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President Roosevelt informs Judge Blanchard that the president unfortunately no longer has the ability to make the sort of appointments that Blanchard inquired about. Roosevelt deeply appreciates Blanchard’s high opinion of him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-24
President Roosevelt agrees with Henry S. Pritchett about the commission on industrial education, and does not believe any more commissions should be appointed. Roosevelt feels, however, that he should not send anything to Congress, as he feels they would likely not act on a suggestion from him and it would clutter up the final days of the session.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-16
President Roosevelt would be glad to accept the gift of some socks from William Wingate Sewall and his wife, Mary Alice Sherman Sewall. He also wrote to Flavilla Sleeper Caldwell to thank her for the socks, as Sewall suggested. Roosevelt is glad that Sewall approves of what he said about the secret service men, and thinks that Congress is very foolish. He has spoken to President-elect William H. Taft about keeping Sewall in his current position, but also encloses a letter in case there is any question. Roosevelt requests that he keep this letter strictly confidential, otherwise he would receive many other requests for similar letters.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-18
President Roosevelt sends Secretary of the Treasury Cortelyou a copy of an executive order he has signed to carry out a resolution of Congress titled, “To provide for the remission of a portion of the Chinese Indemnity.” Roosevelt directs Cortelyou to bring the order to the notice of officers concerned.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-28
President Roosevelt tells Lyman Abbott that the letter from A. M. Fairbairn is a fine one. Roosevelt wishes that Congress would provide for the circulation of volumes of the kind that Abbott mentioned more, but does not believe it will.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-10
President Roosevelt asks Senator Knox whether it would be worth stopping the lies of Joseph Pulitzer about the purchase of the Panama Canal once and for all. Roosevelt has received a full list of the stockholders of the Panama Canal Corporation from William Nelson Cromwell, as well as papers regarding what those companies did in connection to the purchase of the canal. While the scandal has not touched the government, Roosevelt thinks it may be good to make these documents public and explains how Cromwell obtained them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-10
President Roosevelt tells Lieutenant Colonel Howze that he had not heard of the attack until he received Howze’s letter. While Roosevelt says that “it would seem to be a particularly scoundrelly performance,” he does not believe what Howze describes is a violation of the postal laws. He will refer Howze’s letter to the military committees of Congress, and offers to file a copy with the War Department.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-05
President Roosevelt thanks Peter MacQueen for the letter and photographs. He is interested in seeing the other pictures, but does not have any time to do so while Congress is in session.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-05
President Roosevelt has been asked about the transaction to purchase the Panama Canal by Oscar K. Davis of the New York Times, and in turn asks Senator Knox about obtaining access to information on the matter. Roosevelt would like to know if the United States government got the stock books of the Panama Canal Companies with records of the votes of the stockholders, or if Knox knows where such records may be found. In a handwritten postscript, Roosevelt asks Knox if he knows who will be interviewed by Congress on the matter of the Panama Canal purchase.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-08
President Roosevelt believes the statements made by Delevan Smith in the Indianapolis News are patently false, and that refuting them will bring them undue attention. Because William Dudley Foulke insists that a reply be made, however, Roosevelt writes to refute the charges of a scandal involved in the purchasing of the Panama Canal zone from France. Roosevelt particularly refutes the charge that the affair has not been transparent, as documents related to it have been freely available. Roosevelt has refuted other false charges leveled against his administration, but the newspapers continue to print them, so he doubts whether his denial will be effective.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-01
President Roosevelt sends George Otto Trevelyan a copy of his message to Congress, and speaks of some of the accomplishments of his administration in improving the financial situation of the United States government. Roosevelt would be pleased to visit Trevelyan when he comes to England. He heartily approves of Trevelyan’s speech, and has shared it with Senator Henry Cabot Lodge and Anna Cabot Mills Lodge. Roosevelt discusses his preferences for translations of classical works, and finds himself in agreement with Trevelyan in many respects. He relates a story of a recent encounter he had with Simon Bolivar Buckner at the White House, and closes by mentioning a number of other men who were named after famous historical personages.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-01
President Roosevelt discusses an exchange of letters between himself, President-elect Taft, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, and Secretary of War Luke E. Wright. Roosevelt tells Taft that his feeling is that going forward, if Congress wishes a certain course to be followed it should direct that course through legislation. In the absence of the law, however, Roosevelt feels that the Executive should have a free hand to act as they determine the interests of the United States requires.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-29
President Roosevelt informs President-Elect Taft about a “scrape” regarding ships that Congress authorized to have purchased for the Panama Canal against the wishes of Chief Engineer George W. Goethals. The ship owners insist that the War Department approved the bill’s passage with knowledge that Goethals protested. Secretary of War Luke E. Wright is reluctant to sign off on something that is a mere promise, and not a direction, from Congress against the wishes of canal officials. Roosevelt asks Taft to see Wright and himself, if necessary, to explain what he said on the matter when he was Secretary of War.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-23
President Roosevelt writes to President-elect William H. Taft about his desire to begin classifying fourth-class postmasters. Roosevelt has already taken steps to remove them from politics by ordering that their tenure will be permanent unless there is a valid reason for their removal. He expects that Congress and other politicians will be angry and oppose this action, and so he would like to do it in December so that he, and not Taft, will bear the brunt of their anger.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-16
President Roosevelt has sent John Callan O’Laughlin’s letters to Secretary of State Elihu Root. They are particularly valuable in what they say regarding Japan and Hawaii. He notes that it is impossible for him to get Congress to do what he wants. Roosevelt would like Congress to provide for the building of four new battleships and allow the naturalization of the Japanese.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-13
President Roosevelt appreciates Judge Cleland’s letter and the enclosed paper, but as he has already strongly called it to the attention of Congress, he is not sure what he can do about the matter. Roosevelt notes that in a discussion of criminal reform, procedure does not currently take into account the offender’s family. Roosevelt would support physical punishment for certain types of crime, such as physical abuse. He agrees with Cleland that the matters he discussed could be reached through the Federal government, but that people in favor of states’ rights object.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-21
The snake man turned up, but the snake did not actually have a sting. Theodore Roosevelt lets C. Hart Merriam know that Charles D. Walcott closed with his offer and that Congress will not have to give any funds.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-06
President Roosevelt thanks Thomas R. Lounsbury for the letter and paragraph on William H. Taft. Roosevelt returns the paragraph with corrections. Roosevelt comments about an action of Congress that is similar to when it overturned his order removing the phrase “In God we trust” from coins.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-26
President Roosevelt forwards Secretary of War Wright a letter from William H. Taft regarding a proposition made by Assistant Secretary of War Robert Shaw Oliver and General Leonard Wood. Roosevelt is sure that what Shaw and Wood recommend would be a sound business decision, but thinks that it is not wise to do at present because Congress would be against it. He asks Wright if it is possible to alter things along the lines that Taft suggests in his letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-01
William Loeb has brought John S. Rossell’s letter to President Roosevelt’s attention, and he will urge Congress to pass a bill conferring citizenship to Puerto Ricans in the next session.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-04