Your TR Source
President Roosevelt tells former Secretary of the Navy Morton that he was delighted having him in Washington. Roosevelt says that he enjoyed the article on rebates, especially Morton’s statement in the piece. He closes by saying he would be glad to see diplomat and writer Edwin Lefevre.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-19
Leslie M. Shaw is glad that President Roosevelt will be meeting with a committee of railroad men. Shaw notes that “at least three-fourths of the accumulated wealth of the United States has been unearned,” referring to value increases of land and real property over time. The difficulty is in how to “adjust matters that every man who has contributed capital or effort toward the development of our country shall have his fair share of the results of American effort.” Shaw identifies the corporate evils in the railroad industry as rooted in granting rebates and special privileges, and corporate control of corporations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-03-14
Railroad official John J. McCook writes to President Roosevelt regarding an act controlling commerce and rebating. The act involved railroad officers and Interstate Commerce Commission members. McCook discusses former President McKinley’s efforts to ensure this law is enforced but suggests that some did not take this law seriously. McCook mentions that McKinley had put off handling this situation during his administration and suggests that Roosevelt should now take up this issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-09
President Roosevelt rakes debris out of a “Standard Oil” barrel: “rebate,” “secret rates,” “unlawful rebates,” and “special secret rates.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-07
Galley proofs for Ray Stannard Baker’s article about railroad rebates: what rebates are, how they are paid, who pays them, and how they affect industry.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09
President Roosevelt wants Attorney General Moody to look at the enclosed letter and asks his opinion about whether the new commission’s powers in rebate matters should be greater.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-21
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with most of Henry Lee Higginson’s letter. He particularly believes in the movement’s effort to protect the shareholders’ widows and orphans. Roosevelt comments on Edward Henry Harriman’s fortune. While he does not want to hurt Harriman’s small securities holders, there should be supervision to prevent future Harrimans from getting disproportionate rewards. It is easy to handle corrupt small businessmen by refusing their service, but the same is not possible with large businessmen. Roosevelt agrees with Higginson on the overall increase in commercial honesty, the effect of certain unions, and the classification of rebates.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-03-02
William Loeb informs William Augustus Patton that his instructions to allow Charles H. Lee to ride in the caboose while accompanying President Roosevelt’s horse from Oyster Bay to Washington, D.C., were not followed. Lee had to purchase a ticket on another passenger train. Loeb asks for the ticket cost to be refunded.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-06
President Roosevelt tells Attorney General Bonaparte to pause the case proceedings regarding alleged rebate practices by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company, pending further investigation. Roosevelt encloses a memorandum describing the proposed investigation into the situation by St. Louis Attorney General Henry W. Blodgett.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-12-05
Isabella Hagner tells Rogers Peet Company that it is “entirely satisfactory” to allow the twenty dollars to remain on deposit to the credit of President Roosevelt’s account, although if it is easier for the bookkeeping department, they can send a check for that amount.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-23
Isabella Hagner asks Rogers Peet & Company to credit the $20 for Kermit Roosevelt’s returned suit to President Roosevelt’s account, rather than Kermit’s.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-21
Henry Lee Higginson recently heard Theodore Roosevelt speak, and offers his thoughts on the speech. He largely agrees with Roosevelt’s views, but offers his own opinion on Roosevelt’s point about the presumed honesty of small businessmen, and explains his own views on how he would like the public to view corporations. Higginson wishes people could see that corporations are also run by people, and can be instruments of good, even while he admits that government supervision of them is not bad. In a long postscript, Higginson continues elaborating on a number of topics, including how standards of products have changed for the better, railroad rebates, and how people’s upbringing can shape how they interact with the world.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-25
Attorney General Moody writes concerning the decision of Judge Philips in the rebate cases. Moody returns a letter to President Roosevelt and states he has made one edit suggested by Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-12-15
The daily papers that comprise the Scripps McRae League along with the allied newspapers published in western cities are vigorously supporting President Roosevelt’s rebate policy.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-12-18
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.
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.
Government investigations have revealed that many railroads have been violating portions of the interstate commerce act with regards to rebates and monopolies, and a number of railroad executives will be called upon to testify before the Interstate Commerce Commission. It is anticipated that testimony will show that the passage of the Elkins law did not stop the practice of paying rebates, but simply changed the form they took. This article presents additional analysis of what is expected to be presented to the commission, as well as the anticipated witnesses to be called.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-09