Workers' compensation

Article reports Theodore Roosevelt’s speech in Hartford, Woodrow Wilson, tariffs and workmen’s compensation.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1912-09-03

Creator(s)

Unknown

Theodore Roosevelt has not received Judge Baldwin’s letter, but has seen extracts from it in newspapers and wishes to answer some of Baldwin’s accusations. The quotations Baldwin references were from incorrect transcriptions of Roosevelt’s speech, which Roosevelt corrects by summarizing the main points of his speech. Roosevelt does not believe that people, driven by desperation, cannot be bound to contracts that do not protect them in case of injury. Referencing George W. Alger’s Moral Overstrain, Roosevelt notes that many judges have taken the opposite position and, while he is sure they are legally sound, he believes they are nevertheless retrogressive in this view. As Baldwin agrees with these other judges in his own legal decisions, Roosevelt felt justified in saying he was not progressive.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary asks George W. Alger to respond to the enclosed letter, desiring Alger to provide Mr. Bannister with citations for the decisions Roosevelt referenced when he spoke in Boston. The cases included the Worker’s Compensation Act, the manufacturing of cigars in tenement houses, provision of safeguards for dangerous machinery, and laws pertaining to women workers in factories.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-08-14

Creator(s)

Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary informs W. D. Jackson that the Compensation Bill has been approved by the United States Senate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-05-13

Creator(s)

Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary informs Homer Folks that Roosevelt would like to meet with a department head who can give advice on what law changes Roosevelt should advocate for in an upcoming speech on child labor and compensation. He wonders if such a man could meet with Roosevelt tomorrow.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-09

Theodore Roosevelt thanks W. V. Turner for sending a copy of the brief addressing the constitutionality of the workman’s compensation act that passed the last session of the Washington legislature.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Frank Knox expresses his disappointment to Theodore Roosevelt in regards to Roosevelt’s inability to write him the kind letter on the workingmen’s compensation movement that he desired and admits why it was an “embarrassing” request. Roosevelt’s letter instead inspired him to talk to farmers interested in the subject matter, having talked to a crowed of over 300 in Charlevoix County, Michigan. Knox discusses his opinions of the upcoming presidential election and candidates, and he wishes to meet with Roosevelt to discuss more when he travels east in December.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-18

Creator(s)

Knox, Frank, 1874-1944

Katherine Morris knows that Theodore Roosevelt is “a friend of children home and mothers,” and writes to him to ask if anything can be done for her. Her husband, John R. Morris was killed while working as a railroad engineer during the construction of the Panama Canal, leaving his family without means to support themselves.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-05

Creator(s)

Morris, Katherine Neddo, 1865-1947

Arthur St. John Newberry is sending Theodore Roosevelt two pamphlets he has written. The first is about compensating injured workers, and the other is about his experience fishing in the West Indies last winter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-20

Creator(s)

Newberry, Arthur St. John

Governor of Nevada Oddie looks forward to welcoming Theodore Roosevelt to the state. Oddie discusses several measures of the recent state legislative session, including bills on water law, reclamation, and labor compensation. He attests to Roosevelt’s “profound influence” as an “example of purposeful citizenship.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-30

Creator(s)

Oddie, Tasker L. (Tasker Lowndes), 1870-1950

Fred L. Gray sends Theodore Roosevelt a pamphlet he recently wrote on the subject of Workmen’s Compensation, as a previous letter from Roosevelt suggested he would be interested in reading about such a topic.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-24

Creator(s)

Gray, Fred L., 1866-1926

Casper S. Butcher sends Theodore Roosevelt a pamphlet on his insurance system between employers and the work force, based on life insurance, not accident insurance. He will happily answer any questions and can arrange a meeting as requested.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-20

Creator(s)

Butcher, Casper S., 1871-1911

W. G. Hackbarth was impressed with Theodore Roosevelt’s speech about labor compensation. He asks Roosevelt to review his article on the subject.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-29

Creator(s)

Hackbarth, W. G.

James L. Gernon enjoyed Theodore Roosevelt’s speech at the Civic Federation and appreciates his position on the question of compensation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-14

Creator(s)

Gernon, James L., 1866-1946

Simeon E. Baldwin has read that, in a recent speech, Theodore Roosevelt criticized him for being of the the opinion that railroad employees should give up their rights to receive workers compensation if they are injured on the job. Baldwin objects that he has never held or communicated such a view, and quotes from a work he wrote on “American Railroad Law” as proof. He hopes Roosevelt was misinterpreted in the article reporting on his speech, but otherwise requests a retraction of Roosevelt’s statement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-10-24

Creator(s)

Baldwin, Simeon E. (Simeon Eben), 1840-1927

This radio documentary describes Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 presidential campaign, highlighting his progressive policies. Although Roosevelt was unsuccessful in this campaign, the progressive movement gained much from his leadership. Many of the issues he strove to address are ones with which America still wrestles today.

Collection

America

Creation Date

2012

Creator(s)

Prairie Public Broadcasting; Lindholm, Meg Luther; Jenkinson, Clay; Unger, Nancy C.

Theodore Roosevelt has finally received Judge Baldwin’s recent letter, and states that his own earlier letter to Baldwin was based on what he knew of the letter from it’s appearance in the press. Roosevelt also received a copy of Baldwin’s decision in the case of William H. Hoxie, who was injured while working at his railroad job, and illustrates the case which Roosevelt was thinking of and which he feels is retrogressive, and in no way progressive. Roosevelt thoroughly comments upon the case and the way in which he feels it is a miscarriage of justice.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919