Political corruption--U.S. states

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Curry

President Roosevelt is disappointed New Mexico Governor Curry appointed Albert B. Fall as attorney general and suggests he be removed. Roosevelt assures Curry the governor has the president’s support. Roosevelt instructed Special Assistant Attorney General Ormsby McHarg to set aside territorial issues and continue his prosecutions. Assistant Attorney General Alford Warriner Cooley will review the situation with Curry in three months.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. H. Llewellyn

President Roosevelt shares his thoughts and reasoning with New Mexico Attorney General Llewellyn regarding the removal of former Governor Herbert J. Hagerman and former Secretary of New Mexico Territory James W. Raynolds from office. Roosevelt finds the actions of Raynolds and Hagerman inexplicable, and suspects that Hagerman to be the “tool of powerful corrupt interests.” Roosevelt insists that the conduct of his appointees in New Mexico Territory must be free of misconduct or the appearance of misconduct.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Walter H. Johnson to William Loeb

United States Marshal Johnson writes to William Loeb regarding an enclosed letter from former Republican National Administration member S. A. Darnell. Johnson shares his thoughts about weaknesses in Georgia’s Republican Party, political corruption, political endorsements, and appointments of federal officials. Johnson then focuses attention on Darnell, who he suggests harbors negative feelings toward the District Attorney and Internal Revenue Department officers since they prosecuted his son for a work-related violation. Johnson also discusses Darnell’s failure to be re-elected to the Republican National Administration and his attempts to be appointed to a position.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-26

Creator(s)

Johnson, Walter H., 1848-

Letter from Sion A. Darnell to Theodore Roosevelt

Sion A. Darnell writes to President Roosevelt accusing the Georgia Republican Party of corruption.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-16

Creator(s)

Darnell, Sion A., 1845-1906

Address by Curtis Guild Jr. on Grant Day in Des Moines, Iowa

Lieutenant Governor Guild of Massachusetts delivers a speech at an event commemorating President Ulysses S. Grant in Des Moines, Iowa. Guild reminds Iowans of their special connection to Grant, as Iowa regiments were key in his first great victory of the American Civil War, the Battle of Fort Donelson. Guild points out how Grant’s administration saw the beginnings of a lot of contemporary issues, like the fight between the gold and silver standard, the corruption of machine politics, and the ills of the spoils system. Guild does, however, defend Grant against his harshest critics, stating that Grant did punish many of the instigators of scandals like Credit Mobilier and the Whiskey ring, and that Grant’s idea to annex the Dominican Republic seems less extreme in light of recent South American upheavals.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04-27

Creator(s)

Guild, Curtis, 1860-1915

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Virgil K. Kellogg

Theodore Roosevelt writes to Judge Kellogg, discussing the Canadian Reciprocity Act and the need to pay working men in the United States a decent wage. Roosevelt contends that President Taft, in collusion with Herman Ridder, passed the Reciprocity Bill to win the favor of the press.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Yerger

Theodore Roosevelt is touched by Henry Yerger’s letter and hopes that people will triumph over corrupt politics and that their cause will be victorious.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-06-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Curry

President Roosevelt tells George Curry that when he takes office as governor of New Mexico Territory, he will find the situation “much confused.” Although former Governor Hagerman did some good things for the territory, some of the things he did were “reprehensible,” thanks to bad advisers. Roosevelt requests that Curry conduct himself with a sense of duty, just as he did during his service as a captain in the Rough Riders.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Rudolph Garfield

After receiving a letter from William H. H. Llewellyn, President Roosevelt believes that Arizona Territorial Governor Joseph H. Kibbey and New Mexico Territorial Governor Herbert J. Hagerman may need to replaced. He wishes David M. Goodrich lived in New Mexico so he could be appointed, and asks Commissioner of Corporations Garfield to look into the record of John M. Wilson as a potential candidate, while investigating the current governors’ malpractices.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to L. Clarke Davis

President Roosevelt claims that labor leaders are misrepresenting his statements and provides the facts in the Delaware case. Roosevelt also asks L. Clarke Davis to look to his actions and speeches to get the facts. Roosevelt also gives examples on corruptions that began before he was in office and how he is trying to stop them and remove the responsible people from office.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-10-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Will Irwin to Theodore Roosevelt

Will Irwin discusses the corruption of the Tillman family, specifically surrounding the shooting of journalist Narciso Gener Gonzales by John H. Tillman. Irwin claims that Tillman’s uncle, Senator Benjamin R. Tillman, instructed members of the South Carolina Dispensary to pose as canvassers selling enlarged photographs to ascertain South Carolinians’ opinions on the shooting. Using this information, Irwin asserts, the jury was selected to be prejudiced in favor of James H. Tillman, which led to his acquittal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-11

Creator(s)

Irwin, Will, 1873-1948

Letter from Benjamin Ide Wheeler to Theodore Roosevelt

President of the University of California Wheeler strongly opposes appointing Charles E. Thomas the postmaster of Berkeley.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-16

Creator(s)

Wheeler, Benjamin Ide, 1854-1927

Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt on several matters before him. Assistant Attorney General Alford Warriner Cooley has been investigating the situation in Alabama, where Bonaparte deems it necessary for Roosevelt to “call down” several politicians who are complicating judicial confirmations and the workings of the attorney general’s office with concerns over political patronage. In Arkansas, Cooley reports that there are many well qualified men to replace Assistant District Attorney Ulysses S. Bratton, who has been involved in improper conduct in a case involving postal inspectors. Bonaparte has recently met with Census Director S. N. D. North and explains the problems he has encountered with obtaining an accurate census of Oklahoma Territory, resulting in problems with representation of citizens there, and makes recommendations to solve the problem. Bonaparte has requested summaries for the injunction regarding the picketing of the Allis Chalmers company in Wisconsin, and is appointing a special counsel to take charge of litigation against a prominent official there. Bonaparte is ready to move against the Tobacco Trust and James Buchanan Duke.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-18

Creator(s)

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

Letter from Alford Warriner Cooley to Theodore Roosevelt

Assistant Attorney General Cooley writes President Roosevelt concerning an issue of political corruption in New Mexico. Governor Herbert J. Hagerman illegally sold New Mexican land to Willard S. Hopewell, which Hopewell then transferred to the Pennsylvania Land Development Company to build the Santa Fe Central Railroad. Cooley meticulously looks at a letter that Hagerman sent to Roosevelt and points out the fallacies of his logic.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-23

Creator(s)

Cooley, Alford Warriner, 1873-1913

Letter from Theodore E. Burton to Theodore Roosevelt

Representative Burton apprises President Roosevelt of a rise in progressive sentiment in Ohio that is being hampered by the coercive efforts of federal office holders to re-elect Senators Joseph Benson Foraker and Charles Dick. Those endorsing the senators give the impression that they have Roosevelt’s support. They have attempted to strong-arm county officials into obtaining delegates friendly to Dick, an action that drew at least one official’s resignation in protest. Burton entreats Roosevelt to make a public statement that he does not back one faction over the other, a neutral stance also adopted by Governor Andrew L. Harris.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-07

Creator(s)

Burton, Theodore E. (Theodore Elijah), 1851-1929

Letter from Redfield Proctor to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Proctor suggests that President Roosevelt bring his sons to Vermont where they might take a yacht up the East Coast. Proctor describes the troubles his son Fletcher D. Proctor has encountered in the Vermont gubernatorial race, but also suggests that it would be best if Roosevelt did not intervene.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-15

Creator(s)

Proctor, Redfield, 1831-1908

Letter from Francis J. Heney to Theodore Roosevelt

Oregon District Attorney Heney states Senators John H. Mitchell and Charles William Fulton entered into a conspiracy with former district attorney John Hicklin Hall. The senators agreed to procure the reappointment of Hall if Hall refrained from prosecuting George C. Brownell and James U. Campbell in the Oregon land fraud trials.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-17

Creator(s)

Heney, Francis J. (Francis Joseph), 1859-1937

Letter from A. A. Lindsley to James Sullivan Clarkson

A. A. Lindsley believes President Roosevelt could not have appointed a better person than William W. Cotton as judge. Lindsley discusses the political situation in Oregon, focusing on the reorganization of the Republican party following heavy political corruption.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-08

Creator(s)

Lindsley, A. A. (Addison Alexander), 1848-1923

Letter from Isaac H. Frothingham to William Loeb

Isaac H. Frothingham sends William Loeb newspaper clippings, which Frothingham says are “‘political straws,’ denoting which direction the wind is blowing.” He discusses voting in New York, implying that Grover Cleveland’s 182,000 vote lead in the New York gubernatorial election of 1882 was reduced to a mere 1,150 vote lead in New York during the 1884 presidential election as a result of John Y. McKane’s actions. Frothingham states that they can reduce democratic candidate Alton B. Parker’s vote lead even more successfully.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-07-16

Creator(s)

Frothingham, Isaac H.

The rascality of these men

Theodore Roosevelt recently testified to the congressional commission that he acted on his own initiative in allowing the steel trust to absorb the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company. However, as editor C. F. Phillips reports, a statement by Roosevelt to Charles Hunter would suggest otherwise. If authentic, the statement raises questions about Roosevelt’s public silence on the corrupt practices and “rascality of these men” of high finance. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-08

Creator(s)

Unknown