Designating a Day of Rest, 1908

Today's post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Research Services at the National Archives at College Park, MD.

On March 24, 1908, the Rev. Dr. Wallace Radcliffe, representing a committee of like-minded people, sent a letter to President Theodore Roosevelt as a follow-up to a meeting the day before. Their concern - government agencies working on Sundays. They were complaining, specifically, about work at Giesboro Point in Washington, DC, but noted "that recent years have brought an increasing and oppressive demand for Sunday work in the different Departments." He further noted that the practice was "a growing evil much complained of." The reverend did acknowledge that "many exigencies arise which rightfully compel such demand" and that the committee was not "insisting upon the impracticable or he unpractical." Nevertheless, they asked "that the United States Government give a good example in securing for every man his rightful one day in seven for himself."

In reaction, President Roosevelt sent the following letter to Secretary of State Elihu Root. He also sent similar letters to the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Interior, the Postmaster General, the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and the Secretary of Agriculture.

Secretary of State Root replied with this short letter.

The file does not include a response to Root's question about Far Eastern work. For some reason, President Roosevelt shared Root's letter with Nannie Vance Roosevelt, the wife of his cousin John Ellis Roosevelt, annotating it "This is a characteristic Rootian note."

While Sunday work may have ended, Saturday work remained the norm.

Sources: Wallace Radcliffe to the President, March 24, 1908, enclosed with Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root, March 25, 1908, and Elihu Root to Theodore Roosevelt, March 27, 1908, Numerical File 11200/23-24, RG 59: General Records of the Department of State.

For Roosevelt's annotation, see: Elihu Root to Theodore Roosevelt, March 27, 1908, Theodore Roosevelt Papers, Library of Congress Manuscript Division, via Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University .