Walbridge, Cyrus Packard, 1849-1921

Letter from Albert Shaw to William F. Saunders

Albert Shaw clarifies matters regarding a letter that he sent to William F. Saunders. While President Roosevelt approves of Cyrus Packard Walbridge’s candidacy for governor of Missouri and stands with the Republican ticket, he did not say that Walbridge is a better man than Democratic candidate Joseph Wingate Folk, who he previously praised for his work as Circuit Attorney. The letter that Shaw sent to Saunders with this sentiment was meant to be entirely confidential.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-31

Creator(s)

Shaw, Albert, 1857-1947

Letter from Thomas J. Akins to Theodore Roosevelt

Assistant Treasurer at St. Louis Thomas J. Akins does not believe that Dr. Albert Shaw’s letter is in the possession of any member of the Missouri Republican State Committee, but will do his best to see if he can locate it. Akins has worked to bring the Republican party of Missouri together, and believes there will be a large increase in voters in the upcoming election. While he is not sure if President Roosevelt will win the state he has a chance of doing so. In a handwritten postscript Akins notes that he has just received Roosevelt’s letter, and will follow the instructions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-31

Creator(s)

Akins, Thomas J. (Thomas Jasper), 1852-1924

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt debates Dr. Albert Shaw in an ongoing dispute over whether or not Roosevelt said that Cyrus Packard Walbridge is a better man than Joseph Wingate Folk. Both are candidates for Governor of Missouri. Roosevelt asks that Shaw have Colllier’s magazine retract Shaw’s letter. Roosevelt says he could not have made the statement as he does not know enough about either man to compare them. Shaw should state that Roosevelt supports the Republican ticket in all states, but has and will not make any personal comparisons either for or against Walbridge or Folk.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt and Albert Shaw have an ongoing dispute regarding a letter Shaw circulated in Missouri. Shaw claims that Roosevelt said Cyrus Packard Walbridge was a better man than Joseph Wingate Folk. Roosevelt denies this, claiming that he said only that Walbridge was the candidate he supported. Roosevelt references the chain of correspondence between himself, Robert Collier, and Norman Hapgood, and insists Shaw come see him as soon as possible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

President Roosevelt has an ongoing dispute with Dr. Albert Shaw of the Review of Reviews over whether or not Roosevelt said that Missouri gubernatorial candidate Cyrus Packard Walbridge is a better man than opposing candidate Joseph Wingate Folk. Roosevelt insists he said no such thing, and Shaw insists he did. Roosevelt sends a copy of a letter he received from Shaw to Collier. Roosevelt wishes not to discuss any of this in public, especially concerned about the misrepresentation of his political views.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

In an ongoing dispute regarding a letter by Shaw published in Collier’s Weekly, President Roosevelt says either Shaw or the publication has misquoted him. Roosevelt asks to see a copy of Shaw’s letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

In an ongoing dispute over a letter written by Albert Shaw and circulating among Missouri politicians, which claims to represent the views of President Roosevelt, Roosevelt seeks to set the record straight. He disputes the authenticity of the letter itself several times, and asks to see it. He claims to have said nothing directly about the merits of either Cyrus Packard Walbridge or Joseph Wingate Folk, only that he was supporting the Republican ticket in every state.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt complains to his friend Albert Shaw, editor of the American Review of Reviews, that both his and Shaw’s views regarding political figures in Missouri are being misrepresented by Peter Fenelon Collier and Robert J. Collier in their publication Collier’s Weekly. Shaw sent a letter to the Colliers, and they have made false claims regarding its contents. Roosevelt says he will tell the Colliers not to publish or make any further allusion to said letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Norman Hapgood

President Roosevelt refutes a claim by Norman Hapgood regarding his supposed interference in the 1904 Missouri gubernatorial election where he said that one candidate was “a better man” than the other. Roosevelt quotes the text of several letters written in connection to this issue to back up his claim that he did not say this, and that his actual sentiment was misinterpreted. This misinterpretation, Roosevelt suggests, was part of an effort to influence the election in Missouri against Roosevelt’s presidential campaign.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

President Roosevelt thanks Robert J. Collier for his letter. He quotes a portion of a letter from Albert Shaw that clears up some of the situation surrounding the controversy with the Missouri election. Roosevelt also comments on the way that Mr. Adams may have used the supposed comments, dismissing him as dishonest, using Adams’s former comments on Delaware appointments as an example where he was completely inaccurate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

After receiving letters from Albert Shaw and his secretary, President Roosevelt believes the misunderstanding about his statements regarding Missouri gubernatorial candidates Joseph Wingate Folk and Cyrus Packard Walbridge was due to a “mere matter of terminology.” Ultimately, Roosevelt is tired of answering “all kinds of people on all kinds of subjects about which they really have no right to information.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt asks Albert Shaw to withdraw a previous letter he wrote, in which Shaw attributed to Roosevelt a comment comparing the candidates for governor of Missouri. Roosevelt wishes to make clear that he could not have made such a comment, as he knows neither candidate, and would of course support the Republican ticket in Missouri. He hopes that Shaw may be able to come visit early in the next week.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

President Roosevelt sends Robert J. Collier copies of two letters that he received from the correspondent of the Kansas City Star from Missouri. Roosevelt’s letters to Collier are being used by Samuel Hopkins Adams to try to harm Roosevelt during the final moments of the campaign. Roosevelt states that he is in favor of the Republican ticket in Missouri, as he is in every state, but never made a comparison between the Republican candidate Joseph Wingate Folk and his opponent Cyrus Packard Walbridge. He asks that Collier keep the matter to himself, as someone, whether Adams or someone else, apparently hopes to influence the election in Missouri, as well as the presidential election itself.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas J. Akins

President Roosevelt writes to Thomas J. Akins about a letter written by Dr. Albert Shaw. Roosevelt says that Shaw misremembered a phrase that Roosevelt used regarding Joseph Wingate Folk and Cyrus Packard Walbridge. Roosevelt did not say “Walbridge is a better man than Folk,” or make any comparisons between the two. He asks that if Shaw’s letter is in the possession of any Republican committeemen it be immediately withdrawn.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

President Roosevelt says he has received a letter from Dr. Albert Shaw explaining that he never said Roosevelt believes Cyrus Packard Walbridge to be a better candidate for Governor of Missouri than Joseph Wingate Folk. Roosevelt reproduces a part of Shaw’s letter for Robert J. Collier, which explains the situation. Roosevelt emphasizes that while Collier may show this correspondence to Norman Hapgood and Lincoln Steffens, he does not want the matter discussed in public and cannot understand how anyone could have misunderstood him in the first place.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt asks Albert Shaw to send him a copy of the letter he sent to Missouri, which has possibly been misconstrued by Collier’s as saying Roosevelt believed Cyrus Packard Walbridge to be a better man than Joseph Wingate Folk.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

President Roosevelt insists that he never said that he believes Joseph Wingate Folk to be a better man than Cyrus Packard Walbridge, the candidates for Governor of Missouri. Roosevelt fully supports Walbridge as the Republican candidate, but still believes Folk has done some political good in the past. Because of this, Roosevelt thinks Folk’s support of Democratic presidential candidate Alton B. Parker and Democratic candidate for Governor of New York D. Cady Herrick either a “grave error or a grave wrong,” as Roosevelt does not have a high opinion of either of them. Roosevelt believes it would be absurd to expect a Democrat to support a Republican in any election, or vice versa. Finally, Roosevelt expresses his belief that a Presidential election is ultimately of far more consequence than a gubernatorial election, and lists the accomplishments of his administration over the last three years.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Shaw

President Roosevelt sends Albert Shaw a copy of his response to Robert J. Collier, regarding the letter supposedly written by Shaw about the candidates for the Missouri governorship. Roosevelt tells Shaw that even though he never saw a copy of that letter, he knows Shaw did not say Roosevelt “thought Walbridge a better man than Folk.” Roosevelt will ask Collier not to print or allude to the letter, as it would be “idiotic to do so.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert J. Collier

President Roosevelt asks that editor and publisher Robert J. Collier treat this letter with confidentiality. Roosevelt thinks Cyrus Packard Walbridge is the better candidate for Missouri Governor than Joseph Wingate Folk, although he has never said so publicly. Any comments made by William Allen White about Roosevelt changing his opinion of Folk are “arrant nonsense.” Folk had compromised his potential by appearing on the ticket with “boodlers” (those who obtain money dishonestly). It should be assumed that the president does not intervene in state matters, but if he did, he would support his party, not a Democratic candidate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Albert Shaw to Theodore Roosevelt

Dr. Albert Shaw of the Review of Reviews explains the delay in receiving and responding to the latest letter from President Roosevelt is due to it being misaddressed. The correspondence regards to their ongoing dispute over whether or not Roosevelt said that Cyrus Packer Walbridge is a better man than Joseph Wingate Folk (opposing candidates for Missouri governor). Shaw explains that Roosevelt had been quoted frequently in Missouri as favoring Democratic candidate Folk for governor, and that Shaw was attempting to correct this by stating that Roosevelt knew Walbridge to be a man of high character. Shaw recounts that Roosevelt wrote to him explaining that he wished to maintain a position of non-interference in state politics, and Shaw meant by his letter to correct what was being stated by Folk and the Democratic Party. Shaw continues to explain why it is wrong that Folk’s people claim Roosevelt’s endorsement and why it should be corrected.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Creator(s)

Shaw, Albert, 1857-1947