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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 itself 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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—- September 24, 1898 —-
Bomb or Boomerang?
Editorial….All the facts go to show that this attack on Roosevelt originated in Tammany Democratic circles and was transmitted thence to the anti-Roosevelt Republicans. This alone is an eloquent confession of his strength as a candidate….
He had abandoned his home here and had removed his personal property from this county…Thus far the Tammany story reads well. Col. Roosevelt was, and still is, a non-resident of New York County, and not liable to taxation here.
But, in the name of all that is fair in love, war or politics, what had this to do with the case? The Constitution does not demand that he shall have been a resident, for five years preceding election, of this city — but of this State.
In his affidavit of March he names Washington as his residence. Legal residents of Washington do not vote. Is there any man this side of bedlam who regards Theodore Roosevelt as a man who would deliberate and unnecessarily disenfranchise himself? ….
It is asserted, moreover, that in his correspondence with his attorney…he declared that under no circumstance must his affidavit be permitted to affect his right to vote in Oyster Bay…In view of these facts, malice alone can surround with any force his reference to a residence in Washington…
Finally, Col. Roosevelt while in Washington occupied precisely the same position as does every Federal officeholder, from the President down. Government service robs no man of his vote — hence it robs no man of his legal residence…
In short, the Roosevelt bomb bears a very close resemblance to a boomerang.
— Mail And Express / pages 398 – 399
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—- September 25, 1898 —-
Roosevelt Held Ineligible
Albany, N.Y.
September 23, 1898
New York State Constitutional Lawyer Edwin Countryman
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Is Mr. Roosevelt eligible to the office of Governor?
This is a clear case…his intention was to make the new home he had established in Washington the permanent residence of himself and family.
This is final and conclusive…..
This language is not susceptible of any other interpretation….If he was a resident of Washington for five months, or even a single day, he is unable to hold the office of Governor of New York ….
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There can be no longer any doubt of the nomination of Frank S. Black for Governor…The proof of the ineligibility of Colonel Roosevelt on constitutional grounds—proof that was known to Thomas C. Platt all the while that he professed to aid the cause of the Rough Rider–has practically left the Governor alone in the race. Even the genuine friends of Colonel Roosevelt…were convinced yesterday of the injustice, if not the ruin, that be done the party by the nomination of any one on whose eligibility there would be the slightest cloud….
— New York Press / pages 400 – 401
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—- September 25, 1898 —-
Talk Is Rubbish, Roosevelt Says
“You may be sure that this talk about my being disqualified is all rubbish….
“When I found I was assessed in Washington and New York on my personal property, I wrote to my lawyer, Mr. Root, asking him what I should do. I told him I would not lose my citizenship in New York for anything….I shall ask Mr. Root to make the letters public….
“It is all poppycock for any one to say that I have lost my citizenship in New York.”
— Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
— Chicago Tribune / page 401
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—- September 26, 1898 —-
Colonel Roosevelt Bitterly Assailed
Saratoga, Sept. 25 …. Edward Lauterbach was the spokesman for the Governor’s adherents…
Mr. Lauterbach began by saying that even if Colonel Roosevelt were not a tax dodger and supposing that he did have a residence in New York State, still he was unfit to be the candidate for Governor.
“He has always been the foe of the Republican Party,” said Mr. Lauterbach, “a traitor to it….He has used the knife every time he saw a chance. But we need not go so far back as that. He organized a regiment for the notoriety he would get out of it, hoping that he would fall into just such a condition as exists herer now. He led his men into an ambuscade in Cuba to further this ambition — to bring more notoriety to himself. He risked other men’s lives to gain his end.
“He drew up a round robin in Santiago in order that he might not be lost sight of for a moment. He is a notoriety seeker, pure and simple. He is not a Republican. He showed the type of man he is when he was Police Commissioner….”
All these and many more things equally bitter were said to Mr. Platt by Mr. Lauterbach. They are only mild samples of the charges and the harshness that are characterizing the prologue of what seems certain to be one of the most exciting political conventions in the history of the State….
After listening to Mr. Lauterbach, Senator Platt only made this reply:
“Colonel Roosevelt will be nominated.”
Mr. Edward Lauterbach was Chairman of the Republican County Committee in New York
— New York Herald / Page 402
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—- September 26, 1898 —-
No Reconciliation
“Lou,” Platt said as he shook hands with Payn, “Let’s go in and have a talk.”
“All right,” replied Payn.
They went into Platt’s cottage and talked together freely. Senator Platt said he was “grieved” on account of the bitterness that had arisen in the contest over the nomination for Governor.
“Well,” replied Payn, “you know whose fault it was.”
“Yes, it was your fault,” said Platt.
“On, no,” said Payn, “you know better than that. Our candidate was the Governor of the State. He had a right to desire a renomination. We, as his friends, had a perfect right to support him in that laudable desire. We have done so and we have nothing to apologize for. It is you who went astray and brought on all the trouble and all the bitterness which has arisen. You did this for reasons best known to yourself.”
Platt and Payn parted as they met, irreconcilable on the question of the Governorship.
— New York Press / page 403
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—- September 26, 1898 —-
Platt Fears Roosevelt, Payn Says
“Platt is staggered. He knows as well as I do that Colonel Roosevelt is ineligible, and that is bothering him more than he has been bothered in a year. Why? Because he does not want to go on and nominate Roosevelt and sees the greatest danger in doing so.
“I have now no concealment to make of the fact that enough delegrates to nominate Roosevelt have been elected. He can do it. But the revelation which have been made regarding his. candidate’s eligibility and. his candidate’s dodging of taxes have made it unsafe for him to go on. Now all his efforts for the next two days will be devoted to seeing if he can transfer enough votes from Roosevelt to some other candidate to still beat Black. I don’t think he can.
“Roosevelt knows Platt is contemplating this and distrusts Platt. Now, if Platt can’t shift the delegates, he will to into the convention with Roosevelt, have a deuce of a rumpus and probably nominate him.
“Then you will see that what I say is true, when I say that Platt knows Roosevelt is dead. You will see him call the State Convention to order. Roosevelt will retire from the ticket and the committee will fill the vacancy….
“Roosevelt … has been dead since this morning. It is impossible to nominate him. If he were nominated, it would be impossible to elect him, because the people of the State of New York will never elect to office again a man who is either a tax dodger or a self-confessed perjurer.”
— Lou Payn / New York Herald / pages 403 – 404
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—- September 26, 1898 —-
Platt’s Sharp Reply to Payn
Saratoga, N.Y. — When told of Louis F. Payn’s statement, Mr. Platt said:
“It is the foolish outpouring from a bewildered and defeated man.”
— New York Herald / page 404
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—- September 26, 1898 —-
It Is A Democratic Year
Editorial — It would take the services of at least a seventh son of an optimistic seer to predict just how much “harmony” the Republicans of New York State can extract from the Platt-Roosevelt-Black imbroglio….
Platt has shown no mercy. After bringing reproach upon the Governor by his very friendship with him, and after having led him into devious paths, he leaves him to his fate. No more heartless desertion is recorded in political history.
It will be human nature to fight back….
Platt can have Roosevelt and welcome, but he can’t have Black and Black’s friends, and they are strong enough to make futile the nomination ground out from the Boss’s well-oiled machine.
Unity of purpose is the Democratic purpose….
With this spirit of good feeling animating the commanders and inspiring the rank and file, there is every prospect of a glorious victory for Democracy….
The Republican ranks, broken by treachery and decimated by desertion, will have to meet a united, resolute, triumphant army of Democrats, pledged to an honest administration of affairs.
— William Randolph Hearst
— New York Evening Journal / page 405
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—- September 27, 1898 —-
BLACK SURPRISES HIS ENEMIES
Saratoga, Sept. 26 — They did not believe Black would come….But come he did, at half-past eleven — tall, angular, somber visaged, with his jaw set for a fight. The machine stood aghast. The machine delegates said: “Why should he come? Teddy’s the man. He will be run over by the machine and never heard from again.” ….
The Governor walked into the Rensselaer headquarters with Louis F. Payn. He took off his hat, and said: “I would like to have a bottle of that spring water, and then we will get to work.”
At first he sat in the front parlor and chatted with the men who have attached themselves to his cause….
The great bulk of politicians at first held aloof. But word soon went down the line that the Governor was saying some very interesting things. Then the rush began. Black delegates, Roosevelt delegates and even Platt delegates began to crowd in. They came in twos and threes and in whole county delegations. If there were a few, they sat down and chatted. If there were many, all hands stood up and chatted with the Governor. Presently, the Governor did all the talking. He talked chiefly of the danger to the party of the nomination of a candidate of questionable eligibility. The delegates listened attentively.
Most of them went away and told Platt about it all, but some of them before going told the Governor they were going to vote for him….By nightfall the Governor had seen nearly half the delegates and was still ready for work, and the delegates continued to come.
— Portrait of Gov. Frank S. Black / New York Press
— New York Herald / pages 406 – 407
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—- September 27, 1898 —-
What Does It Mean?
Editorial — It is difficult to explain the attitude … of many apparently sincere supporters in the past, not only of the principles his whole public career and private life represent, but of himself personally, without seeming to reflect on their honesty or their intelligence.
On the smaller question, nothing is more remarkable than the willingness with which many who are Roosevelt’s natural supporters have been imposed on by the contemptible Tammany trick of questioning his residence … That persons who profess contempt for small politics and devotion to the large principles Roosevelt represents should quibble and hesitate and grow lukewarm because of this shallow trick is amazing if they are sincere, and rather disgusting if they possess understanding ….
…. In the name of reason, what do these gentlemen want? For years they have been striving to put men like Roosevelt in public office …. The fact that Senator Platt is in control of the mechanism by which the Republican party carries out its purposes … does not make Roosevelt his creature or the nomination of Roosevelt his act. Platt is obeying orders this year, not giving them.
No one has been less a machine candidate in this state for a generation than Roosevelt will be. He is the realization of the very ideal these doubters have professed to follow.
— Commercial Advertiser / pages 406 – 407
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—- September 27, 1898 —-
An Illustrious New York Name
Editorial — It is remarkable that the question should now be raised whether a Roosevelt is a citizen of New York, and therefore eligible to office in this State, for the Roosevelt family from the earliest days of New York has been associated with its noblest undertakings, and, as far as we know, no member has separated himself from New York in all that time….
Isaac Roosevelt was a member of the New York Provincial Congress, the Legislature, and the City Council … His son, Nicholas J. Roosevelt born in the city of New York in 1767, was associated with Robert Fulton in the invention and introduction of the steamboat…
His nephew, Cornelius Van Schaik Roosevelt, was born in this city in 1794 … he was a successful merchant ….
His son, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, born in the city of New York in 1829 … has been in Congress…a State Fish Commissioner …. and in 1888 appointed Minister to the Netherlands ….
Theodore Roosevelt, his brother , was born in the city of New York … was a merchant and afterward a banker …
His son, the present Col. Theodore Roosevelt … graduated from Harvard College in 1880, and at once entered politics, being elected the very next year by the Republicans to the Assembly … In 1884 he was Chairman of the New York delegation to the National Republican Convention. In 1886 he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York on the Republican ticket….His subsequent political and military service is known to everybody.
His great-uncle, James John Roosevelt, born in New York in 1795 … was a lawyer … Justice of the Supreme Court, and afterward was United States District Attorney in New York.
Another relative … James Henry Roosevelt, born in New York in 1800 … accumulated a large fortune … [and] left the great bulk of his estate to found the noble Roosevelt Hospital.
Another Roosevelt, Hilborne Lewis, also born in New York, was a noted organ builder and an inventor.
What other New York family can boast a record of more constant service to the city and State during more than a century and a half? All have been New Yorkers of New Yorkers; all have made the State better for their living. All have been stout Americans, democrats in the best and highest sense ….
Roosevelt is a name for all New Yorkers to be proud of …. It has never sought the cheap glare of social pretension and display. Yet, now political sophistry has sought to delude the people into the belief that Theodore Roosevelt … is not now a New Yorker. The idea is absurd.
— The Sun / pages 408 – 409
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—- September 27, 1898 —-
Not Really A New Yorker
Editorial — That Platt might have nominated a much worse condidate than Theodore Roosevelt may be frankly admitted….
He is a brave soldier. It if were part of the duty of the Governor of New York to scramble through barbed wire fences and evict Spaniards from block houses with a sword and a revolver, Mr. Roosevelt could be trusted to do the work to the general satisfaction….
But Mr. Roosevelt is not cut out for the Governorship of this State …. He has no understanding of or sympathy with the feelings of the people of this State. He cannot comprehend the spirit of individual independence that prevails in this commonwealth. He is always wanting to discipline somebody, to be a paternal despot, to enforce his ideas of virtue and propriety on the community with a club. His inveterate meddlesomeness made him very unpopular in this city when he was in a position in which he had nothing to do but to enforce the laws as he found them. One shudders at the thought of the situation if he had a hand in making them ….
— William Randolph Hearst
— New York Evening Journal / page 400
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———— TO BE CONTINUED
Theodore Roosevelt / Excerpts from BULLY! | Nomination & Election ————
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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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