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and now an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Honorable Chas. H. Robb, then and now a United States Circuit Judge; Honorable E. Lewis, then a United States District Judge in Colorado, and now a Circuit Judge; and Honorable John C. Pollock, United States District Judge for Kansas:

Judge D. P. Dyer,
U.S. Court,

St. Louis, Missouri.

My dear Colonel:

Denver, March 13, 1907.

I have been from home for three weeks, hunting and fishing on the Gulf Coast at Corpus Christi, Texas. For ten days or more I was on water and did not get a paper or receive a letter, hence I learned on my return for the first time that Judge Finkelnburg had resigned and that the President had appointed you District Judge to fill the vacancy. I desire to congratulate you heartily. I have not been in the service long enough to offer suggestions or give advice, and even if I had it would be presumptuous in me to do so; but I do gladly welcome you among us, and hope at some time to have a part of your services in my district.

Cordially, Robert E. Lewis. (Judge U. S. District Court at Denver)

UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURT OF

APPEALS

Eighth Circuit

Cheyenne, Wyoming, April 19, 1907.

Hon. David P. Dyer,

U. S. District Judge,

St. Louis, Mo.

My dear Colonel :

I have but recently learned of your appointment. You didn't invite me to your inauguration, but nevertheless, I congratulate you and the Eastern District of Missouri upon your appointment, and I wish you the fullest measure of satisfaction and comfort in the discharge of your new duties.

Either I do not read the newspapers closely, or else those which I read did not contain a notice of your appointment, and this is the only reason why I am tardy in extending my congratulations, which are quite earnest.

Very sincerely,

nter.

Willis Van Devanter.

THE COURT OF APPEALS

Washington, D. C.,

Dear Judge Dyer:

February 27, 1907.

Your nomination was sent in yesterday and I now congratulate you with all my heart. Integrity and fidelity to duty have been awarded. May the duties of the position be pleasant, and may you live at least fifty years longer is the wish of your friend.

Chas. H. Robb.

(U. S. Judge of the Court of Appeals)

My dear Colonel:

Topeka, Feb. 26, 1907.

Have been absent from here for the past week and did not have the opportunity of reading the daily papers. On my return, I am happy to find from the dispatches that you have either been, or surely will be, nominated by the President to succeed Judge Finkelnburg as judge of your district. This is as it should be, and I hasten to say to you how very much all your good fortune gratifies me. I know you will enjoy the work because you are both by temperament and education so well qualified for the place. Your appointment will be a just recognition of your excellent services to your country and a just tribute to your splendid manhood. The Master placed in your breast a big, warm heart. You have kept it well filled with red blood, so that it responds in sympathy as the heart of a Judge should. Created honest, you have remained so. In short, you have, to my mind, all the qualifications of a just and fearless Judge.

While I congratulate you, I feel the Government is even more to be congratulated.

That you may have a long and pleasant term of service on the bench is the wish of

Your friend,

John C. Pollock.

(U. S. District Judge for Kansas)

Hon. David P. Dyer,

U. S. Attorney,

St. Louis, Mo.

The foregoing letters of recommendation and congratulation from gentlemen so distinguished, are most highly prized. To each and every one of them I owe a debt of lasting gratitude.

XV

THEODORE ROOSEVELT Continued

More Letters-Naturalization Frauds - Northern Securities Case - Roosevelt in Pike County.

After assuming the duties of judge, my friendly relations with President Roosevelt continued until his death. Little did he or I think at the time of my appointment that one of my age would survive him, so young, strong and vigorous.

From this time I took no active part in politics, beyond observing the general sentiment of the country toward its public men and casting my vote as judgment and conscience dictated.

No one will dispute the fact, I think, that in 1912 a very large majority of the Republican voters in the country favored the nomination and election of Colonel Roosevelt to the presidency. This desire and wish of the rank and file of the Republican party was defeated by political bosses and unprincipled political schemers. A majority of the men composing the National Republican Committee at that time belonged to and were active members of such a gang.

In making up the roll of delegates entitled to seats in the convention, they kept off those that had been duly and fairly chosen and put on others who were not the representatives of the Republicans. Their

purpose was to defeat the will of the people, i.e., the nomination of Roosevelt. No gang of pirates upon the high seas ever more deliberately scuttled a ship than these committeemen scuttled the Republican ship. The Republican voters in November of that year condemned by their votes the action of the committee. The so-called nominee of that convention received the electoral votes of only Utah and Vermont; Mr. Wilson was elected, and whatever good or bad to the country that election brought, was solely attributable to the bosses and schemers. If Roosevelt had been declared the nominee, as he by right should have been, his election to the presidency would have been certain.

I voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and for every Republican candidate for the presidency since then, which, of course, includes Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

In 1916 Honorable Charles E. Hughes of New York was nominated over Colonel Roosevelt for the presidency, and by a narrow margin was defeated by Woodrow Wilson in November following. The action of the convention in making a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States the Republican candidate, was very questionable. Had Roosevelt been made the nominee, as a vast majority of the Republicans of the country desired, he would have been elected by a great majority. He was again defeated for the nomination by the bosses that cursed and still curse the party organization.

These comments may be far-fetched and out of place here, but they will serve at least to preserve in a measure the opinions of one who has no purpose

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