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Illustration showing Senator George Frisbie Hoar standing, full-length, wearing a child’s nightgown, holding up in his right hand a candle labeled “Twaddle” and clutching a wooden doll labeled “Philippine Question.” Hoar was generally an anti-Imperialist, though Republican, and a fervent proponent of immediate independence for the Philippine Islands.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1900-01-17
A bloated bull dog, wearing a collar labeled “Monopoly,” controls a food trough as five emaciated dogs wait for an opportunity to eat. An insert labeled “The Mania for Monopoly” reprinted “(from Puck, October 10, 1883)” shows “Business as it once was” where all dogs ate from the trough at the same time, “As it is” when it became a dog-eat-dog business environment, and “As it will be if something is not done pretty soon” where one dog controls access to the trough or business market. Caption: Something wasn’t done.
The point of J. S. Pughe’s cartoon in Puck, “Twenty-Five Years After,” is that some cartoon ideas retained their pertinence through the years because issues went unresolved. More than once the magazine made a reference to, or actually reproduced, an earlier commentary, as here, to illustrate the French saying “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose” — the more things change, the more they stay the same.
An elderly woman labeled “Republican Party” sits in a rocking chair, knitting. John Sherman sits on a low stool on the left, reading a book labeled “Sound Finance,” with a toy “pop-gun” on the floor next to him. A cake labeled “Presidential Nomination 1896” sets on a table on the right. Caption: He has put away his naughty “sectionalism” pop-gun, and is real good now. Puck hopes it isn’t on account of the cake.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-02-27
A devil wearing a business suit holds a fire brand labeled “Arson” in one hand and a large knife labeled “Murder” in the other. He is accepting a payment for $10,000 from a hand labeled “Vast Sums on Uninvestigated Risks.” The hand extends from a “Fire Insurance” company with a motto that states, “We Insure Everything and Anybody” on the corner of the building. Caption: The big insurance companies, by carelessness in their selection of agents, adjusters and risks, place a premium on crime.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-11-20
Uncle Sam stands on the sidewalk with a large turkey labeled “Business Revival” in a basket labeled “From Cleveland & Co.” On the right are three vendors offering scrawny turkeys for sale: from left, “Tom Reed – Presidential Poultry – Anything and Everything – If you don’t see what you want, ask for it”; “Cheap Ben – The Old Reliable Dealer, formerly Purveyor to Uncle Sam. No Reasonable Offer Refused”; and “The Home Market – McKinley – Protective Poulterer. High Tariff Turkeys, Calamity Chickens, No Cheap Goods.” Caption: Uncle Sam–Well, gentlemen, I’ve already got my turkey for this year; but I may do some shopping with you next season!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-11-27
President Grover Cleveland stands on the floor of the House of Representatives, among congressmen, many dressed as natives, holding a large book labeled “Sound Money Message.” Caption: The missionary is all right; but the heathen are terribly hard to convert.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-12-18
President Grover Cleveland, wearing military uniform, gives a twist to the British Lion’s tail as it stands on a small island labeled “Great Britain” just off the coast of the “United States” where Cleveland and his backers are standing. Among Cleveland’s backers are Thomas B. Reed, Charles A. Dana doing a headstand on the “N.Y. Sun,” George F. Hoar holding a rifle, William E. Chandler wearing a grenadier’s bearskin hat and holding a sword, Henry C. Lodge with a sword, John T. Morgan, and Charles A. Boutelle also wearing a bearskin hat.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1896-01-08
President Cleveland drives a stagecoach carrying a female passenger labeled “National Credit” and a trunk labeled “Gold Reserve.” The horse team is labeled “Firmness” and “Common Sense.” A pack of dogs is trying to rattle the horses. The dogs are identified as “Dana, Pulitzer, Frye, Bland, Sickles, Peffer, Reed, Boutelle, Wolcott, Pugh, Stewart, Jones, Morgan, Teller, [and] Lodge.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-03-13
President Cleveland sculpts a statue labeled “Purity in Politics,” but a group of legislators have resorted to mudslinging tactics to destroy Cleveland’s efforts. Those identified with a hammer, ink, mud, and stones are “McPherson, Dana, Hill, Murphy, Gorman, [and] Brice.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-06-11
William L. Wilson appears as a nurse feeding “Infant Industries” from a large bowl labeled “Tariff Reform.” Entering through a door in the background is William McKinley, also as a nurse, carrying a bottle of “Protection Pap.” Caption: The Discharged Nurse (peevishly)–Dear me! It grieves me to death to see how that child’s wasting away since they changed its food!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-10-16
Uncle Sam sits in a wooden tub labeled “Dingley Bill,” rowing with oars labeled “Monopoly” in a small pool labeled “Home Market” near a sign reading, “Republican Goose Pond.” Beyond the pond are several large steam ships, labeled with the major European economic powers. Caption: Uncle Sam–Say! I want you fellows to distinctly understand that I’m not racing with you!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1897-09-15
A late summer scene at Newport, Rhode Island, exhibits a carnival atmosphere, with food vendors, merry-go-round, and entertainment at the “Marble House Casino,” and “The ‘Breakers’ Coolest Pleasure Resort in Newport.” Caption: The excursionists are moving on the town; heavy gains are reported, and it is feared they will take possession in the above manner at an early day.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1897-10-20
The Tammany tiger, well-dressed and sitting on top of a scale model of a building labeled “Tammany Hall,” has made a puppet by tying a stick labeled “Platt’s Dummy,” with the head of Benjamin F. Tracy, to the end of its tail.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1897-11-03
Uncle Sam, John Bull, and figures representing Germany, Italy, France, and Russia listen as a town crier labeled “Sagasta” reads a proclamation. “Blanco” plays a drum. The proclamation states that Spain’s war with Cuba will end “next Thursday afternoon at half past four,” or in “two weeks,” or “we shall positively end it sometime or other.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1897-11-24
Charles H. Parkhurst holds a sword labeled “Evidence Against Tammany” and waves the tail he has cut off the Tammany Tiger labeled “Lexow Investigation Exposures,” lying dead at his feet. In the background, holding rifles and spears and waving their hats, are Charles S. Fairchild, William R. Grace, Joseph Larocque, and Oswald Ottendorfer.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-11-07
In the aftermath of a battle, David B. Hill is draped over a cannon, while Charles A. Dana and many New York politicians, identified as “Croker, Grant, Hinckley, Sheehan, Gilroy, Murphy, McLaughlin, Smyth, [and] Divver,” as well as the Tammany Tiger, appear to have some wound or injury. Puck is standing on the right holding a military standard that states, “The Principles We Fought For. Free Raw Materials – Civil Service Reform – Honest Money – Economical Government.” Caption: Puck–It is for the benefit of any party to be purified of its baser elements!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-11-21
The Tammany Tiger lies on its back on a bed, apparently dead. A notice on the wall states, “The Tammany Tiger Executed by the People, November 6, 1894.” Archbishop Michael Corrigan kneels at the bedside, cranking “Corrigan’s Battery” which is connected to the front paws of the Tiger by wires that spell “Church Influence.” Thomas Collier Platt stands at the foot of the bed, cranking on a battery labeled “Headquarters of the Republican ‘Boys'” which is connected to electrodes in the back paws of the Tiger by wires that spell “Political Deals.” A bucket of water and a sponge lie on the floor at the foot of the bed, and the New York State Capitol at Albany is in the background. Caption: Despite the efforts of prelate and politician the cat will not come back.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-12-12
Puck welcomes a cherub representing the New Year “1895” who arrives ahead of a whirlwind of dark clouds labeled “Panic 1894” showing the face of a harpy.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-01-02
President Cleveland adds the top board to a wooden fence enclosing a pasture labeled “Public Office.” The board is labeled, “Extension of Civil Service Reform under President Cleveland.” Lower boards in the fence are labeled, “Extension of Civil Service Reform under Pres. Harrison,” “Extension of Civil Service Reform under Pres. Cleveland,” and “Extension of Civil Service Reform under Pres. Arthur.” Watching Cleveland are the Republican Elephant and the Democratic Donkey, each wearing ribbons that state, “To the Victors Belong the Spoils.” Two vignettes show, on the left, “Republican Party beaten in 1884 and 1892, with all the offices,” and on the right, “Democratic Party beaten in 1888 and 1894, with all the offices.” On the ground is a fence board labeled “Further Extension of Civil Service Reform.” Caption: Neither of these animals has thriven in the spoils pasture, and the sooner they are barred out the better.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-01-16
Uncle Sam is taking a large frog out of a fish tank labeled “U.S. Treasury” before it eats all the goldfish. Caption: Uncle Sam – I’ll have to kill this here Greenback Frog; or, by Jingo! he’ll swallow up all my Gold Fish!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-01-30