Your TR Source
President Roosevelt hopes William Loeb will be named as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. He asks for the help of United States Attorney Youngs, to ensure local disputes will not interfere with the upcoming presidential election.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-24
Joseph Bucklin Bishop sends Theodore Roosevelt a copy of a speech given by George W. Goethals to Congress. Goethals is extremely grateful to Roosevelt, and Bishop suggests Roosevelt send him a line of acknowledgment. Goethals is pleased with the progress on the canal project. Bishop has just seen news of Canada’s rejection of reciprocity, which will worsen William Howard Taft’s prospects. Bishop believes Taft’s weak character has been revealed and both he and Woodrow Wilson will likely be replaced at the convention.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-23
Arthur I. Vorys includes information from Judge Henry A. Melvin in Alameda County, California about the appointment of Charles E. Thomas as postmaster of Berkeley as well as the impact the appointment could have on the candidacy of Secretary of War William H. Taft. Melvin believes that President Roosevelt should not appoint someone else as postmaster because it would be a “serious blow” to major political leaders there.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-11
E. Mont Reily disagrees with Joseph E. Black’s candidacy for Internal Revenue Collector for the Western District of Missouri, at Kansas City. Black has been one of the most bitter enemies that President Roosevelt has in the entire state. Reily recounts a Republican National Convention they both attended in Chicago where Black intended to introduce very critical condemnations of Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-02
Milton A. McRae sends President Roosevelt a newspaper clipping that reflects “the sentiment of a vast majority” of Americans in the Midwest. McRae also notifies Roosevelt that The Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, which had previously maligned Roosevelt, is now “strenuously and unfairly booming” Senator Joseph B. Foraker.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-29
L. Clarke Davis sends President Roosevelt two editorials from the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Davis then explains to Roosevelt that he thinks Senator Hanna is no longer against Roosevelt, that Hanna’s loyalty to Roosevelt will be valuable, and that, although Roosevelt can win without Hanna, the victory will be greater with Hanna’s support.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-06-28
Theodore Roosevelt asks if Governor Johnson is willing to second his nomination at the Republican National Convention.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-05-23
President Roosevelt holds “that big stick” as he whacks the table on the stage of the Republican National Convention. In the crowd, signs for “Ohio,” “New York,” “Pennsylvania,” “Vermont,” “Kansas,” “Indianne,” “Missuri,” and “Illinois” can be seen. Caption: The next Republican National Convention.
Cartoonist Albert Turner Reid’s vision of the 1908 Republican Presidential Convention was meant to suggest, as per the caption, a nightmare for Democrats — not, as the bare cartoon would suggest, a captive and frightened hall of delegates, nervous eyes and anxious expressions. In fact most Republicans clamored for Roosevelt to break his declination pledge and decide to run again.
President Roosevelt bangs the lectern as he addresses delegates that all look like himself from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and New York. A messenger dressed like Roosevelt brings him a message. On the wall is a flag that has four large “R’s” and two big sticks.
This cartoon from early in C. R. Macauley’s association with the New York World humorously asserts President Roosevelt’s utter dominance of the Republican Party. As a president he was popular with the public, and he had been a famed celebrity, but control of the party and its apparatus, as suggested by Macauley, was another matter.
William H. Taft stands with a gavel in his hand as the delegates select President Roosevelt as the nominee. In the audience are Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon, Senator Joseph Benson Foraker, Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks, and New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes. A balloon in the top right-hand corner shows William Jennings Bryan and William Randolph Hearst holding signs that read, “Gov’t Ownership” and “Socialism” respectively as they step on Minnesota Governor John Albert Johnson.
Whether cartoonist Tyler McWhorter drew this cartoon as a prophecy or a hopeful dream, it was another cartoonist’s speculation on whether President Roosevelt would break his pledge of Election Night 1904 that he would not allow his name to be put into nomination in 1908. With its long caption, it also might have been an illustration for an article, or part of series. In any event the St. Paul Dispatch drawing was pasted in the White scrapbook, and presumably seen by the president.
Responding to remarks like Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer’s accusation of President Roosevelt playing “hide and seek” with the potential of seeking a third presidential term, an article in the Chicago Daily News reassures its readers that for all his faults, Roosevelt respects the constitution too much to run for a second elected term. The delegates at the Republican National Convention will nominate a different statesman.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-22
Newspaper article discussing President Roosevelt’s nomination for president at the Republican National Convention.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-24
President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit about his thoughts on the upcoming Republican National Convention. He is sure they can get Secretary of War Taft nominated but Roosevelt does worry about a “stampede” for himself. He encloses letters he wrote to be read at the Convention. Roosevelt also writes about spring in Washington, D.C., his thoughts on the guns to take on the African hunting trip, and what to do with Archie’s schooling at Groton.
1908-06-06
President Roosevelt writes to Republican National Committee Chairman Hitchcock about a letter indicating that West Virginia delegates will try to nominate Roosevelt for president instead of Secretary of War Taft. Roosevelt says that if this is true he wants Hitchcock to show them this letter which states that Roosevelt does not want the nomination. This is a typed copy of the original.
1908-06-01
President Roosevelt asks Senator Lodge to stop any delegates who will try to nominate Roosevelt for president instead of Secretary of War Taft. Roosevelt has also spoken to Illinois Senator Hopkins and Kansas Representative Campbell about the issue. Roosevelt stipulates that the letter is not to be shown unless absolutely necessary. He closes by criticizing Pennsylvania Senator Knox’s Memorial Day address at Gettysburg. This is a typed copy of the original.
1908-06-01
President Roosevelt writes his son Kermit about the weather in Washington, D.C., and what he and Edith have been doing. Everything seems to be going well at the Republican National Convention and Taft will probably get the nomination. Roosevelt encloses letters that deal with their Africa trip.
1908-06-13
President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit about his message on trusts, labor, and corporations. Roosevelt adds that since the convention is approaching, it is probably the last time people will pay attention to what he has to say. He talks about playing tennis for the last time of the season, horse back riding, and taking a walk.
1908-02-02
Page two from the July 7, 1904 edition of Leslie’s Weekly. Two articles regarding the Republican National Convention in Chicago are highlighted.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-07-07
President Roosevelt says the Republican National Convention meets the next day, and he is sure to be nominated to run for President again. He adds that he is proud of all he has accomplished as President and that no family has enjoyed the White House as much as the Roosevelts have. He also says that he and Edith spent Sunday at Philander C. Knox’s farm.
1904-06-21
Harry Stillwell Edwards thanks President Roosevelt for his previous letter regarding Edwards’s convention speech. Edwards encloses a copy of the speech for Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-06-28