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ROOSEVELT, THEODORE, President. Four typed letters signed ("Theodore Roosevelt") as President, to New York State Attorney General Julius M. Mayer, one letter with three-word autograph addition, Washington, D.C., 17 and 21 February, 16 March and 23 April 1906. Together 5 pages, 4to, all on White House stationery, the letters of 21 February with brown stain from previous mounting, lesser similarar stains to the letter of 16 March.
ROOSEVELT, WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST, AND THE DISPUTED NEW YORK MAYORAL ELECTION OF 1905
Four remarkable letters from the President, all but the last marked "Personal," concerning a famous disputed election. William Randolph Hearst, after two terms as Democratic Congressman from New York, made an unsuccessful bid in 1904 for the Presidential nomination. In 1905, on a third-party ticket, he ran for Major of New York City against George B. MacClellan, the incumbent. The election results, which showed Hearst losing by a slim margin, were repudiated by Hearst, who accused the Tammany bosses of destroying ballots. The controversy raged for months, but in the end, the count stood. Roosevelt, himself familiar with the nature of New York politics, writes to the State Attorney General: "What did you decide about the...proceedings to determine who was really elected Mayor of New York? I should not have ventured any advice on the subject had I not felt so strongly...that we should use every means in our power to make it evident that we will not tolerate fraud or corruption in elections....I need hardly tell you what I feel about Hearst and...the papers and magazines he controls and their influence for evil upon the public and social life of this country; but this has nothing to do with the fact that if he was entitled to the seat he should have it. The point is not the worthiness of the candidate, but whether or not he was elected. If I had any power to act through the Federal District Attorney, I should of course do so, but as I have no power all I can do, my dear Mr. Attorney General, is to beg you carefully to consider the matter...." 23 April 1906: "...I do not care a rap about Hearst, but I do think it advisable to make it evident that we tolerate no fraud, whether for or against Democrat, Republican or independent. Whoever...was elected...should be seated...." (4)
ROOSEVELT, WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST, AND THE DISPUTED NEW YORK MAYORAL ELECTION OF 1905
Four remarkable letters from the President, all but the last marked "Personal," concerning a famous disputed election. William Randolph Hearst, after two terms as Democratic Congressman from New York, made an unsuccessful bid in 1904 for the Presidential nomination. In 1905, on a third-party ticket, he ran for Major of New York City against George B. MacClellan, the incumbent. The election results, which showed Hearst losing by a slim margin, were repudiated by Hearst, who accused the Tammany bosses of destroying ballots. The controversy raged for months, but in the end, the count stood. Roosevelt, himself familiar with the nature of New York politics, writes to the State Attorney General: "What did you decide about the...proceedings to determine who was really elected Mayor of New York? I should not have ventured any advice on the subject had I not felt so strongly...that we should use every means in our power to make it evident that we will not tolerate fraud or corruption in elections....I need hardly tell you what I feel about Hearst and...the papers and magazines he controls and their influence for evil upon the public and social life of this country; but this has nothing to do with the fact that if he was entitled to the seat he should have it. The point is not the worthiness of the candidate, but whether or not he was elected. If I had any power to act through the Federal District Attorney, I should of course do so, but as I have no power all I can do, my dear Mr. Attorney General, is to beg you carefully to consider the matter...." 23 April 1906: "...I do not care a rap about Hearst, but I do think it advisable to make it evident that we tolerate no fraud, whether for or against Democrat, Republican or independent. Whoever...was elected...should be seated...." (4)