Description:

Theodore Roosevelt
Oyster Bay, NY, July 27, 1907
Theodore Roosevelt TLS to A. Henry Lewis, Names Rough Rider Captain as Territorial Governor of NM
TLS
A typed letter from President Theodore Roosevelt to friend and investigative journalist Alfred Henry Lewis. 2pp of a bifolium, 7.25" x 9", Oyster Bay, NY, July 27, 1907. Boldly signed "Theodore Roosevelt" at the conclusion. The letter, marked "Personal" on White House letterhead, also features five autograph corrections in Roosevelt's hand. Within, the President talks of corruptibility, leadership, and his personal relationship with Western legend Bat Masterson. Exhibits light creasing and darkened edge toning throughout. Light handling marks present on verso. Near fine with bold signature.

Reading in part:

"I have been inclined to think that Hagerman was merely a fool; but I grow less and less confident, for it ^begins to^ look to me as if he and those behind him were probably knaves. I had been very much discontented with the way things were running in New Mexico, and was informed that young Hagerman (who is a Cornell man and had been Secretary of Legation at St. Petersburg, but whose father had a big ranch in New Mexico) was just the type of man for the position of Governor. I put him in. After a little while he got into an awful quarrel with the people down there. Some of those he quarreled with were, I think, bad men…. In any event, in the course of his quarrel… he consummated a swindling land transaction with a man named Hopewell, doing the very kind of thing which made me determine that I could not longer continue his predecessor in office.

I accordingly asked for his resignation. I thought him an honest but foolish man, altho [sic] I had always heard that his father had a shady side to his character. The extraordinary interest taken in his retention, however, has made me believe that probably there are a lot of ^men with^ big financial interests who expected to profit by what he did and who have been nonplussed by his fate. That the elder Hagerman did crooked things in the old days, I have no doubt.

When I turned Hagerman out I made up my mind that I would appoint a man who was absolutely straight and yet a real westerner. I accordingly appointed George Curry. You can find out all about him from Bat Masterson, as he was one of Bat's deputies in the old days at Dodge City. Curry has been chief of Police in Manila and Governor of the Province of Samar, and has made an excellent record. He was a captain in my regiment- as game a man as ever drew a gun, and I firmly believe, an absolutely straight man."

At the advice of his Secretary of the Interior, Roosevelt appointed Herbert James Hagerman (1871-1935) as Territorial Governor of New Mexico in 1906. His appointment came as an attempt to curb political corruption in the territory, due to the reputation he earned while Secretary to the U.S. Embassy in Russia. Hagerman, however, was the son of renowned industrialist J.J. Hagerman (1838-1909), with whom Roosevelt surely had little trust. Indeed, rising tensions between the younger Hagerman and the political bosses of New Mexico led the President to oust him shortly before this letter was written.

Alfred Henry Lewis (1855-1914) was an American investigative journalist, novelist, and short story writer who sometimes published under the pseudonym Dan Quin. Lewis had previously introduced Roosevelt to lawman Bat Masterson in 1902, and had invited him to the White House on several occasions after. The President had intended to appoint Masterson to a federal office, which he did in 1905 to the position of U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.25" x 9"
  • Medium: TLS

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