Truthfulness and falsehood--Political aspects

President Roosevelt pokes Edward Henry Harriman, who is reading a book, “My Letters to T.R. by Harriman,” sitting in the “truth” pew. Beside Harriman is a paper entitled “T.R.’s Letters to Me” and a top hat. The pew in front of Harriman is labeled “falsehood.” Behind the two men are several chuckling individuals and a sign that reads, “Daily Political Experience Meeting for the Benefit of the Public.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat was the major crosstown rival to Joseph Pulitzer’s flagship newspaper the Post-Dispatch (a Democratic journal), and therefore expected to side with Republicans unlike Pulitzer’s papers. However, in the controversy between President Roosevelt and railroad baron Edward Henry Harriman, almost all citizens were arrayed against railroad trusts in general, and Harriman in particular.

Theodore Roosevelt instructs Oscar Richard Hundley to contact Roosevelt immediately with a statement that Charles Dewey Hilles’ statements are falsehoods. Roosevelt emphasizes the importance of this task.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-29

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary acknowledges Mrs. G. Howard Lundy’s letter and regrets that Roosevelt cannot personally respond.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-04-25

Theodore Roosevelt is outraged by some of the recent actions of the Associated Press in issuing statements about him that are false, and reporting him to have said things that he did not. Roosevelt has also noticed that the Associated Press seems to be suppressing news about him that is true, but this bothers him less.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-14

President Roosevelt will meet John Brisben Walker to discuss “the causes which work to the disadvantage of the people” in the government, but does not want to be quoted either directly or indirectly. He adds that the “most potent” cause that disadvantages the public is the way that certain writers and journalists write about the causes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-05

President Roosevelt encloses two letters that he sent to Secretary of War Elihu Root, one of which will be sent to the Committee on Military Affairs, which is reviewing Leonard Wood’s military record. Roosevelt would prefer that the letters remain confidential as he does not want to become too involved in the question of General James Harrison Wilson’s truthfulness.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12-12

William Wingate Sewall tells President Roosevelt what he thinks of Senator Benjamin Tillman, accusing Tillman of having an Ananias club and saying that “when he threw something at Dorr”–a land agent whom Tillman had accused of being a swindler–“he forgot it was a boomerang.” Sewall hopes the stockings he sent suited Roosevelt and hopes to see him while in Washington.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-16

The writer asserts that Max Pracht and W. Scott Smith are “working together” and offers evidence. Pracht was suspended from the Land Office for insubordination and sought help from Senator John H. Mitchell; but when Mitchell was unable to help, Pracht turned to Smith and Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock to obtain his current post at the War Department. Events discussed since then by Pracht could only be known through a source close to the Secretary of the Interior such as Smith.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907

Eugene F. Ware writes to President Roosevelt about Representative Charles F. Scott’s troubles and provides a quote he feels is applicable to the situation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-03-22