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President Roosevelt explains to Paul Morton that E. P. Ripley’s accusations regarding his “assault on the railroads” are untrue. Roosevelt has done nothing to intentionally turn public opinion against the railroads, and the prosecution of the Standard Oil Company is warranted. He asks Morton which specific act Ripley takes issue with.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-02
Paul Morton returns the page from Boston’s Evening Transcript with feedback. Morton believes the main reason that railroad service has deteriorated is because of the large volume of traffic they are forced to move. Morton also thinks that shippers are using railroads cars for storage instead of the transportation of goods. According to Morton, labor unions play a part in the inefficiency in the railroad service.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-05
Railroad executive W. C. Brown explains to Joseph Nimmo, a statistician working on the Interstate Commerce Commission, the extent to which poor public confidence in railroads will impact the overall finance of railroad companies. Brown has confidence in the Interstate Commerce Commission in its regulation decisions. He believes the “abuses and hurtful practices” of some railroad companies have been stopped, but continues to be concerned about the “universal and indiscriminate” condemnation of the railroad companies. Brown hopes President Roosevelt will appeal for fair and reasonable treatment of the railroads to restore confidence in them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-22
Brooks Adams writes to President Roosevelt to express his concern and offer advice in regards to Roosevelt’s attempt to “force through a new policy” that is opposed by titans of industry, finance, and the press. Adams also details how opponents support making Joseph Benson Foraker president by capitalizing on the Brownsville Affair. Adams’s primary advice for Roosevelt is to fight relentlessly at every opportunity to eventually force a popular vote on the issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-06
Paul Morton, President of Equitable Life Insurance, clarifies E. P. Ripley’s stance on President Theodore Roosevelt and the railroads. Morton points out the false information Roosevelt has received regarding the prosecution of the Standard Oil corporation. Railroads are seeing an increase in expenses and a decrease in net earnings. Morton hopes that Roosevelt approves of his letter to Ripley.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-04
President Roosevelt celebrates his forty-ninth birthday with a variety of friends. In the upper left hand corner at the piano are New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes and Thomas Fortune Ryan singing, “Oh let us be joyful.” Booker T. Washington tells Henry Watterson, “Henry, I hope you’ll come down and visit me at Tuskegee.” Senator Joseph Benson Foraker says to Secretary of War William H. Taft, “I heard a good story today, Will.” Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks look at a picture of George Washington, and Fairbanks says, “That picture makes me sad. It reminds me of cherries.” William Randolph Hearst, James Roscoe Day, and Secretary of State Elihu Root look at a book of “Snapshots in New York.” William Jennings Bryan and Grover Cleveland play a game of checkers, and Bryan says, “After you, Grover.” J. Pierpont Morgan watches over the game with his hand on Bryan’s back. Henry Huttleston Rogers, F. Augustus Heinze, and Thomas William Lawson sit together. Lawson says, “Rogers, my boy, you must come over to Boston and visit me.” John D. Rockefeller points at Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s chest while President Roosevelt presents a bouquet to James J. Hill as William J. Long looks on. Finally, James T. Harahan, Edward Henry Harriman, and Stuyvesant Fish read “Snap Shots Along the Illinois Central.” Harriman remarks, “Very nice album, Stuyvesant, is it not?”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-27
President Roosevelt cuts another notch—”federal control of railroads”—in his big stick that already has several notches: “meat inspection,” “canal,” “R.R. rate regulation,” and “pure food.” In the background are James J. Hill, J. Pierpont Morgan, and Edward Henry Harriman holding knives with a banner behind them, “Angry R.R. magnates in their one act come by, entitled. We’re always agin the president.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04
Three pilgrims (Edward Henry Harriman, J. Pierpont Morgan, and James J. Hill) look toward the Sphinx that has President Roosevelt’s head. Caption: The Pilgrims Who Sought an Oracle Find a Sphynx
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-01
President Roosevelt is decked out with boxing gloves, prepared to hit a boxing bag with a face on it. In the foreground is a large weight labeled, “R.R. statistics,” and a teddy bear about to swing a club at a train. A man checks the calendar and three men are pictured on the wall, including J. Pierpont Morgan, Edward Henry Harriman, and likely James J. Hill.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-03-28
On the “then” side stands a short President Roosevelt holding a paper that reads, “Railroad Regulation Proposition.” Surrounding him are railroad magnates that are saying, “Oh, I must smile,” “‘Tis to laugh!” and “Hee haw!” On the “now” side stands an extremely tall Roosevelt with railroad magnates bowing at his feet.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-03-13
Two men struggle to keep a small boat in rough waters from foundering against the “Administration Light,” a lighthouse in the shape of Theodore Roosevelt’s face. The larger man is J. P. “Morgan.” The smaller man, James J. “Hill,” holds a rope in the form of a ticker tape labeled the “New York Stock Market.” In the rough waters are both “undigested securities” and “circuit court decisions.” The flag hoisted on the mast is labeled with a dollar sign.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-04-16
Eight men and one woman are seated or standing around a table. Each is identified with a Cabinet position: J.P. Morgan as “Sec’y Navy,” Thomas W. Lawson as “Sec’y War,” Thomas F. Ryan as “Att’y Gen’l,” James J. Hill as “Sec’y Int,” James H. Hyde as “Sec’y Com. and Lab.”, Russell Sage as “Sec’y Agric,” Henrietta “Hetty” Green as “Post Mistress Gen’l,” Andrew Carnegie as “Sec’y State,” and John D. Rockefeller as “Sec’y Treas.” Setting on the table is a statue labeled “Golden Calf,” and hanging on the wall are portraits of “Midas” and “Croesus.” On the far left is a ticker tape machine. Caption: “There is not in my Cabinet one man to whom it is not a financial disadvantage to stay in the Cabinet.”–President Roosevelt at Asbury Park.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1905-07-26
The wreck of an airship labeled “High Finance” appears at the leading edge of storm clouds labeled “Investigation [and] Merger Decision Law.” The crash has ruined the blades that lifted or propelled the airship, labeled “Over Capitalization, Manipulation, Ship Building Trust, Steel Trust, [and] Northern Securities,” and has brought down six men (“Morgan, Schwab, M’Cook, Harriman, Schiff, [and] Hill”) with the wreckage and two men (“Dresser [and] Nixon”) in a swamp labeled “Ship Trust Receivership.” A lightning bolt labeled “Publicity” flashes from the clouds.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1904-04-20
A diminutive President Roosevelt stands on Wall Street, holding a large sword labeled “Public Service” before giant capitalist ogres labeled “J. J. Hill” holding a club labeled “Merger,” “Morgan” holding a club labeled “High Finance,” and “Rockefeller, Oxnard, [and] Gould.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1904-01-13
President Roosevelt defends hosting miners and labors leaders from Butte, Montana to lunch at the White House. They were all decent men and Roosevelt does not believe that any of them were involved with strike “outrages.” Some labor unions encourage rioting and violence but that is not sufficient grounds to discriminate against every member of any labor union.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-11-26
Theodore Roosevelt believes that information provided to common citizens is poisoned by the media, that corruption is too prevalent, and that private interests can blind businessmen to the needs of the people.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-06-04
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-08
President Roosevelt responds to Outlook editor Lyman Abbott’s comments on the sections of Roosevelt’s recent “muck-rake speech” dealing with the inheritance tax. Roosevelt did not mean to suggest that such a tax would be the only measure necessary to deal with the amassing of large fortunes, but wished to bring attention to the fact that it would help. He believes that a progressive income tax would also be good, but feels that it is harder to frame such a measure, while modifying the tariff would have a minimal effect on such fortunes. Roosevelt is puzzled by Abbott’s comments about taxing land, and asks if he is trying to revive the theories of Henry George, or if he is referring to something else. Regardless, Roosevelt feels the language is too vague to be useful, while he was trying to bring attention to specific measures that could be accomplished. He was surprised the portion of his speech dealing with labor leaders has received little attention; while he feels that the amassing of great fortunes is harmful to the United States, so too is the sort of violence resulting from “unhealthy sentimentality and morbid class consciousness” like that of socialist leader Eugene V. Debs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-23
President Roosevelt thanks William H. Moody for his letter and agrees with his position. Although it is J. Pierpont Morgan and James Jerome Hill who perpetrate the wrong, it is the small folk who pay most heavily. Roosevelt believes everything is going well for the election. James D. Ritchie, who had been acquitted of murder, has been deported.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-15
The Northern Securities suit has been President Roosevelt’s greatest achievement. Roosevelt points out that Alton B. Parker’s campaign is one of adroit trickery. Roosevelt asks whether George B. Cortelyou will visit next week.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-11