Landis, Kenesaw Mountain, 1866-1944

Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis recently showed clemency towards Glenn M. Koss because of a letter his mother wrote. Koss was charged with embezzling money from the army that should have paid for his transport to his barracks by getting drunk on the train and riding it too far. Because of the letter from Koss’s mother; Landis decided to hold the prison penalty in abeyance, and instructed Koss to go home, get a job, and quit drinking.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-26

President Roosevelt sits at a desk labeled “Associate Editor” and filled with papers. On the ground is a bear skin rug and two papers: “Onward Standard Soldiers” and “The Science of Rebating.” There are three other offices: “Mr. Rogers, Managing Editor,” “Mr. Rockefeller, Editor and General Manager,” and “Mr. Archbold, Stenographer.” Rogers says, “Tell Teddy to put a four line head on that story defending our rebates!” Rockefeller says, “Tell Teddy to write an editorial on the persecution of the trusts!” On the wall is a picture of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis and a sign that reads, “In oil we trust.” Roosevelt’s big stick is in the corner.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Two weeks after the presidential election of 1908, political cartoonist Camillus Kessler of the extreme anti-Republican Women’s National Daily returned to attacking President Roosevelt, who still had approximately four more months to serve in the White House.

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?”

comments and context

Comments and Context

There are contexts behind this cartoon by John T. McCutcheon of The Chicago Tribune that might not be apparent to modern researchers. The first is somewhat evident by reading the dialog balloons between figures in the pairings or clusters. Almost appropriate for an April Fool’s cartoon instead of something closer to Halloween is the ironic juxtaposition in every case — political opponents or business rivals exchanging niceties. In fact, insights might be gained by reading the nature of their “about-face” encounters.

President Roosevelt asks Attorney General Bonaparte, about the case of Holton, which was brought to him by Post Office Inspector James E. Stuart. Stuart believes that Holton has served a sufficient time, and says that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis and District Attorney Edwin Walter Sims concur in this and have recommended Holton’s pardon. Roosevelt asks Bonaparte to take up the case and report to him about it soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-19

This newspaper article examines President of the Standard Oil Company in Indiana James A. Moffett’s defense of the company’s actions in Illinois as well as Commissioner Herbert K. Knox’s rebuttal. The author believes that Moffett’s defense was not disproved by Knox and thinks a higher court will rule in this manner.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-01-17

Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt about the work of United States Attorneys throughout the country. He delivered an address at the University of Chicago, where he was questioned about the conduct of United States Attorney William H. H. Llewellyn. Oklahoma is about to gain statehood and Bonaparte would like to discuss the matter with Roosevelt, given his earlier opposition. Many people Bonaparte met in Chicago support a third term for Roosevelt. He believes they would accept Secretary of War William H. Taft as president if necessary, but would oppose Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-20

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Frederick Landis for the speech and the information about his brother, either referring to Charles B. Landis or Judge Landis. Roosevelt finds the information to be characteristic of the administration.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-08-13

Theodore Roosevelt recalls the address that John H. Ryan, editor of the Decatur Labor World, mentions. Roosevelt believes it was the one in which he contrasted Judge J. Otis Humphrey and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, but regrets that he cannot find a copy of it to share with Ryan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-04-10

President Roosevelt agrees with Lyman Abbott’s position, and says that he went as far as he thought he could go in his public criticism of Judge Daniel Thew Wright. Roosevelt thinks that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis helped corporations by imposing excessive fines, and that Wright did the same service for the worst labor leaders.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-29

President Roosevelt tells Judge Speer that he has not closely followed Speer’s case concerning railroad rates in Georgia, which was recently overturned by Judge Don Albert Pardee, as he was concentrating on a decision concerning Standard Oil. Roosevelt has forwarded Speer’s complaint to Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-14

President Roosevelt would like to discuss the recent decision by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals of Illinois in person with Attorney General Bonaparte and Frank B. Kellogg. Roosevelt feels that the fine Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis initially imposed on Standard Oil was excessive, but would have preferred to modify the fine rather than reverse the decision. In a postscript, Roosevelt agrees with Bonaparte’s view regarding the Standard Oil Case, and sends a clipping about it. In a second postscript, Roosevelt agrees with Bonaparte that John D. Archbold must have had advance notice of the decision. Roosevelt does not believe the railroads should raise their rates until December.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-25

President Roosevelt has sent Attorney General Bonaparte a public statement regarding the recent United States Circuit Court decision in the Standard Oil Company, and asks him to consult with Frank B. Kellogg about it. Roosevelt feels Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis has hurt the case by imposing an excessive fine, but that the three who reversed the decision have hurt the “cause of civilization and property.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-23

President Roosevelt thinks that the Landis-Sims-Wilkerson matter will gradually resolve itself after they confer with the judge. He does not understand Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch’s telegram and asks Attorney General Bonaparte whether Burch is proceeding against all of the defendants or only Senator William Edgar Borah.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-07

President Roosevelt asks Attorney General Bonaparte what he thinks about the Oklahoma gerrymander and suggests action if it is justified. He also discusses Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s concerns about railroad employees’ testimony in the Standard Oil case.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-06

President Roosevelt agrees with Attorney General Bonaparte on the appointment of Assistant Attorney General Marsden C. Burch in the Idaho land fraud case. On the New Mexico issue, Roosevelt details Attorney General William H. H. Llewellyn’s rise as an attorney. In light of Judge James H. Beatty’s letter, Roosevelt feels there is no need to be involved. Although Roosevelt does not trust rumors, it does seem based on recent behavior that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis may be suffering a breakdown. In a post script, Roosevelt comments on William Randolph Hearst’s recent supposed sympathy toward Bonaparte after his siding with Wall Street. In Roosevelt’s view, the recurrent rumor about Bonaparte resigning to appease financiers has actually shown the public that Bonaparte alarms those who are corrupt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-31

President Roosevelt discusses how a letter from Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis changes the possible prosecution of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and Standard Oil cases. He asks Attorney General Bonaparte to investigate the testimony in question.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-17

President Roosevelt congratulates U.S. Attorney Sims on the outcome of the Standard Oil case.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-05

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.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-13

President Roosevelt congratulates United States Attorney Edwin Walter Sims on the outcome of the trial against Standard Oil and says that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis is “an admirable judge.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-14

President Roosevelt approves of Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis’s decision, and congratulates Edwin Walter Sims on his work as District Attorney.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-06