Idaho

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Bonaparte that it is simply a matter of expediency whether or not someone should resign from a federal office when running for an elected position, and trusts Bonaparte’s judgement. The president also believes that New Mexico District Attorney William H. H. Llewellyn and his people are incorrect about Department of Justice agents Ormsby McHarg and Peyton Gordon willfully telling lies, and Roosevelt has received a number of letters confirming this belief. Roosevelt will discuss the Idaho land fraud case with Bonaparte when he sees him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Francis J. Heney

President Roosevelt asks attorney Francis J. Heney if he can undertake the Idaho land fraud trial.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt details how Attorney General Bonaparte is to respond to United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick, using quotations from various correspondences.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt sends an editorial for Attorney General Bonaparte to comment on, as well as a rough draft of his speech for the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, which he asks Bonaparte to read and comment upon as soon as possible. Roosevelt discusses the railroad rate case in North Carolina, bemoaning the “yellow press” coverage of the situation. In the matter of the case against Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah, Roosevelt agrees with Bonaparte and the action that must be taken, but feels obligated to meet with Borah’s representatives.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Allen White

President Roosevelt shares his thoughts regarding the upcoming presidential election and the land fraud case against Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah with William Allen White. Roosevelt outlines his personal reasons for supporting Secretary of War William H. Taft for president as well as the political considerations necessary to secure his nomination. In the case of Borah, Roosevelt would like White to come to Oyster Bay to discuss the matter with him and Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte; Roosevelt thinks it would look bad for Borah to come himself, and asks White to bring Borah’s lawyers on August 9.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frank Robert Gooding

President Roosevelt tells Idaho Governor Gooding that William Allen White, of the Emporia Gazette, made a similar suggestion to Gooding’s, for Roosevelt and Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte to meet with Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah to discuss his case. Roosevelt does not think meeting Borah himself is a good idea, but would like to meet with his lawyers and the attorney general, if possible by August 9.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reed

President Roosevelt approves of the response sent to the Smart Set magazine in response to a request for his endorsement. He says reports of Ambassador Reid’s “ostentation” and other unflattering news reports about official embassy conduct are harmless; he appreciates all the speeches Reid has made in an effort to unite the “right classes” of Americans and English people. Roosevelt agrees with Reid regarding pursuing arbitration in a treaty dispute with Great Britain over fisheries in Newfoundland. He also comments briefly on the result of the trial of Big Bill Hayward, calling it a “gross miscarriage of justice.” Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt appreciates the silver bowl Elisabeth Mills Reid sent as a gift.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Oscar K. Davis

President Roosevelt considers Oscar K. Davis’s reporting on the land fraud case in Idaho to be admirable and gives his word careful consideration. Roosevelt believes that the worst thing he can do is to be seen as shielding Idaho Senator William Edgar Borah from prosecution, but if what Davis says about the grand jury proceedings is true, he will remove District Attorney N. M. Ruick at once. Roosevelt will bring up the matter with Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

President Roosevelt explains his opinion to Lyman Abbott on several points on which they disagree. First, Roosevelt would interfere on behalf of the Armenians if they were willing to fight. Second, he is currently trying to form an agreement with Japan that would prohibit laborers from each country immigrating to the other. However, he feels that all the Japanese already in the country should be given “the franchise and school facilities,” and treated as well as possible. Third, he is “not well acquainted with the situation in Utah,” but thinks Mormons should be treated exactly as anyone else. He does understand the situation in Idaho, which was not about Mormonism. McLain W. Davis’s claims regarding polygamy among Mormons in Idaho were investigated and found baseless.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Campbell

President Roosevelt tells Judge Campbell that there are no charges being brough against him, and will clarify the matter when they meet in the spring. Roosevelt also notes that the recent fights in Idaho and Colorado were in the name of “civilization.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Anna Howard Shaw to Theodore Roosevelt

Anna Howard Shaw has heard about Theodore Roosevelt’s upcoming speech at Carnegie Hall on “The Conservation of Womanhood and Childhood” and hopes he discusses the women’s suffrage movement in light of the growing list of states where women have gained the right to vote.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-14

Creator(s)

Shaw, Anna Howard, 1847-1919

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on various matters before the Department of Justice, specifically pertaining to the cases of William Edgar Borah and N. M. Ruick. Bonaparte also goes into great detail about the case of the People of Puerto Rico vs. the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church in Puerto Rico. He encourages Roosevelt not to get involved but instead to let the courts work it out. In a postscript, Bonaparte discusses the political considerations of federal appointees who run for elective office.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-15

Creator(s)

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

Telegram from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte forwards President Roosevelt a telegram he received from Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch regarding the misconduct of District Attorney N. M. Ruick. Bonaparte asks Roosevelt to wire him with any instructions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-13

Creator(s)

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

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on several political matters. He believes the evidence that could be brought against Senator William Edgar Borah is not enough to convict him, but it is likely that Borah knew about the conspiracy. Bonaparte also wants to talk with Roosevelt about what is going on in the New Mexico Territory and the charges made against William H. H. Llewellyn. Finally, Bonaparte mentions a letter he received from W. Hall Harris about whether he should resign the postmastership in order to accept the nomination for a judgeship in Baltimore, Maryland.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-11

Creator(s)

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

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte informs President Roosevelt about a variety of telegrams he has received pertaining to current issues, such as the trial in Idaho concerning Senator William Edgar Borah, the work of Special Assistant U.S. District Attorney Grace Humiston (Mrs. Quackenbos), and a revised constitution for the Territory of Oklahoma.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-10

Creator(s)

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

Letter from Ruel Rounds to Charles J. Bonaparte

U.S. Marshal Rounds acknowledges several messages Attorney General Bonaparte has sent pertaining to the trial of Senator William Edgar Borah. Borah’s friends believe he will not receive a fair trial. Rounds says he is confused by this concern and explains that he has done nothing to prevent Borah from receiving a fair trial. Rounds requests that Bonaparte begin an investigation to satisfy himself about the truth of the complaints.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-07

Creator(s)

Rounds, Ruel, 1842-1922

Letter from Frank Sigel Dietrich to Charles J. Bonaparte

Judge Dietrich informs Attorney General Bonaparte he had asked for a large panel of seventy jurors and informed the U.S. Marshal to avoid any appearance of bias. Dietrich also reports on developments regarding the judge to be appointed for the Idaho land fraud case. He reached out to several judges before eventually deciding on Judge Edward Whitson, an outside judge which will give the appearance of fairness. The decision was “entirely satisfactory to all parties here.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-07

Creator(s)

Dietrich, Frank Sigel, 1863-1930

Letter from Frank Sigel Dietrich to Charles J. Bonaparte

Judge Dietrich reports to Attorney General Bonaparte on discussions he has had with the parties and special government counsel regarding the outside judge to be appointed in the Idaho land fraud cases. All parties agreed to Judge Edward Whitson, but Dietrich is not sure all would agree to Judge William Henry Hunt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-06

Creator(s)

Dietrich, Frank Sigel, 1863-1930

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on Judge Frank Sigel Dietrich’s statements regarding Marshal Ruel Rounds, and on the situation in Idaho. Bonaparte thinks the lumber men could appeal to the Interstate Commerce Commission about the railroad rates, but he will have to look into the matter further. Many of the employees involved in the land fraud cases think highly of District Attorney N. M. Ruick and feel Senator William Edgar Borah is guilty, but the secret service men dislike Ruick. In Oklahoma, Bonaparte is still waiting for the election and the results of the census, and will give Roosevelt his feedback on the constitution after he has more information. William Randolph Hearst and the financiers have taken up rumors of Bonaparte’s resignation in the press again, perhaps because of Republican National Committee member Frank B. Kellogg’s visit to Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-01

Creator(s)

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

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte shares with President Roosevelt his thoughts about what to do with United States District Attorney N. M. Ruick. He sends a copy of the telegram he sent to Ruick, and notes the reasoning for his approach. The remaining question is that of the special counsel for the trial. Bonaparte will contact Francis J. Heney and provides several alternatives if Heney is unavailable. He asks Roosevelt for further suggestions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-25

Creator(s)

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