United States. Department of Justice

President Roosevelt informs Attorney General Moody that he has asked Commissioner of Labor Charles Patrick Neill to look into complaints alleging violations of the eight-hour law, and has directed him to communicate directly with various Departments and Bureaus he needs information from in order to save time and minimize correspondence. Roosevelt directs Moody to give Neill any information he may request promptly in order to facilitate his work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-28

President Roosevelt greatly appreciated a recent editorial by Frank Irving Cobb, and believes that Cobb is correct in highlighting the administrative work of government of enforcing and administering laws as important. Roosevelt names a number of people involved in his government who he believe are doing very good work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-03

President Roosevelt informs Governor Glenn of North Carolina that it has already been arranged by the Department of Justice to have Albert L. Coble succeed Augustus H. Price as assistant United States District Attorney, and encloses a letter from Attorney General William H. Moody explaining the reasons for this. Roosevelt cannot reverse the action, but has requested that Price’s resignation take effect on September 1.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-23

President Roosevelt writes to Commissioner of Corporations Garfield regarding the results of his investigations into railroad rates. While open rates do not appear to be unlawful, they are a strong argument for the passage of the railroad rate bill currently being considered by Congress. Roosevelt asks for a list of the secret rates that were not discontinued before the publication of the report, as well as a list of cases Rudolph believes should be presented to the Department of Justice for possible action. Roosevelt believes future development on this issue will involve antitrust law instead of interstate commerce law, as the government examines if there is “any radical remedy for the existence of a great corporation acting as the Standard Oil Company has been shown by your report to act.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-31

President Roosevelt forwards Attorney General William H. Moody’s views on the Burns report to Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock. Roosevelt believes that Burns should supplement his report by specifically stating specifics about the wrongdoings of the people mentioned in it so that he can assess what actions should be taken, and by which departments.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-26

President Roosevelt will forward the information Frank O. Carpenter gave him to the Department of Justice.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-05

President Roosevelt informs Thomas S. Rollins that based on Assistant Attorney General Charles Henry Robb’s report of conditions in North Carolina, he is obliged to reappoint the Western District’s current district attorney and marshal. He may also do the same for the Internal Revenue Collector’s office.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-01

President Roosevelt has received continual complaints regarding recent bank failures in Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Chicago; and Washington State, alleging that no attempt has been made to adequately punish the wrongdoers. He asks Attorney General Moody to direct the Justice Department to make a report on whether criminal proceedings can be undertaken.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-03

President Roosevelt sends the United States Civil Service Commission an exchange of dispatches between himself and Senator Albert J. Beveridge. He chastises the commission for making a public announcement regarding “a matter which was on the eve of outlawry” when they were given to the Attorney General.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-01

President Roosevelt asks Senator Elkins to write directly to Attorney General William H. Moody. Moody feels he needs a free hand in choosing his assistants, and Roosevelt has promised him that he can have it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-08-05

President Roosevelt agrees with Attorney General Moody that individual proceedings should not be brought up against officers of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway unless there is evidence linking them to guilty conduct. Roosevelt compares the Atchison case with the case of the western railroads and the International Harvester Company. Unlawful practices were abandoned in both cases, and no individual proceedings were brought against the officers of the western railroads. The president believes the Atchison railroad officers should be treated the same way. Roosevelt details why there is not “one shadow of testimony” against former Secretary of the Navy Paul Morton and believes how the government handled the Northern Securities case in not prosecuting the principal directors is how the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway case should be handled.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-12

President Roosevelt has received Paul Morton’s letter concerning rebates given to the Colorado Fuel Company when Morton was vice president of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. As Morton’s letter indicates, he was “ignorant of the existence of such rebates” and had explicitly prohibited rebates. Roosevelt acknowledges that years prior, Morton alone was someone who gave testimony that helped stop “the system of rebates as it then existed,” and this showed Roosevelt he was “a man whose word could be trusted absolutely.” Because of this fact, the president wanted to have Morton enter his cabinet in the Navy Department, which he did serving the past year. Upon accepting Morton’s recent resignation from office, Roosevelt wishes him and former president Grover Cleveland success at the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Roosevelt believes Morton and Cleveland will do an excellent job.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-12

President Roosevelt will bring John Henry Wigmore’s matter up with the Department of Justice. Roosevelt is shocked to hear the allegations against Judge Christian C. Kohlsaat, but knows nothing of the facts in the case.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-10

Attorney General Moody confirms that Representative Hepburn’s actions in the amendment to the Interstate Commerce Law is in line with President Roosevelt’s desires, and gives a detailed reasoning for his conclusion. In a typed addendum, Roosevelt agrees with Moody’s conclusions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

President Roosevelt discusses with Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock the authority for granting contracts for educating Native Americans in denominational schools as presented in the January 31 letter from Commissioner of Indian Affairs Francis E. Leupp.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-03

President Roosevelt asks Attorney General Moody if it would be proper to make Assistant District Attorney Edward E. Cushman a Special Assistant to the Attorney General for the Court of Appeals work in San Francisco.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-19

President Roosevelt wishes Senator Knox a happy New Year and asks when Knox can drop by to discuss current issues the Department of Justice is facing regarding anthracite coal, the tobacco trust, and the International Harvester Company.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-28

President Roosevelt informs Senator Fulton that Samuel S. Barney has a prior claim to other applicants, which Wisconsin Senator John C. Spooner reminded Roosevelt about. However, the president has told the Department of Justice that Gary will come next unless a reason to the contrary appears.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-20

President Roosevelt sends Senator Spooner a copy of a memorandum he sent to the Department of Justice.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-20

President Roosevelt tells Thomas E. Watson he is unsure what to do about Captain John M. Barnes. The president previously acted on Judge Emory Speer’s positive statements regarding Barnes, but now Roosevelt is not sure how to proceed. He hopes Watson can come and discuss some matters about Georgia with him. While Roosevelt and Watson do not agree on a number of fundamental points, Roosevelt believes Watson to be “fearless, disinterested, and incorruptible.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-30