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President Roosevelt is sorry to hear of Russell B. Harrison’s defeat and the “general disaster” in Indiana. However, he is glad that things went well for the national ticket.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-05
President Roosevelt is glad to hear Russell B. Harrison’s views on the chances in Indiana. He also says that Delavan Smith of the Indianapolis News is a “lying blackguard” who is behaving exactly as he expected. He notes the relationship between Smith and the financier Daniel G. Reid.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-02
President Roosevelt is glad that Lucius B. Swift referred two men to him, because he was able to secure “just treatment” for them. Roosevelt is glad to hear what Swift says about William H. Taft carrying Indiana, and he thinks that in New York, Taft will also do as well or better than Roosevelt’s 1904 campaign. He is also glad that Swift liked his open letter to Senator Philander C. Knox. He is amused that the New York Sun thinks he plagiarized it from Knox’s speech, when in fact Roosevelt wrote the labor part of Knox’s speech with the intention of including it in this letter. Roosevelt believed that it was time to attack the alliance between William Jennings Bryan and Samuel Gompers “straight from the shoulder.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-23
President Roosevelt does not believe that William H. Taft will allow “a single dollar” to be spent illegitimately in the campaign. Taft is currently leading the effort to carry Indiana in the election, and Roosevelt believes they will be successful. Roosevelt is interested to hear what Otto Gresham says that James Hogan found out about Samuel Gompers.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-24
President Roosevelt believes that the political situation has changed in William H. Taft’s favor since he last wrote Kermit Roosevelt. He does not understand the movement of the “ultra Protestant bigots” of the American Protective Association against Taft. He thinks that it may cost them Ohio and Indiana. Roosevelt also complains about various newspaper men from the New York Sun, New York Evening Post, Indianapolis News, and others.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-24
President Roosevelt is alarmed by Walter Wellman’s letter, which suggests that the Republicans might lose Indiana and Ohio. Roosevelt does not think it is wise for him to go on the stump, because it would cause resentment among people who want the attention to be focused on William H. Taft, the opponent of William Jennings Bryan.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-15
President Roosevelt responds to James E. Watson’s suggestion that he spend three days campaigning in Indiana. While he will do what he can to be helpful, Roosevelt does not believe presidents should not go into campaigning; and if he were to spend several days in Indiana, he would have to commit himself to do so in other states as well.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-13
President Roosevelt thanks Lucius B. Swift for the letter, and says that everything must be done to carry Indiana.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-22
President Roosevelt tells William Dudley Foulke that the statement that he has tried to influence the presidential nomination through appointments to state offices is false and malicious. Roosevelt provides a detailed account of appointments he has made in various states as a rebuttal to this accusation. Because there are so many local offices, Roosevelt frequently relies on input from senators, and tries to put the best people in office. The newspapers that have accused him of showing favoritism have either ignored the facts or chosen to not seek them out. Roosevelt gives a particularly thorough look at the appointments he has made in Ohio, the home state of Secretary of War William H. Taft.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-07
President Roosevelt describes to Mark Sullivan the considerations that have gone into his selections for federal judgeships. Roosevelt reviews his appointments in detail, noting that some were made at the request of the local organization and some against their wishes. The goal in each case was to appoint someone “of the high character, the good sense, the trained legal ability, and the necessary broad-mindedness of spirit…essential to a good judge.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-05-13
President Roosevelt invites his cousin, William Emlen Roosevelt, to accompany him on a three day speaking tour in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-29
President Roosevelt has received two telegrams on the matter of an ongoing dispute about wages between coal mine operators and miners, the texts of which he includes for John H. Winder to see. Roosevelt tells Winder that he does not have the authority to create the commission that Winder suggested, as it would take an act of Congress, and is not prepared to say what action he is personally able to take.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-31
President Roosevelt names Charles Denby, Chief Clerk of the Department of State, to the United States Board on Geographic Names.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-12-13
President Roosevelt is pleased with how Indiana has done and tells Senator Beveridge he will congratulate John C. Shaffer when he sees him. It seems evident to Roosevelt that there is “an active intrigue” against joint statehood of the four Territories, which he will nonetheless recommend in his upcoming message.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-08
President Roosevelt comments to Senator Lodge on the election results in various states. He is particularly pleased about the Massachusetts results. He wishes that Ambassador George von Lengerke Meyer had gone back to Saint Petersburg when the trouble started three weeks ago.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-08
President Roosevelt tells William L. Pryor that Governor James Kimble Vardaman and Senator H. D. Money have willfully been misleading in recounting statements he made about lynching. He encloses for Pryor copies of his speeches and letters to prove his actual statements on the matter. Roosevelt says he always makes a point of denouncing the alleged crime that proceeded a lynching in speeches on the subject.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-13
President Roosevelt expresses his frustration about the matter pertaining to John Lewis Griffiths joining the consular service. Although another Indiana man, John K. Gowdy, is leaving Paris, that does not mean that Griffiths gets to take his place when there are other men in the consular service waiting for promotions. Roosevelt informs William Dudley Foulke he will find a suitable position for Griffiths and promote him to Consul General later, if possible.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-06
President Roosevelt explains he is unable to appoint William H. Elliott’s successor from Indiana because he has a certain man in mind. Roosevelt does not regard insular positions as typical political positions and wants to recognize the service of people beyond state lines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-24
President Roosevelt thanks Senator Beveridge for his assistance in Indiana during the presidential election. Roosevelt believes that Aaron Jones would be the best candidate to be appointed as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, but asks for Beveridge’s opinion on the topic.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-11
President Roosevelt congratulates Senator Beveridge and thanks him for the result in Indiana.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-09