Description:

Roosevelt hopes he will be able to get Grosvenor A. Porter, a cousin of TR's wife, confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Marshal after Oklahoma becomes a state, advising him, because of a divided territorial Republican party to "let it be known that you are delighted to do what you can for all the heads of the organization, without regard to faction, so long as what they desire you to do is entirely straight..."

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919) Important Typed Letter Signed "Theodore Roosevelt" as President, 2 pages, 7" x 8.75", separate sheets. On White House stationery, but written from his Oyster Bay home, Sagamore Hill, July 9, 1906. Headed "Personal" in type. To Hon. G.A. Porter, a cousin of Edith K. Roosevelt, the President's wife, United States Marshal, Ardmore, Indian Territory. Both pages are uniformly soiled especially on the second page and at the mid-horizontal fold which passes through Roosevelt's surname. Good condition.

In full, "The most important thing for you to do is just what you have been doing, that is, so administer your office that all the best people will feel that you are about the best official in the Territory. It may be that I may be able to secure your confirmation by the Senate without much active support from the Senators from the new State. But if the Senators choose to oppose your confirmation (that is, always provided they are Republicans) it may be very difficult for me to secure it. I would not on any account have you do anything with any politicians that would mean in the smallest degree a deviation from what is right and straight; but I would like to have you identify yourself as far as is proper with the Republican organization, and let it be known that you are delighted to do what you can for all the heads of the organization, without regard to faction, so long as what they desire you to do is entirely straight. But the last proviso is all important." The last sentence is handwritten by TR.

Roosevelt's fears were realized. On September 17, 1907, the people of the Indian and Oklahoma Territories voted favorably to combine the two territories to form the State of Oklahoma. Two U.S. Senators and five members of the U.S. House of Representatives were elected. Because of the failure of the two factions of Oklahoma's Republican party to unite, of the seven men elected to represent the new state, only one, a Congressman, was a Republican; the rest were Democrats. On November 16, 1907, Theodore Roosevelt issued a Presidential Proclamation admitting Oklahoma as the 46th state.

Roosevelt nominated Grosvenor A. Porter (1888-1948), a cousin of his wife Edith, to be reappointed as U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (formerly Indian Territory), but his nomination never got out of committee. After Porter was nominated, charges of immorality and misconduct were made. On March 2, 1908, after the charges were investigated, the Senate Judiciary Committee, rather than reject his nomination, requested President Roosevelt to withdraw it. He did so on March 3, 1908. "The New York Times" headlined their March 3, 1908, article, "Bar Roosevelt Cousin / Senate Committee Asks President to Withdraw the Nomination."

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive, we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000