Theodore Roosevelt and His Times,
by
Harold Howland
Part 4 out of 4
The reader who is primarily interested in the career and
personality of Roosevelt would do well to begin with his own
volume, "Theodore Roosevelt, An Autobiography". But it was
written in 1912, before the great campaign which produced the
Progressive party.
"Theodore Roosevelt the Citizen" (1904), by Jacob A. Riis, was
published just after Roosevelt became President. It is an
intimate and naively enthusiastic portrait by a man who was an
intimate friend and an ardent admirer.
There are two lives written since his death that are complete and
discriminating. They are "The Life of Theodore Roosevelt" (1919),
by William Draper Lewis, and "Theodore Roosevelt, an Intimate
Biography" (1919), by William Roscoe Thayer.
"Impressions of Theodore Roosevelt" (1919) is a volume of
first-hand experiences, written by Lawrence F. Abbott of "The
Outlook". The author was closely associated with Roosevelt on
"The Outlook"; and after the African hunting trip met him at
Khartum and went with him on his tour of the capitals of Europe.
A small volume by Charles G. Washburn,"Theodore Roosevelt, the
Logic of His Career" (1916), contains the interpretation of a
long-time friend and sincere admirer.
Collections of Roosevelt's writings and speeches covering the
years from his becoming Governor of New York to the end of his
Presidential terms are found in "The Roosevelt Policy", 2 vols.
(1908) and "Presidential Addresses and State Papers", 4 vols.
(1904). "The New Nationalism" (1910) is a collection of his
speeches delivered between his return from Africa and the
beginning of the Progressive campaign. His writings and speeches
during the Great War are found in several volumes: "America and
the World War" (1915); "Fear God and Take Your Own Part" (1916);
"The Foes of Our Own Household" (1917); "The Great Adventure"
(1919).
Material on the Progressive movement and the Progressive party
are to be found in "The Progressive Movement" (1915), by Benjamin
Parke De Witt, "The Progressive Movement, Its Principles and Its
Programme" (1913), by S. J. Duncan-Clark, "Presidential
Nominations and Elections" (1916), by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, and
"Third Party Movements" (1916), by Fred E. Haynes. The story of
La Follette is set forth at greater length in his "Autobiography;
A Personal Narrative of Political Experiences" (1918). Three
other autobiographies contribute to an understanding of politics:
"The Autobiography of Thomas C. Platt" (1910); J. B. Foraker,
"Notes of a Busy Life", 2 vols. (1916). S. M. Cullom, "Fifty
Years of Public Service" (1911).
The history of the country during the years when Roosevelt became
a national figure is recounted by J. H. Latane in "America as a
World Power" and by F. A. Ogg in "National Progress", both
volumes in the "American Nation" Series. Briefer summaries of the
general history of at least a part of the period treated in the
present volume are to be found in Frederic L. Paxson's "The New
Nation" (1915), and Charles A. Beard's "Contemporary American
History" (1914).
The prosecution of the trusts may be followed in "Trust Laws and
Unfair Competition" (Government Printing Office, 1916). Much
useful material is contained in "Trusts, Pools and Corporations",
edited by W. Z. Ripley (1916). W. H. Taft in "The Anti-Trust Law
and the Supreme Court" (1914) defends the Sherman Act as
interpreted by the courts during his administration.
The progress of social and industrial justice is outlined in
"Principles of Labor Legislation" (1916), by John R. Commons and
John B. Andrews. The problems of conservation and the history of
governmental policy are set forth by C. R. Van Hise in "The
Conservation of Natural Resources in the United States" (1910).
The "American Year Book" for the years 1910 to 1919 and the "New
International Year Book" for the years 1907 to 1919 are
invaluable sources of accurate and comprehensive information on
the current history of the United States for the period which
they cover.
Willis Fletcher Johnson's "America's Foreign Relations", 2 vols.
(1915) is a history of the relations of the United States to the
rest of the world. A shorter account is given in C. R. Fish's
"American Diplomacy" (1915).
But much of the best material for the historical study of the
first decade and a half of the twentieth century is to be found
in the pages of the magazines and periodicals published during
those years. "The Outlook", "The Independent", "The Literary
Digest", "Collier's", "The Review of Reviews", "The World's
Work", "Current Opinion", "The Nation", "The Commoner", La
Follette's "Weekly"--all these are sources of great value. The
Outlook is of especial usefulness because of Mr. Roosevelt's
connection with it as Contributing Editor during the years
between 1909 and 1914.
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