Your TR Source
President Theodore Roosevelt thinks John A. Sleicher is “right about my meeting those railroad men.” The railroad men need to announce that they accept and will work with the government regulation. They are being cooperative now, but it would have been better had they thought to do this a year ago.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-03-12
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
After talking with George Horace Lorimer, President Roosevelt went back and read The Plum Tree through all the way, after previously having read only half of it. The ending of the book reconciles Roosevelt to many of the problems he had with it throughout, but he still holds many issues with the book which he lays out for Lorimer. The author, David Graham Phillips, falls into the trap of overstating the sort of corruption that is present in politics, and while Roosevelt freely admits that corruption is present–which, he points out, he is working against–there are also many good people working in politics as well. In a postscript of several days later, Roosevelt comments on several of Phillips’s articles on the Senate, in which he acts similarly by taking “certain facts that are true in themselves, and […] ignoring utterly a very much large mass of facts that are just as true and just as important.” Roosevelt criticizes Phillips for working with William Randolph Hearst to achieve notoriety.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-12
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 congratulates photographer and ethnologist Edward S. Curtis, and praises the actions of J. Pierpont Morgan. Morgan provided funding for Curtis’s series of books on Native Americans.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-02-06
President Roosevelt tells Ambassador Reid that he agrees with Robert Harry Munro Ferguson’s recommendation about how to communicate about the treaty between Japan and England. He also discusses the background of the situation currently going on regarding ownership of the Hankow railway in China. At China’s insistence, J. Pierpont Morgan and other American financiers are willing to accept a concession payment and give up their stake in the railway, although Roosevelt told them that the American government was willing to back up their rights to the contract they had signed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-16
President Roosevelt discusses the military prowess of the Roman Empire. He tells German Ambassador Sternburg that he believes that the Japanese government did a poor job of communicating to their people how much they gained in the Treaty of Portsmouth. The Japanese are now rioting because the country did not receive a large indemnity. Roosevelt also tells Sternburg about problems with stockholders, as well as his trip in the submarine Plunger.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-06
President Roosevelt was very interested in Senator Lodge’s talk with Belgian King Léopold II. Roosevelt also liked Lodge’s thoughts of John Hay, although he feels that they should not be melancholy, as Hay had had a long, successful life. He reflects on his choice of Elihu Root as the new Secretary of State. There is no new information regarding the Russian and Japanese peace negotiations. Roosevelt is enjoying his time at Oyster Bay with his family.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-18
President Roosevelt informs Attorney General Moody he is fine with including the firm of J. Pierpont Morgan in the Anthracite Coal case, but does not believe it is necessary to use more than one name.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-31
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
In a confidential letter, President Roosevelt discusses Morgan’s letter and asks Secretary of State Hay to give his regards to Shank. Roosevelt then discusses his concerns about Russia and the Vladivostok fleet whom he fears may seize an American ship. Roosevelt wants Hay to think about their response in such a situation; Roosevelt is inclined to write a polite but firm letter saying the U.S. will not stand for it and to move the Asiatic Squadron northward.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-07-29
President Roosevelt discusses the qualities necessary for a judge’s position which he and Elihu Root are trying to fill.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-12
President Roosevelt asks Governor Murphy about a quote that states that Roosevelt knows he will win the Northern Securities case and intends to throw J. Pierpont Morgan and James J. Hill into the street. President Roosevelt believes that General Nelson Appleton Miles was lying and asks for a statement from Murphy on the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-08
President Roosevelt would like to speak with Secretary of War Root on several matters, particularly an article by Walter Wellman which suggests that Roosevelt kept Grover Cleveland off the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission due to fears of making Cleveland a “Presidential possibility.” Roosevelt insists that the operators rejected Cleveland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-25
President Roosevelt did not ask Speyer because that would have meant including Jacob Schiff or hurting his feelings. J. Pierpont Morgan will be “the big representative man of New York.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-02-01
Maurice H. Cole shares his views with Theodore Roosevelt regarding a number of topics, including public lands given to trusts and special interests; progressive reform measures like the initiative, referendum and recall; the influence of Catholics and socialists on the United States; and relations between labor and capital, and how the government can help arbitrate conflicts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-07-26
Due to a severe drought in Austin, Texas, James B. Milam has suffered a pay cut as a Baptist missionary and is struggling to provide for his family. Milam has written to the “rich men” in New York asking for money, but has either been rejected or ignored. He wonders if Theodore Roosevelt will send $500 to help the Milam family.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-18
Gist Blair discusses the financial issues of George Washington University. The university hopes to secure funds from the Peabody Board. Blair will do what Theodore Roosevelt advises.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-23
John Callan O’Laughlin reports he returned home and left business negotiations in Victor L. Mason’s control. This attempt to secure foreign finance taught him the “tremendous power of the Morgans.” He is excited about the results of Theodore Roosevelt’s trip and discusses what states each presidential candidate expects delegates from. O’Laughlin notes that President William H. Taft does not know how to handle the worsening situation in Mexico. Congress will approve the reciprocity bill in the coming week.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-18
Sarah C. Mortimer discusses how lasting reform will come through a war between capital and labor.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-13