Trusts, Industrial

Letter from Henry Lee Higginson to Theodore Roosevelt

Henry Lee Higginson believes the coal supply can be increased from Canada and Great Britain by removing the duty on coal. There is an increased need for coal due to the Anthracite Strike. People do not like bituminous coal, which is in abundant supply. The only group to reliably produce anthracite coal is the Metropolitan Coal Company, one of the trusts that the public opposes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-12-26

What first strikes the reader of President Roosevelt’s message to Congress …

Article discussing how similar President Roosevelt’s message to Congress was to his message a year ago. The message covers trusts, amending the Constitution if needed, the United States monetary system, and the Panama Canal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-12-03

Letter from William Emlen Roosevelt to Theodore Roosevelt

William Emlen Roosevelt is satisfied with the election results and approves of President Roosevelt’s handling of the trusts. However, he would like greater regulation of the “labor trust.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-05

Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt

Governor Taft discusses Filipino issues and politics. He discusses his decline of a place on the Supreme Court. He mentions the problem between the Roman Catholics and the Independent Filipino Catholic Church in regard to the ownership of church buildings. There is fear of a famine, so the government has bought some rice to support the people. Taft asks for a congressional appropriation of around $3 million for the purchase of cattle because of the loss of many cows. He is against the return of Apolinario Mabini, currently under arrest for insurrection. Taft discusses the possible appointment of Bowers with approval and President Roosevelt’s handling of the trusts. He fears the populists’ calls for destroying all trusts and moneyed interests, but sees the problem with the current setup.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-11-09

Letter from Joseph Bucklin Bishop to Theodore Roosevelt

Joseph Bucklin Bishop encloses several newspaper articles and congratulates President Roosevelt on his political positioning against Senator Platt and William Jennings Bryan. He supports George B. Cortelyou’s appointment as Secretary for the new Department of Commerce and Labor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-15

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge is concerned with the rising price of coal in light of the strikes in Pennsylvania. he is worried that as the days get colder, the strike will lead to an uprising of the people in general because of coal prices. He asks if there is anything President Roosevelt can do to stop the crisis.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-22

Letter from Richard Watson Gilder to Theodore Roosevelt

Richard Watson Gilder was glad to hear that President Roosevelt and George B. Cortelyou emerged safely from the carriage accident. He would like Roosevelt to recommend someone to write an article entitled “The President and the Trusts,” and suggests Nicholas Murray Butler or Albert Shaw.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-04

Letter from James McMahon to Theodore Roosevelt

James McMahon has been pleased with President Roosevelt’s recent speeches on the “Trust question.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-10

Summary of letter from W. S. Rainsford

W. S. Rainsford sends holiday greetings. He suggests the trusts issue could have received publicity in President Roosevelt’s message.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-12-25

Letter from F. Norton Goddard to Theodore Roosevelt

F. Norton Goddard discusses New York politics. He believes that Attorney General Philander C. Knox and Secretary of War Elihu Root are damaging the reputation of the Roosevelt administration.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-08-12

Telegram from Philander C. Knox to Theodore Roosevelt

The beef trust has declined to pay the government’s bill, ensuring the court’s final decree will fall against them, as the court had acknowledged the bill had set out good cause of action. Attorney General Knox comments to President Roosevelt that this outcome is better than expected.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-08-06

Letter from Donald McDonald Dickinson to George B. Cortelyou

Donald McDonald Dickinson offers his opinion on the prospects for President Roosevelt’s administration and the attacks being made on him. Although popular sentiment is with Roosevelt, the organization is likely to oppose him in strength at the next election, and the time to begin preparing for that fight is now. The Booker T. Washington incident and his speech at Arlington hurt him. If Roosevelt could make some statement this fall about his desire to find a solution for the negro problem, it might assuage those in the South who were offended. Dickinson also urges that Abram S. Hewitt and others with large investment interests be made advisers to the president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-07-11

Letter from Elon Rouse Brown to Theodore Roosevelt

Elon Rouse Brown suggests battling the beef trust by adding an amendment to the Tariff Act. Swift executive action is needed to ensure that trusts are unable to unfairly increase prices without recourse. Brown suggests the ability to place items on the tariff-free list for a period of six months to cut the power of trusts.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-05-08

Letter from F. Norton Goddard to Theodore Roosevelt

F. Norton Goddard writes to President Roosevelt about efforts to find John Shea a civil service position. The Collector wants to make Shea either pay master or cashier. Goddard thinks that Senator Platt should have input in this decision, but he left for Washington suddenly. In an additional handwritten note he adds that the government should move against the coal trust, which is worse than the meat trust and “cuts a bigger figure in the average working man mind.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-05-14

Letter from Martin A. Knapp to Theodore Roosevelt

Chairman Knapp of the Interstate Commerce Commission is responding to inaccurate reports pertaining to a speech he gave at the Cooper Union that dealt with trusts. Knapp argued that some trusts had obtained illegal rates for shipping against the law and indicated his approval of the laws.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-05-05

Letter from Herschel V. Jones to Theodore Roosevelt

Herschel V. Jones asks President Roosevelt for advice on how to let Mr. Hill know of an upcoming interview, whether they let him know directly or through another channel. Jones also discussed the issue of the case against the meat trust. He includes statistics for Roosevelt showing that the market is not much different than it had been before the meat trust. Jones urges a more conservative approach in the complaint, arguing that “a radical complaint increases the chance to lose.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-27

Letter from Herman Henry Kohlsaat to Theodore Roosevelt

Herman Henry Kohlsaat encloses a letter he received from President Roosevelt in 1899 regarding trusts. He suggests the letter may be Roosevelt’s first utterance on the subject.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-03-16

Would regulate trusts

Text of a proposed amendment to the Constitution presented by Representative John James Jenkins to give Congress the power to regulate commerce, with a supporting speech by Jenkins.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-12-19

Letter from George W. Perkins to Theodore Roosevelt

George W. Perkins encloses an editorial for President Roosevelt’s attention. The consolidation of mineral wealth and transportation systems is bringing them close to public ownership.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-11-15

Letter from Marcus Alonzo Hanna to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Hanna has been thinking about President Roosevelt’s message regarding trusts, organized labor, and wages. He suggests that Roosevelt focus more on trusts and less on wages as the Democrats do not think trusts are an issue and focusing on wages would only help the Democrats.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-11-10