Presidents--Nomination

Letter from Malcolm D. Hart to Theodore Roosevelt

Malcolm D. Hart informs Theodore Roosevelt that there is more support for Roosevelt in the south than for William H. Taft, but Roosevelt doesn’t hear about it because southern republicans are afraid Roosevelt won’t accept a nomination and declaring support for Roosevelt could jeopardize their interests. Hart encourages Roosevelt to say he will accept a unanimous nomination before Taft’s supporters have too much control. Hart advises Roosevelt that he is certainly stronger than Taft, or anyone else, in Virginia.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-14

Creator(s)

Hart, Malcolm D. (Malcolm Duncan), 1866-1950

Letter from William T. Dowdall to Theodore Roosevelt

William T. Dowdall reminds Theodore Roosevelt of the letter Dowdall sent in 1908 in which Dowell urged Roosevelt to run for president. Dowdall repeats his plea noting that William H. Taft will not win the election if he is nominated. If only Roosevelt will say he is not a candidate for nomination, but he will serve if he is elected, Dowdall is sure Roosevelt will be nominated and elected.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-14

Creator(s)

Dowdall, William T., 1835-1915

Letter from S. S. McNinch to Theodore Roosevelt

S. S. McNinch asks Theodore Roosevelt to avoid more declarations about the presidency, but to allow the people who choose him and force him to accept the nomination. McNinch has heard Democrats state Roosevelt is the only man who can to handle the trusts and they will support him as well. McNinch begs Roosevelt to not act irrevocably.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-13

Creator(s)

McNinch, S. S. (Samuel Sylvanus), 1867-1929

Letter from Albert L. Doeg to Theodore Roosevelt

Albert L. Doeg tells Theodore Roosevelt that the people of northwest Minnesota support Roosevelt becoming the next president and they hope he will agree to be the Republican presidential candidate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-13

Creator(s)

Doeg, Albert L., 1861-1916

Letter from Adolphus E. Perry to Theodore Roosevelt

Adolphus E. Perry calls all members of the Republican Congressional Committee of Oklahoma together and wishes all members either attend or send a proxy. Perry handwrites a note to Theodore Roosevelt sharing that the district hopes to hold the first convention to elect delegates again, and last year Perry was the first delegate elected to the national convention.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-12

Creator(s)

Perry, Adolphus E. (Adolphus Edward), 1867-1939

Letter from John O. Yeiser to Theodore Roosevelt

John O. Yeiser responds to Theodore Roosevelt with appreciation for Roosevelt’s personal feelings about running for President, but Yeiser wishes Roosevelt to know he will not be discouraged from seeking to nominate Roosevelt. Yesier explains his reasons for wishing Roosevelt to be nominated over William H. Taft and Robert M. La Follette. If nominated, Yeiser believes Roosevelt will do his duty and accept.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-01

Creator(s)

Yeiser, John O. (John Otho), 1866-1928

Letter from John O. Yeiser to Isaac T. A. Reneau

John O. Yeiser thanks Isaac T. A. Reneau for volunteering to support this work of bringing Roosevelt’s men together in his city in order to get Roosevelt nominated for President. They are not asking Roosevelt what he thinks, but Yeiser does not believe Roosevelt would refuse the nomination and allow Taft to win again. Yeiser encourages Reneau to get the “real rough Roosevelt men” to sign the petition, and the rest will follow and Roosevelt will be elected President.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-29

Creator(s)

Yeiser, John O. (John Otho), 1866-1928

Letter from John O. Yeiser to Theodore Roosevelt

John O. Yeiser tells Theodore Roosevelt he has taken the responsibility of mailing out petitions to get an idea of what people are thinking about the presidential nomination, though he is being cautious. Yeiser does not need Roosevelt to approve of the endeavor, but Yeiser does ask if Roosevelt might consider coming to Nebraska to speak at one of the banquets he plans to hold. Any correspondence between them is strictly confidential unless Roosevelt authorizes Yeiser to mention it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-23

Creator(s)

Yeiser, John O. (John Otho), 1866-1928

Letter from Riley S. Young to Theodore Roosevelt

Riley S. Young congratulates Theodore Roosevelt on his recent article in The Outlook. Young believes the current age requires capital in order to do business and therefore size should not be restricted by vague laws. Young hopes Roosevelt will allow his friends to nominate him for president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-22

Creator(s)

Young, Riley S., 1860-1952

Less La Follette talk

Senator Robert M. La Follette will be leaving Washington soon to campaign aggressively in Ohio, William H. Taft’s home state. Public opinion has changed, indicating La Follette is not in the running for the nomination, instead Theodore Roosevelt and Taft will be the ones to fight to lead the Republican Party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-14

Creator(s)

Unknown

Hopes rest with Roosevelt

After having lunch with Theodore Roosevelt, Frank Knox gives an official statement that Roosevelt is not and will not run for the nomination to become a candidate for president. Many Republicans hope Taft will turn down the nomination so Roosevelt might step up and save Republicans by becoming the Republican presidential candidate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-14

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Riesenberg

Theodore Roosevelt informs Henry Riesenberg that he does not want his friends participating in nominating him for President in the coming year.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1911-07-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Draft of 1912 Republican Convention speech

Draft of a speech prepared by Theodore Roosevelt to deliver before the 1912 Republican Convention in Chicago, Illinois. He believes the nominating votes have been fixed in President Taft’s favor and refuses to accept any nomination from the convention. Roosevelt announces he will run on a progressive platform.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1912-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Before notification

This excerpt from an Evening Sun dispatch reports that Judge Alton B. Parker did not want to meet anyone except members of the Notification Committee and the National and Executive Committees. When W. S. Rodie made this announcement, the enthusiastic Democrats from the Bowery and the Gowanus Canal were disappointed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-10

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Anna Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt writes his sister Anna about the recent happenings at the Chicago Republican nominating convention. Roosevelt is very disappointed about the nomination of James G. Blaine as the Republican candidate for president. He is going to take a break from politics and spend time at his North Dakota ranch.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1884-06-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Justin Allen

Theodore Roosevelt updates Henry Justin Allen regarding his correspondence and mentions a halt in progress at the Baltimore Democratic National Convention.  

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1912-07-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence F. Abbott

President Roosevelt hopes he made it clear in his last letter to Lawrence F. Abbott that he disagreed with the part of the Labor World article about his running for a third term. He has “moved heaven and earth” to prevent his renomination and believes Secretary of War William H. Taft will be nominated on the first ballot. Roosevelt does not feel Abbott can understand how much work he has put into preventing his renomination.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt updates Secretary of War Taft on his conversation with Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou in which he made clear that the nominee for president will be chosen based on what is best for the party. Men from various states have contacted Roosevelt attempting to convince him to run again and expressing whether they would support Taft. Evaluating the potential candidates, Roosevelt focuses on Governor Charles Evans Hughes, who is the biggest potential threat. Roosevelt says that Bishop Charles Henry Brent recently delivered a ridiculous sermon on the Philippines and that Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte has been doing well this summer despite his difficult work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt tells Secretary of War Taft that his endorsement by the Republican Party of Ohio is already having an effect on the New York newspapers, which previously had been supporting New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes for president in the upcoming election. Roosevelt advises Taft to not hurry election matters too much, but after his return from the Philippines he should make an attack on Ohio Senator Joseph Benson Foraker. Roosevelt complains about Senator Eugene Hale’s efforts to curtail the navy’s attempts to repair battleships, saying Hale thinks that by keeping the United States unfit for war with Japan, war will therefore be averted. In a handwritten postscript Roosevelt tells Taft to avoid talking about tariff matters for the time being.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt would not have advised Secretary of War Taft to take the position of refusing to compromise with Ohio Senator Joseph Benson Foraker but, upon reflection, considers it “one of those fine and manly things” he expects from Taft. Roosevelt recommends changing one sentence in his letter, which reads, “It may be quite true that a Senator may act on his own conscience.” Roosevelt believes it would be better to use the specific example of the rate bill where Foraker “acted so as to outrage the consciences of all the best men.” If Taft is not to be the president, Roosevelt hopes he will be Chief Justice or a senator from Ohio.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919