Your TR Source
Theodore Roosevelt appreciates Father Tieman’s note and asks that he also thank the men of his parish for the resolutions they passed in regards to “the Mexican matter.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-12-12
Theodore Roosevelt compliments Charles J. Bonaparte for the articles he has written on the Monroe Doctrine and the European war. However, Roosevelt believes that the United States should “act under the Hague Treaties in connection with Belgium.” The treaties were signed and must be acted upon. The Progressive Party was too advanced for the average man and attracted too many cranks. America’s two party system has become too entrenched to overcome. In 1912 the economy was the major issue; a workingman “was not interested in social and industrial justice.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-11-07
President Roosevelt thanks the Board of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church through Joseph B. Hingeley, secretary to that body. The Board has sent Roosevelt a personalized copy of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Roosevelt describes the church as promoting a “virile type of American citizenship.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-25
President Roosevelt informs Eugene A. Philbin that he does not think it would be appropriate for him to congratulate Pope Pius X on the anniversary of his becoming a priest.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-14
President Roosevelt praises Eugene A. Philbin’s interview in the World. He asks if Philbin saw the response of the Lutheran ministers to his letter on religious tolerance. Roosevelt believes that the response proves why he needed to write it, and why he should not currently do anything that would justify his critics.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-16
President Roosevelt mourns the death of David Decamp Thompson, editor of the Northwestern Christian Advocate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-17
President Roosevelt was pleased to find out from William H. Manning that the man he publicly rebuked for religious bigotry happens to be “a man of low morals.” He feels that the two traits often go hand in hand.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-13
President Roosevelt encloses a copy of a letter that he believes George Otto Trevelyan will be interested in. President-elect Taft was attacked during the campaign for being a Unitarian, and also because it was believed he was too favorable to Catholics.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-09
President Roosevelt responds to James C. Martin’s letter expressing concerns about William H. Taft’s religious views. First, Roosevelt refutes Martin’s concern about Taft being a Unitarian by pointing out that Americans should not vote for a man based solely on his religious beliefs. Second, Roosevelt addresses concerns that Taft’s wife and brother are Catholics by pointing out that they are not. Roosevelt believes that if America is to last, people of different religious creeds will have to work together in government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-06
President Roosevelt tells Republican National Committee Chairman Hitchcock about the steps that are being taken to counteract the bigotry that the American Protective Association is threatening. The Association is attacking William H. Taft for being a Unitarian and supporting Catholics and is also bringing up old accusations that Puerto Rico Governor Regis Henri Post was pro-Catholic.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-23
President Roosevelt thanks Reverend Johnston for his letter. The incident that Johnston wrote about happened over a year ago and was an attempt to discredit Puerto Rico Governor Regis Henri Post. Roosevelt asserts that this was done because Post is “a good man,” not because he is a bad man. The Senate Committee, led by Senator Joseph Benson Foraker, investigated the allegations against Post and found no wrongdoing.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-23
President Roosevelt encloses a letter from Hannibal L. Hamlin, regarding the campaign’s “religious issues.” He believes that Senator Lodge’s people might want to look into the situation. Roosevelt believes it is a branch of the old American Protective Association.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-23
President Roosevelt believes that the political situation has changed in William H. Taft’s favor since he last wrote Kermit Roosevelt. He does not understand the movement of the “ultra Protestant bigots” of the American Protective Association against Taft. He thinks that it may cost them Ohio and Indiana. Roosevelt also complains about various newspaper men from the New York Sun, New York Evening Post, Indianapolis News, and others.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-24
W. R. McCormack is “entirely right” in his opinion about William H. Taft. President Roosevelt encloses a copy of a letter that Bishop Joseph C. Hartzell has written, which can be made public. Roosevelt also encloses a letter, which he would like to remain private, that he is going to send to a man who is against Taft and which required an expression of Roosevelt’s opinion about Taft’s religious views.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-18
President Roosevelt agrees with William H. Taft about Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon. He believes that the ideal result in the election would be a Republican majority so small that neither Cannon nor James A. Tawney can be Speaker. Roosevelt discusses election prospects in Ohio and New York, where he believes Governor Charles Evans Hughes will win re-election. He is angry about the attacks on Taft’s religion by certain Protestants. Roosevelt does not believe he needs to do anything else in the campaign, unless he needs to speak to labor men. He invites Taft to stay at the White House when he is in Washington, unless he and his managers think it will hurt his campaign.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-12
President Roosevelt thanks United States Representative Cockran for the letter and returns his enclosures. Diomede Falconio was correct in his belief that neither Roosevelt nor Secretary of State Elihu Root had used language classifying the Catholics of Shanghai as vicious, as had been reported. Roosevelt concurs with the guess that an interested party had deliberately misconstrued their words in order to cause trouble. Roosevelt is concerned by Anthony Matré’s actions, as he gave the telegram stating these falsehoods to the Associated Press without verifying its accuracy. He believes this behavior should be dealt with in a way that prevents its recurrence.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-16
In a letter to Elihu Root (and possibly intended for a wider audience), President Roosevelt gives his perspective of his conflict with the recently-recalled Austrian Ambassador Bellamy Storer. Embedded within the letter are reproductions of private letters between President Roosevelt, members of his administration, and Storer. The letters detail the saga of the Storers’s push for Archbishop Ireland to become Cardinal and the fracturing of their friendship with the Roosevelts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-02
President Roosevelt writes to former Lieutenant Governor of New York Timothy L. Woodruff about placing Catholic nominees on the judiciary ticket in New York and suggests William J. Carr. Roosevelt does “not care a snap of my finger whether a man is Catholic or Protestant,” but wishes to “to do all in our power to get all citizens back of Hughes” in the upcoming election.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-03
President Roosevelt writes to candidate for governor of New York Charles Evans Hughes about getting “prominent Catholics” on his campaign committee and gives a list of men who he believes should be considered.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-04
Through their secretary, Anthony Matré, President Roosevelt warmly acknowledges and thanks the American Federation of Catholic Societies for their recent letter and copy of resolutions. Believing in the resolution’s importance, Roosevelt invites Matré to visit and review them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-25