Socialist Party (U.S.)

Charles C. Bull writes to Theodore Roosevelt about progress on the Panama Canal construction, which he says is going well. He states his opinion that though he opposes “white slaves traffic,” as by law women cannot be brought across country lines for “immoral” purposes, he says there is a problem in Panama where there are too many canal workers and too few prostitutes, and the prostitutes that are there have venereal diseases. Bull thinks there needs to be a way to bring (specifically white) prostitutes who have freely chosen the vocation to Panama and to have better health monitoring. He discusses San Francisco politics and greater U.S. politics, stating he will not support William H. Taft and he does not think the Republican Party will do well the next couple of terms, so he hopes the Democratic Party runs a presidential candidate he does not dislike too much so he does not have to vote Socialist. Lastly, he believes part of the Panama Canal construction area is not well fortified and is vulnerable to potential attack.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-14

Senator Lodge has enclosed an article and a letter together with some analysis of the latest statistics relating to the Socialist vote. Lodge believes that President Roosevelt’s speech at Philadelphia on the issue was one of his best.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-31

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Governor Johnson for the letter. He agrees with Johnson that the people are entitled to an open primary to express their views for the presidential nomination. Roosevelt discusses his thoughts about President William H. Taft in absolute confidence. Despite his misgivings, Roosevelt will support Taft if nominated since he sees no ground for permanent hope in the Democratic Party. He comments on the other presidential candidates and considers himself a weak candidate. Roosevelt examines how the New York judges’ decisions strengthen the Socialist Party. He reviews why he disagrees with Johnson’s estimate of the public’s opinion of himself and why he does not want to be nominated.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-27

Theodore Roosevelt declines to give Benjamin Parke De Witt permission to publish Roosevelt’s comments on De Witt’s book about the progressive party. If Roosevelt were to allow it in this case, he would be obliged to grant the same to forty or fifty other progressive authors. Roosevelt is not sure if there is a future for the Progressive Party, as it might not endure long term. He will try to meet with De Witt when he returns to New York.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-05-14

John R. Grimsley shares his opinions of the presidential candidates with Theodore Roosevelt. Even though he is a Republican, he will not vote for President William H. Taft if renominated. He suggests that Roosevelt make a statement acknowledging his mistake in supporting Taft and declare his preference for Senator Robert M. La Follette. Otherwise, Roosevelt should run himself. Grimsely feels strongly that capital must be curbed, or else there will be a revolution worse than the French Revolution. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-11

R. B. Taggart informs Theodore Roosevelt of the secession he attended at the Water Way Convention where he heard a lecture from Robert E. Peary and follows it with his opinions on the upcoming presidential election. Taggart feels that Roosevelt must run for the presidential nomination the people feel he is the better man for the job than the proposed candidates.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-21

William B. Lloyd recently read Theodore Roosevelt’s remarks “eulogizing Wisconsin and its attainments”, and inquires on Roosevelt’s thoughts on the fact that Milwaukee has a legislative majority of members of the Socialist Party. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-29

Oscar Tromlitz believes initiative, referendum, recall, and direct primaries are essential to eliminating corruption. He discusses thoughts on liquor and marriage laws. As his “power is very limited,” he shares his suggestions with people, such as Theodore Roosevelt, who have influence.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-11

Frank Urban has spent several years thoroughly investigating socialism, including as a member of the socialist party, but now plans to give lectures on some of the fallacies of socialism. He invites Theodore Roosevelt to attend this lecture, and wonders if Roosevelt could suggest a way he may be able to tour around several cities giving similar talks.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-10

The Socialist Party in New Orleans is demanding that President Roosevelt use the power vested in him by the Constitution to secure a fair trial for their comrades Moyer, Haywood, and Pettibone.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-11

Fred W. Carpenter returns papers to William Loeb concerning the indictment against Charles H. Moyer and Big Bill Haywood for the murder of former Governor Frank Steunenberg. He confirms that Secretary of War William H. Taft has read them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-23

Leslie H. Southwick provides a comprehensive history of the 1904 presidential election, surveying the Republican and Democratic candidates as well as those of the Socialist, Populist, and Prohibition parties. Southwick describes Theodore Roosevelt’s path to securing his election, touching on his service as Vice President, his political battles with Senator Marcus Hanna, and his selection of George B. Cortelyou as his campaign manager. Southwick also covers Alton B. Parker’s path to the Democratic nomination, highlighting the roles played by former nominees William Jennings Bryan and Grover Cleveland. Southwick describes the dull fall campaign, enlivened by the musings of Finley Peter Dunne’s fictional barkeeper, Mr. Dooley, which Southwick quotes frequently in the course of the article.

Photographs of the four candidates for president and vice president of the Republican and Democratic parties appear in the article, along with an electoral map of the election, and Homer Davenport’s famous cartoon endorsing Roosevelt.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Eleven topics vie for attention in the “Reviews” section, including six book review essays, three of which are written by John A. Gable. Harry N. Lembeck revisits Jacob A. Riis’s 1904 biography Theodore Roosevelt the Citizen and finds it especially valuable for learning about Theodore Roosevelt’s tenure as Police Commissioner of New York City. Jeremy M. Murphy says that Eric Rauchway’s Murdering McKinley goes against the prevailing trend that sees Roosevelt’s progressivism as genuine, and he disputes Rauchway’s conclusions about the fate of the Socialist Party in the United States. Gable notes that James Chace’s 1912 makes no use of primary sources, but he recommends it “as a good place to start on the election of 1912.”

In his review of Daniel J. Philippon’s Conserving Words, Edward Renehan focuses on Roosevelt, his writings about hunting and ranching in Dakota, and his founding of the Boone & Crockett Club. Gable notes that John P. Avlon identifies Roosevelt as a model centrist in his Independent Nation, and he says that Richard D. White’s Roosevelt the Reformer provides a biography of Roosevelt during his years as a Civil Service Commissioner. The section also has an excerpt from the writings of Douglas Brinkley, notes the passing of Edward Wagenknecht, author of The Seven Worlds of Theodore Roosevelt, and announces that the 2004 meeting of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) will be held in Portland, Oregon. An article on the vice presidential candidates in the election of 1904 and two letters to the TRA praising its journal close out the section.

Photographs of Roosevelt and Avlon appear in the section along with a text box with a quote from Roosevelt about the 1904 campaign.

Curtis Guild comments on election results in Massachusetts, noting that Republican gubernatorial candidate John Lewis Bates won the office against Democratic candidate Richard Olney and Socialist candidate John Quincy Adams. Guild thanks President Roosevelt for his kind words and supports him as the presidential candidate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-04

Fred George Russ Gordon describes a plan that will divide the Socialists, People’s Party, and Democrats which in turn will empower the Republican Party for years to come. If Gordon attends a national conference for the Democrats in Denver, he feels that he could work to prevent the amalgamation of the Socialist and Populist parties.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-01