Laffan, William M.

President Roosevelt tells Lawrence F. Abbott of The Outlook that he is not at all concerned about reports that the magazine is controlled by the Standard Oil Company. Roosevelt also recalls his friendship with Lyman Abbott, and he lambasts William M. Laffan of the New York Sun whom Roosevelt believes started the story about The Outlook and Standard Oil.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1908-11-14

President Roosevelt is strapped to a “condemnation” diving board across the “criticism” river. Roosevelt holds his big stick and says, “This is slanderous, villainous, scurrilous, vicious—-!!” Joseph Pulitzer and Edward Henry Harriman cheer as Harriman holds the “Ananias Club” flag. William MacKay Laffan is lying face up on the ground chuckling, “Ha-ha!” while Henry Melville Whitney says, “Let ‘er go!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Edward Joseph McBride was among several political cartoonists at the close of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency who seemed to find daily opposition a habit difficult to break. Cartoons like this one were not about specific issues, but virtually served as compendiums of complaints that had provided Democratic cartoonists with subjects for years.

President Roosevelt stands in mud labeled “Panama Ananias Cut” as he throws dirt on William MacKay Laffan and Delavan Smith.” Meanwhile, Joseph Pulitzer hides behind a rock and holds up a paper: “World–‘Never touched me!’ J. Pulitzer.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The artistic and conceptual inconsistencies of W. A. Rogers and his cartoons have prevented researchers from tracking history through his cartoons, except as a trail of variable partisanship. One of his most famous cartoons, for instance, living through reprints in many articles and history texts, depicts a giant Theodore Roosevelt with a shovel, digging through the Isthmus of Panama; he looks dignified and noble. The drawing has the similitude of endorsement. But a close examination of s small detail reveals that the cartoonist showed dirt being piled upon Nicaragua, which the United States had decided against as it planned a path between the seas.

President Roosevelt uses a “liar” brand on the bottoms of men in the “Ananias Club.” Delavan Smith has just been branded. As Roosevelt holds William MacKay Laffan, the president says, “You for the front rank.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Theodore Roosevelt seemed readier than most presidents to counter lies and attacks with vivid responses. It was his nature, partly; but he was also subject to some allegations more serious than many presidents. Late in the 1908 presidential campaign the Indianapolis News& and the New York World printed stories that claimed corruption related to the negotiations and purchases of rights in Panama.

Two bandaged figures representing Delavan Smith and William MacKay Laffan stand near a wall holding ink pins. They have written on the wall “resolved: that a buzz saw is a dangerous thing.” Behind them in the background spins a buzz saw with the suggestion of glasses on it labeled “Roosevelt.” The saw has cut something, which has spilled on the floor and on which is written “Panama scandal.” The issue referred to here relates to newspaper articles and editorials published by Smith and Laffan (publishers of the Indianapolis News and New York Sun, respectively) alleging there was a syndicate of Americans who were interested parties in the purchase of the Panama Canal from France, and demanding to know where the money had gone. This comic presumably comes after Roosevelt’s rebuttal. The term Ananias Club was a popular catchphrase among the press to call out liars.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1908-12-08

President Roosevelt tells his son Kermit that Secretary of War William H. Taft’s victory in the presidential election seems assured, despite the American Protective Association’s movement among Protestants who are against Taft because he is Unitarian. Roosevelt also lashes out at some of the newspaper men he says spread lies. He closes by saying he was interested in Kermit’s letter to Mother.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-10-24

President Roosevelt thanks Lawrence F. Abbott for sending him proofs of the articles that he has written. He will send Abbott two more articles to review. Roosevelt would appreciate if the offices of The Outlook would handle his mail while he is on safari in Africa, as he does not wish to answer letters while he is there. Roosevelt is glad that Abbott likes what he wrote about Delavan Smith, William MacKay Laffan, “and company,” and comments on the strangeness of journalism and colleges of journalism.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-08

President Roosevelt acknowledges receipt of William Dudley Foulke’s letter and does not have anything to add to it. Roosevelt announces the classification of all fourth class post offices in Eastern and North Central states, as he thinks it would be good to get it done as soon as possible. He also returns a letter regarding Delevan Smith, and asks that Foulke wait to publish it until after his message goes to Congress.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-02

President Roosevelt believes the statements made by Delevan Smith in the Indianapolis News are patently false, and that refuting them will bring them undue attention. Because William Dudley Foulke insists that a reply be made, however, Roosevelt writes to refute the charges of a scandal involved in the purchasing of the Panama Canal zone from France. Roosevelt particularly refutes the charge that the affair has not been transparent, as documents related to it have been freely available. Roosevelt has refuted other false charges leveled against his administration, but the newspapers continue to print them, so he doubts whether his denial will be effective.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-01

President Roosevelt writes Richard Watson Gilder a lengthy refutation of an article in the Evening Post in which William Garrott Brown misconstrues his actions in the Republican Party. Namely, Brown accuses Roosevelt of neglecting Republicans in the South and of doing a poor job of making nominations to local offices and positions. Roosevelt asserts that where the Republican party is not strong in the South, he has had to appoint Democrats who were quality men, rather than incapable men who are Republicans. Where he believes the party has a chance to compete with Democrats, he does all he can to support it. Roosevelt also writes that he did not use his influence on officers to get William H. Taft the nomination, but rather Taft was nominated because Roosevelt’s policies were popular, and Taft is the man who will continue those policies. Roosevelt believes that Brown is either ignorant or willfully ignorant of a number of facts.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-16

President Roosevelt assures Lawrence F. Abbott that he was not at all annoyed by the New York papers’ stories about The Outlook‘s alleged association with Standard Oil. Abbott’s father, Lyman Abbott, explained to Roosevelt last summer that James Stillman, who is associated with Standard Oil, had helped him purchase The Outlook from Henry Ward Beecher thirty years ago. He believes the story originated in The Sun, and expresses his distaste for William MacKay Laffan, that paper’s editor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-14

While President Roosevelt agrees with William Dudley Foulke that Delavan Smith of the Indianapolis News is bad, the publishers of the New York Sun, New York World, and Evening Post are just as bad or worse. Certain newspapers publish so many lies about Roosevelt that if he were to respond to all of them, he would spend most of his time refuting lies. Roosevelt outlines several lies that have been printed about him in various papers, and invites Foulke to visit and look over the papers that prove them false. Roosevelt would like to speak with Foulke and Lucius B. Swift about whether or not he should respond to Smith and other publishers like him.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-30

President Roosevelt does not think there is any use in publishing the letter. However, he hopes that William Dudley Foulke and Lucius B. Swift will visit after the election to discuss if it is worth writing a letter to settle the matter. In such a letter, Roosevelt would take on all of the newspaper editors he takes issue with at once.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-26

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-24

President Roosevelt responds to William Dudley Foulke’s request to call the Indianapolis News to account for the falsehoods they are spreading. Roosevelt explains that he does not believe it will do any good, because the paper is simply on par with other papers like the New York World, New York Sun, and New York Evening Post. Such papers will simply repeat their falsehoods and spread new ones if they are corrected. Roosevelt believes that it is useless to deny false stories in the news because papers do not attempt to prove their assertions. In particular, Roosevelt mentions false stories about his raising campaign funds and the purchase of the Panama Canal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-24

President Roosevelt explains to William Dudley Foulke that he does not think that it is worth responding to the three false editorials in the Indianapolis News. This paper, under editor Delavan Smith, is just as bad as the New York Sun and New York Evening Post. Roosevelt refutes these editorials, but does not think it is worth making public; if he were to deny all of the falsehoods and stories based on rumors that were printed about him, it would take him all day, every day.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-24

President Roosevelt understands that the clipping William Allen White sent is funny and meant in jest, but he takes exception to the implication that, along with William Jennings Bryan, Oklahoma governor Charles Nathaniel Haskell, and William Randolph Hearst, he is also a liar and a rascal. Roosevelt writes that certain “conscienceless and unscrupulous” journalists who imply that there is no difference between honest and dishonest men, are worse for public life than the worst businessmen and politicians. He believes that White is a decent journalist who does not want to confuse the public and urges him not to publish such jokes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-07

President Roosevelt is interested in what Henry Reuterdahl has to say about the attitudes of the Sun, Herald, and Post towards the navy, and discusses his opinion on the stances of each paper. In a postscript, Roosevelt says he has received the painting of the Great White Fleet Reuterdahl has sent and is delighted with it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-08

President Roosevelt thanks Newbold T. Lawrence and the board of governors of the Rockaway Hunting Club for their action. Until Lawrence contacted him, Roosevelt did not know that the New York Sun had made an attack on him or the club. However, the newspaper has become so disreputable that such an attack could be expected, and it should not surprise or discomfit him or anyone associated with the club.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-18

President Roosevelt agrees with Kermit Roosevelt about the book Martin Chuzzlewit, and criticizes Charles Dickens’s character and inability to see the positive traits of America and Americans, which led to such great men as Abraham Lincoln. He concedes, however, that some of the negative characteristics that Dickens’s characters portray do persist in some Americans, including Senator Benjamin R. Tillman, William Randolph Hearst, and John D. Rockefeller. Roosevelt enjoyed a recent visit from Kermit’s older brother, Theodore Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-29