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President Roosevelt tells Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte that he believes any investigation into the recent marine accidents will come back in Admiral Robley D. Evans’s favor. It may be worth conducting the investigation anyway, however, in order to have an answer for Congress if it is requested.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-18
President Roosevelt sends Secretary of State Root a letter of greeting and congratulations on the success of his recent trip to Central America. Roosevelt has enjoyed the rest he has had over the summer and is now beginning to work on the fall electoral campaigns. While the recent Congress has been very productive, Roosevelt fears that “the time has about come for the swinging of the pendulum,” and mentions some areas he believes the Republicans are weak. Secretary of War William H. Taft has decided to not accept a position on the Supreme Court, which may put him in the ranks of possible presidential candidates. Local New York elections for governor have shown Benjamin B. Odell as having an advantage over Governor Frank Wayland Higgins.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-18
President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge that he plans to “convulse the googoos and mugwumps with horror by taking the chance to write a letter making as strong a plea as I know how for the election of a Republican Congress.” He agrees with Lodge regarding organized labor, and comments on several political candidates. Roosevelt additionally describes some of his recent sailing and rowing adventures he has gone on with his family.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-09
President Roosevelt tells Senator Piles that he cannot do as John Edward Chilberg would like without previous Congressional action. Roosevelt does not consider this to be likely, because “as a nation we have run this exposition business well into the ground, and Congress is very reluctant to take up any further exposition projects.” He asks Piles to show this letter to Chilberg.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-18
President Roosevelt tells Representative Crumpacker that the matter he wrote about is “a matter primarily for Congress,” but that many people believe that it will not be possible to revise the tariff during the next Congress, and that it will therefore be pushed back to near the next presidential election. Roosevelt wished to have the tariff revised previously, shortly after his own inauguration, but was unable to do so.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-30
President Roosevelt congratulates Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte regarding the armor plate for ships and the contracts. He agrees with Bonaparte’s feeling that Naval Paymaster John N. Speel may not be the best fit for a position high in the Naval Department. Roosevelt was not surprised to read Senator Eugene Hale’s letter, and says that while Bonaparte should consult with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Truman Handy Newberry, he believes they should go ahead with appointing the board regardless of what Congress does.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-14
President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge that Mr. Lane could not be appointed to the position Lodge was discussing, as it must go to someone from Maryland or Delaware. He as instead appointed General Felix Agnus. Roosevelt has been concerned about the conviction of Lodge’s private secretary, Robert G. Proctor. Other cases with far more evidence of wrongdoing have resulted in acquittals, and Roosevelt believes the verdict in Proctor’s case was politically motivated. He comments that the present Congress has had a better record than any other Congress he knows of, but that he is wary for a “smash” in the following sessions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-03
President Roosevelt believes that with Frederick K. Lane appointed to the Interstate Commerce Commission from California, it would not be possible to appoint another person from “the Inter-mountain States.” He appreciates what Albert Shaw said about the work of the latest session of Congress, and comments that he himself is pleased about the amount of legislation, as it is somewhat uncommon for so much to have been passed in a President’s second term.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-09
President Roosevelt responds to Representative Smith’s complaint that he was “not permitted to state the case from the standpoint of [his] constituents” by saying that Smith himself was guilty of failing to present a reason why the government should not approve of the bill. Senator Frank P. Flint and many other members of the government from California spoke to Roosevelt numerous times about the bill, and Roosevelt says that the duty to come see him fell squarely on Smith’s shoulders. What is more, the bill is still before Congress, and Smith can raise his views there.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-26
President Roosevelt suggests to Speaker of the House Cannon that if there should be a governmental investigation into immigration, that it would be better to have it done with the assistance of Commissioner General of Immigration Frank P. Sargent, and possibly with the further help of Commissioner of Labor Charles Patrick Neill. Roosevelt believes it would be difficult for a Congressional Committee to deal with such a large subject and get good results working by themselves. He suggests that the bureaus of immigration and labor conduct the investigation to gather facts, and then present those facts to the Congressional Committee to discuss.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-27
President Roosevelt thanks Ambassador Wright for providing exactly the information he wanted about Japan, and says that he has sent it to Secretary of State Elihu Root. Congress is about to adjourn, and Roosevelt comments that, “it really has done a lot of things that I wanted it to do.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-29
President Roosevelt comments to Senator Proctor that he has not felt as strongly about the point that Proctor mentioned as the people championing the other side of the argument, and says that his “object is to be sure that the inspection is complete.” He presents several options for providing funding of governmental inspection of meat packinghouses, and believes that any of the methods would work. He does not want to keep seeming to interfere with Congress, and has been trying to keep out of its business.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-18
President Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt were delighted by Winthrop Chanler’s letter, and Roosevelt remarks that Chanler wrote many things that he wished to write to Owen Wister, “but had not the heart to.” Wister’s other works have been very good, but Roosevelt was sorry to have him write his recent book. Roosevelt believes the beef business will come out all right, and will add to the large number of things achieved by the current Congress. He would have liked to visit with Chanler longer last Sunday, and hopes that he will come visit the Roosevelts soon. Roosevelt jokes about Chanler “looking as if [he] were under thirty while [Roosevelt] is feeling like a worn-out and crippled old man.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-23
President Roosevelt forwards his son Kermit Roosevelt a note he received from Endicott Peabody which he believes shows that Kermit’s decision has raised him in his estimation. The situation with meat packers has been “perfectly crazy,” and has engendered a large amount of resistance from rich industrialists. Roosevelt comments that while the capitalists who first made big fortunes were disagreeable, they nevertheless had “tremendous energy and a great deal of cold clear-sightedness,” which is lacking from their descendants. The present Congress has achieved a great deal, and Roosevelt believes that it is one of the most productive he has had since becoming president.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-13
Following a recent telegram he sent, President Roosevelt writes to his cousin, John Ellis Roosevelt, to express his sympathy for the recent death of Robert Barnwell Roosevelt–President Roosevelt’s uncle, and John Ellis Roosevelt’s father. Roosevelt wishes he could attend the funeral, but the circumstances at present in Congress will not allow him to leave Washington, D.C. He asks John to explain the matter to Robert B. Roosevelt, another cousin.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-14
President Roosevelt comments to Columbia University President Butler about some of the activities of Congressional committees, particularly connected with Representatives James Wolcott Wadsworth and William Lorimer.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-16
President Roosevelt was pleased to hear from his cousin, Margaret Roosevelt Kimberly, in spite of the circumstances. He has told another of his cousins, John Ellis Roosevelt, that because of affairs in Congress it is unfortunately not possible for him to attend the funeral of his uncle, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-16
President Roosevelt forwards Senator Aldrich a letter he received from Secretary of State Elihu Root which explains itself. Roosevelt strongly advocates for the change to customs administration recommended by Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, as explained by Root’s letter, and hopes that the current House bill will be amended to cover the two points that Root mentions as currently being omitted.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-18
President Roosevelt believes it would be a shame if Congress adjourns without taking action on the gift of Yosemite Park by California, and asks Senator Perkins what the status of the matter is. He asks Perkins to speak with Senator Frank P. Flint on the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-05
President Roosevelt was pleased to hear from from his personal doctor Presley Marion Rixey, and was grateful for the information about California. He has been well taken care of by Dr. William C. Braisted and Dr. James C. Pryor. The Roosevelt children have gone to Oyster Bay, and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt will follow soon. Roosevelt himself is not sure when he will go because of delays in Congress.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-11