Letter from President Theodore Roosevelt to Secretary of the Interior E. A. Hitchcock

This item includes a letter, marked private and confidential, in which President Roosevelt discusses problems and complaints against the Department of the Interior and possible repercussions they might have in the upcoming elections.

Extracted text

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Private and confidential. THE WHITE HOUSE. ANSWERED WASHINGTON AUG 31 1906 Oyster Bay, N.Y., August 27, 1906. there My dear Mr. Secretary: After some hesitation I have concluded to send you the enclosed two letters from Congreseman Sherman and Mr. Fulton, a Republican County Committee chairmen in the Indian Territory. I do not know anye thing about the Cherokee payment which it is alleged has caused such dissatiefaction among the Cherokees. I should like much if you would give me a statement about it. I have of course received a great many complaints as to the damage being done politically by the action of the Interior Department in Oklahoma and Indian Territory, both in the matter of the investigation of Governor Frants, of the attacke on District Attorney Embryaadd of the feeling by the Indiane that they have been troated with harshness by the Department; and the Nationel Republican Committee are inclined to believe that the feeling thus caused, no mate ter how ill-founded, will cost us the loss of the delegation in Congress from the new State. I have not taken this up with you because I of courge believe that no matter how disestrous to the administration po litically, we can not for a moment entertain any other thought than to do exect and equel justice, end if a given course of conduct is right it must be followed, and if a given official is corrupt or incompetent he must be punished, no matter what party disaster is brought about T go not