Your TR Source
Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt explains to Robert W. Hood that Theodore Roosevelt uses the word “molly-coddle” in the way it is defined in the dictionary: “one who lacks energy, hardihood, and resolution” or “an effeminate man.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-18
President Roosevelt is interested by the letter from Robert S. Winslow, and while he knew the phrase “Bostonian” is used in the Northwest, he is not sure when it was first used in Illinois.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-13
President Roosevelt discusses with Senator Cullom the implications of substituting terms such as “agreement” and “treaty” while amending the arbitration treaties. Doing this, Roosevelt believes, essentially makes the treaties useless, and is a “slight step backward as regards the question of international arbitration.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-10
President Roosevelt informs Representative Jenkins that “idiot” is a better term than “lunatic” because “lunatic” implies there is some brain, while “idiot” suggests a deficiency in the brain.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-05
George Patrick Ahern tells Theodore Roosevelt about a conversation he had with a friend recently. The friend criticized Roosevelt, but he seemed merely to object to Roosevelt’s frequent use of the term “social justice,” without offering a definition of the term. Ahern expresses his confidence in Roosevelt’s candidacy and hopes that Roosevelt will provide a definition of “social justice” in the Outlook magazine when he gets the chance.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-07-23
George C. McGuire asks Theodore Roosevelt to define “coulie” as used in his book The Wilderness Hunter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-18
Jacob A. Riis copies the response he had given to W. Burt Clark regarding Clark’s question about whether the phrase “better faithful than famous,” which Riis had quoted Roosevelt as often saying as a youth in his book Theodore Roosevelt, the Citizen, was something Roosevelt had come up with himself. Riis is unsure whether the phrase originated with Roosevelt, but had heard him say it many times and seen him live up to it. Because of this Riis has always strongly associated the phrase with Roosevelt, regardless of its origin.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-09
Lyman Abbott, editor of the Outlook, hopes President Roosevelt found their recent meeting worthwhile, while admitting that he felt the discussion over terminology was a waste of time. Nevertheless, he found the fact that there were no major suggestions as to the content of Roosevelt’s address reassuring. Abbott suspects that, from what newspapers reported, Roosevelt’s recent conference on tariffs was not similarly worthwhile.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-10
Oscar S. Strauss, member of the International Arbitration Court at The Hague, believes the Senate’s changing of “agreement” to “treaty” defeats the purpose of the treaties and hopes President will withdraw treaties from further consideration if the amendment is not defeated.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02