to follow up with him on recent conversations regarding interstate commerce and anti-trust legislation, and to put some of his positions in writing so that Roosevelt may reflect upon them more thoroughly. Bonaparte discusses a proposed change in anti-trust legislation altering the language to read “in unfair or unreasonable restraint of trade,” saying that such a change would produce major complications as it would essentially delegate a judicial duty to an executive officer or board. He also describes how the proposed changes to the law would alter the government’s ability to enforce certain parts of the law, and comments on the idea of the government giving amnesty to corporations who had previously violated anti-trust legislation in minor ways.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-12

Creator(s)

Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921

Letter from August Donath to William Loeb

August Donath has been reliably informed that Samuel Gompers’s opposition to the Republican party is because William Jennings Bryan has promised to make him Secretary of Commerce and Labor should he be elected president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-27

Creator(s)

Donath, August, 1845-1913

Letter from Nicholas Longworth to Theodore Roosevelt

Nicholas Longworth is seeing a clear path to victory in his campaign in Ohio. He discusses the various Republican and Democratic candidates and their strengths and weaknesses. Longworth hopes that William H. Taft will be able to make a speech and help his chances, but he is very nervous to request this from him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-24

Creator(s)

Longworth, Nicholas, 1869-1931

Letter from Timothy L. Woodruff to Theodore Roosevelt

Timothy L. Woodruff, Chairman of the New York Republican State Committee, updates President Roosevelt on the campaign for the 1906 New York gubernatorial election between Republican Charles Evans Hughes and Democrat William Randolph Hearst. Woodruff agrees with Roosevelt that campaign events should not feature Republicans with national reputations, with the exception of Secretary of State Elihu Root, who is from New York. Woodruff says he attempted to prevent Speaker of the House and Illinois Congressman Joseph Gurney Cannon from campaigning for Republicans in New York and, that having failed, has asked that Cannon avoid discussing national Republican issues like tariffs or labor unions. Woodruff includes a letter from a local Democratic lawyer whom Woodruff feels represents many Democrats who oppose Hearst enough to cross party lines to vote for Hughes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-13

Creator(s)

Woodruff, Timothy L. (Timothy Lester), 1858-1913

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge tells President Roosevelt that nothing more is expected of him regarding the bill. Representative Augustus Peabody Gardner is facing a particularly close race, especially with the mounting criticism he faces from Samuel Gompers, but he completely understands Roosevelt’s position. Organized labor is making for difficult races in New York and Massachusetts, and while Lodge believes that the Republican Party will succeed in carrying the House of Representatives, he is nervous about those two states.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-16

Creator(s)

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

Letter from Ralph M. Easley to William Loeb

Ralph M. Easley shares with William Loeb the sentiments that a “very important labor man” expressed to him, feelings purportedly shared among all of the labor advocates who support Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Evans Hughes of New York. These men hope that Representative Joseph Gurney Cannon will not be brought into the campaign. Those Cannon would influence already oppose Democratic candidate William Randolph Hearst and, because of his conflict with Samuel Gompers, Cannon could do more harm than good.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-10

Creator(s)

Easley, Ralph M. (Ralph Montgomery), 1858-