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Theodore Roosevelt & New York State Politics
September 24, 1898 > November 9, 1898
THE CAMPAIGN
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— September 24, 1898 —
BLACK HURLS BOMBSHELL
ROOSEVELT NOT ELIGIBLE FOR GOVERNOR?
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Governor Black and his supporters declare that Theodore Roosevelt, by his own declaration, is not a resident of this State, and that, therefore, he is ineligible to the office of Governor.
Qualifications for Governor: — No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor except a citizen of the United States, of the age of not less than thirty years, and who shall have been five years next preceding his election a resident of this state.
— Constitution of the State of New York,
Article iv., Section 2.
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Washington, District of Columbia, ss:
THEODORE ROOSEVELT, being duly sworn, says:
— On April 19 last I was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy. I came on to Washington and took up my residence here. On May 1, 1897, I and my family moved out of the house we had been occupying in New York City….I had no residence in New York City, and did not vote and could not vote there at the last election….In October last, my family came on fere from Oyster Bay, L.I., and since then I have been and now am a resident of Washington.
(signed) Theodore Roosevelt
Sworn to before me, this 21st day of March, 1898.
(signed)
EDWIN P. HANNA,
Notary Public———
— New York Herald / BULLY! pages 395 – 396
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—- September 24, 1898 —-
Discovering The Scheme
…. When I got to Newburg, I called Col. Roosevelt…and had a long talk with him. I asked him if there was any possible reason why his opponents might attack his eligibility for the nomination. For some time we could reach no satisfactory conclusion, when finally Mr. Roosevelt incidentally mentioned the tax assessment….
…. I came right back to New York and called Col. Roosevelt’s friends together. We read over all the letters regarding the tax assessment, finding that they made it perfectly clear that Col. Roosevelt had no idea of giving up his residence in Oyster Bay. In one letter he directed his counsel to pay the assessment levied by the Tax Commissioners rather than have any doubt about his being a voter in New York…all who read the letters on the subject of the assessment are satisfied as to his eligibility.
— Benjamin B. Odell, Chairman Republican State Committee
— Mail And Express / pages 396 – 397
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—- September 24, 1898 —-
Black Will Be The Nominee
Editorial — On the face of documents which came to public notice this morning, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt is not eligible for the Governorship …. there can be no doubt about Governor Black’s renomination. There was none from the beginning. He has a majority of the delegates …. He has arrayed on his side 90 percent of the Republican Counties in the State …. And he has the support of these Republicans because of his record. They are with him because he did things which have earned for him the enmity of Thomas C. Platt….All honor to Frank S. Black for the record which is his — a record upon which the party, confident of its righteousness, will ask the people for a renewal of power ….the Republican party will honor iself and do justice to Frank S. Black by renominating him in Saratoga on Tuesday next.
— New York Press / pages 397 – 398
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———— TO BE CONTINUED ————
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Visit: Col. Theodore Roosevelt & New York State Politics / July > August, 1898 …. link
Visit: Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, June – August, 1898 / Excerpts from BULLY! …. link
Visit: Roosevelt’s Rough Riders: September – November, 1898 / Excerpts from BULLY! …. link
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“A goldmine of information,”
Dr. John Gable, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, 1998.
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Second Edition published by Montauk Historical Society & East End Press
with a Grant from the Gardiner Foundation, 2023.
Available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.
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