Strategy--Political aspects

Letter from George B. Cortelyou to William Loeb

Republican National Committee Chairman Cortelyou returns to William Loeb a letter Loeb had forwarded to him. The letter is from Chairman James E. Peterson of the Ritualistic Committee of the Woodmen Festival Association, requesting President Roosevelt’s presence at an event. Cortelyou advises that while he usually avoids such activities in a campaign, he would be open to it if it could be arranged quietly without looking like it was done “for political effect.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-17

Creator(s)

Cortelyou, George B. (George Bruce), 1862-1940

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Meyer Lissner

Theodore Roosevelt discusses the attendees at the Republican National Convention. Roosevelt would have hurt the Progressive Party and given an advantage to President Wilson if he had accepted the Republican presidential nomination.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-07-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Reuterdahl

Theodore Roosevelt believes he may have to “attack” Henry Ford due to Ford’s public support of pacifism. Roosevelt does not feel Oswald Villard is worth attention.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Grimes Walker

President Roosevelt encloses a memorandum from the General Board signed by Admiral Dewey. There are strong military reasons for taking possession of Yaviza but the benefits could be outweighed by the political consequences. Roosevelt requests Admiral Walker’s advice on the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12-23

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Garrett J. Benson to Theodore Roosevelt

Garrett J. Benson shares some newspaper clippings with Theodore Roosevelt and comments on the political conditions in Albany, New York, following up on a previous conversation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-07

Creator(s)

Benson, Garrett J., 1857-1926

Memorandum on the Japanese question of emigration

This memorandum details a political analysis of Japan’s willingness to go to war with the United States, partially over the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907 and anti-Japanese sentiments in the United States. The author concludes that a war with the United States would negatively affect Japanese finances and exports, with little to gain should they win. Also pondered are the root causes of Japanese migration to the United States and what Japan might stand to gain in a war with the United States, Russia, or China.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from William H. Fleming to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney William H. Fleming appreciates President Theodore Roosevelt’s suggestion that the appointment of a commission would be most palatable if it comes from “some high class southern senator or congressman.” Fleming suggests Senator Alexander Stephens Clay, Congressman Clark Howell, or Congressman William Gordon Brantley for the task. Fleming commends Roosevelt’s caution in the matter and agrees to discuss it with him before the meeting of Congress. Fleming encloses an editorial he wrote about race hatred in Georgia that rebuts the claims of Hoke Smith and Congressman Thomas William Hardwick and discusses the disenfranchisement situation in Alabama.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-11-09

Creator(s)

Fleming, William H. (William Henry), 1856-1944

Letter from John Carter Rose to Theodore Roosevelt

John Carter Rose thanks President Roosevelt for hosting him. Rose shares with Roosevelt some additional thoughts about the graduated income tax, abolition of child labor, and the eight-hour work day. Rose argues that while all of these policies are good things, Roosevelt needs to be careful about how he messages them so that he does not alienate any of his supporters. Rose also urges caution in Roosevelt’s criticism of judges and his promotion of progressive judges, as both those actions will jar the legal profession. Rose closes by congratulating Roosevelt on his “moderate revolution.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-19

Creator(s)

Rose, John Carter, 1861-1927

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of War Taft returns Theodore P. Shonts’s letter and President Roosevelt’s reply and recommends waiting until the issue is brought up in the house to address it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-30

Creator(s)

Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930

Letter from Eugene Hale to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Hale tells President Roosevelt that he does not think the Senate will challenge the “large salaries,” but that it might be well for Roosevelt to see Senators Alfred B. Kittredge and Albert J. Hopkins, who will be on the Interoceanic Committee which will control compensation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-04

Creator(s)

Hale, Eugene, 1836-1918

Letter from F. Norton Goddard to Theodore Roosevelt

F. Norton Goddard writes to President Roosevelt to report on a conference hosted by Governor Odell that he is attending. He describes the conference discussions and decisions about various nominations, including settling on nominating Frank W. Higgins for Governor and Julius M. Mayer for Attorney General of New York. He describes the political strategy behind the nomination of Higgins and notes that they decided to leave the nomination for Lieutenant Governor until the next day’s meeting.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-13

Creator(s)

Goddard, F. Norton (Frederick Norton), 1861-1905

Letter from George B. Cortelyou to Theodore Roosevelt

Republican National Committee Chairman Cortelyou writes to President Roosevelt about the progress of the Republican campaign. Cortelyou outlines his strategy to allow the Democratic Party to articulate their platform and then attack it in advance of the election. Roosevelt should maintain his current activity and Cortelyou will let him know if speeches or writing are needed from him. Despite some criticism, he believes the Republican headquarters is being run well overall.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-02

Creator(s)

Cortelyou, George B. (George Bruce), 1862-1940

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge writes to President Roosevelt about the progress of the Republican campaign. Lodge approves Lieutenant Governor Higgins as candidate for governor of New York. He believes that Chief Judge Parker is playing politics with his Democratic nomination acceptance letter. He is confident that Massachusetts and New York will both go Republican in the election.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-27

Creator(s)

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

Letter from Joseph Bucklin Bishop to Theodore Roosevelt

Joseph Bucklin Bishop writes to President Roosevelt about the Republican election strategy. First, he notes that he does not think Chief Judge Parker’s Democratic nomination acceptance letter will increase his success in the campaign. Then he goes on to say that Parker’s ideas about pensions make for a delicate political situation. Finally, he says he is getting conflicting reports on the situation in New York and the conflict between Governor Odell and Lieutenant Governor Higgins, and he will update Roosevelt when he knows anything definite.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-27

Creator(s)

Bishop, Joseph Bucklin, 1847-1928

Letter from Simon Wolf to William Loeb

Simon Wolf expresses to William Loeb his concern that Governor Benjamin B. Odell will “try to knive” President Roosevelt. Odell hopes to control the Republican Party and be the presidential nominee in 1908. Wolf also writes that he is leaving to campaign for six weeks and hopes to “win thousands of votes.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Creator(s)

Wolf, Simon, 1836-1923

Letter from John A. Sleicher to William Loeb

John A. Sleicher informs William Loeb that he attended the New York State Republican Convention and he is confident in the party’s excitement for President Roosevelt. Despite setbacks from having two candidates for the governorship and the subsequent withdrawal of Timothy Woodruff from the campaign for Governor, Sleicher believes Roosevelt will carry the state in the presidential race. He stresses the importance of campaigning hard in the final months before the election.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Creator(s)

Sleicher, John A. (John Albert), 1848-1921

Letter from Lovell H. Jerome to Theodore Roosevelt

Colonel Jerome informs President Roosevelt that the Republican Committee has just nominated a strong ticket in New York state and he expects Roosevelt to win the state “by a very comfortable majority.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Creator(s)

Jerome, Lovell H. (Lovell Hall), 1849-1935

Letter from Gaillard Hunt to Theodore Roosevelt

Gaillard Hunt writes to President Roosevelt to tell him that his aunts, both Democrats, had greatly appreciated Roosevelt’s letter of acceptance of the Republican nomination. He also remarks that he likes it and that he hears people praise it daily.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Creator(s)

Hunt, Gaillard, 1862-1924

Letter from George B. Cortelyou to Theodore Roosevelt

Republican National Committee Chairman Cortelyou reports to President Roosevelt on Senator Charles W. Fairbanks’s campaign progress. Fairbanks is “having a pretty ticklish time of it,” and Cortelyou recommends that he limit appearances in personal homes so as not to get caught up in local factions. The election outcome in the West looks good, but Cortelyou does not want the Republican campaigners to lessen their effort going into November.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

Creator(s)

Cortelyou, George B. (George Bruce), 1862-1940

Letter from Charles Frederick Tucker to John Ellis Roosevelt

Charles Frederick Tucker writes to John Ellis Roosevelt, enclosing a letter from Mr. Ogden of San Antonio, and suggests that Ogden represent Roosevelt at the stakeholders meeting of the Laredo Bridge Company. Tucker has met many Democrats who plan to vote for President Roosevelt in November despite his being a Republican. Tucker also expresses his opinion that if it were not for the “negro question” President Roosevelt would have many followers in the South. Tucker’s impression is that Southern whites greatly resent efforts towards racial equality and that “nothing good for the negro” will come from Federal efforts to promote racial equality.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-15

Creator(s)

Tucker, Charles Frederick, 1847-1909