Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919) to Samuel M. Crothers
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06058 Author/Creator: Roosevelt, Theodore (1858-1919) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Typed letter signed Date: 14 November 1914 Pagination: 1 p. ; 24.6 x 19.7 cm Order a Copy
Typed in blue ink on printed personal stationery of Roosevelt, with changes in his hand. Crothers worked at Houghton Mifflin & Co. Discusses theory of "divine right" and states "with all our faults, we govern ourselves better than any one man, or group of men can govern us." He also writes, "Democracy is a form of government fit for people of high moral caliber."
November 14, 1914.
My dear Mr. Crothers:
Of course, we were both of us very much pleased to receive your last essay, and, as usual, I entirely agree with what you [struck: say] [inserted: write Hester.]
The theory of "divine right" is not rendered less absurd if transferred from one man to a million. What is needed for the ordinary voter is plain, ordinary commonsense[inserted: .] [struck: j][inserted: J]ust as you say[inserted: ,] [inserted: d]emocracy is a form of government only fit for people [struck: in a high state] of [inserted: high] moral calibre. For such a people as ours, it is on the whole not only the best but the only possible form of government. With all our faults, we govern ourselves better than any one man, or group of men, can govern us. We submit now and then to the Murphys, Penroses, Lorimers, Barnes, and the like, but, at any rate, we can and do, on occasions, throw them out of power, with no more revolutionary instruments than our ballots.
Good luck be with you always:
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt
Samuel McCord Crothers, Esq.,
c/o Houghton, Mifflin, & Company,
Boston, Mass.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.