Zimmerman, Eugene, 1862-1935

President Roosevelt holds a “third term” teddy bear in his hand and thinks about George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant each holding up one hand with “no third term” papers beside them.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The great Eugene Zimmerman (“Zim”), Swiss immigrant who had drawn for Puck in the early 1880s and then was a mainstay on its Republican rival Judge into the 1920s, was noted at this time in his career for outrageous comic drawing, humor cartoons, and ethnic lampoons. Occasionally he drew political cartoons, and “?” is as serious a treatment as any cartoonist could have drawn about President Roosevelt’s dilemma regarding the 1908 election.

President Roosevelt looks off into the distance as he ponders what is written on a piece of paper: “Discharge of Negro soldiers without honor.” Just above the cartoon are verses from the book of Daniel and the directive to “hold this page up to the light and look through the blank space.” Caption: The warning.

comments and context

Comments and Context

A Virginia newspaper reprinted this cartoon by Eugene Zimmerman (“Zim”) in Judge Magazine about President Roosevelt’s dilemma following his dismissal of black troops in the “Brownsville Affair.” Judge was a Republican weekly political-cartoon journal, the counterpart of Puck, and was established by former Puck cartoonists.

A “Republican steam shovel” with the face of President Roosevelt takes out several rocks: “Democratic opposition,” “political criticism,” and “rail-road obstructionists.” Several men watch, including Panama Governor Charles E. Magoon, John F. Stevens, Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission Theodore P. Shonts, Joseph Bucklin Bishop, and Uncle Sam.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09

President Roosevelt participates in a variety of events at the circus, including taming “political lions” to riding “trust” bulls to flying on a trapeze to juggling to directing the Republican elephant.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12

Uncle Sam points President Roosevelt, who holds his rifle, to the “grafter’s paradise” woods. There are a number of wild animals in there, including a “government land grabber” beaver, a “tobacco trust” hog, a “Tammany” tiger, and a “Panama Canal” cat. Caption: “Mr. President, there’s the big game. Now, fire away!”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09

A caricatured, dark-skinned President Roosevelt takes several bites out of a “strenuous politics” watermelon outside of the United States Capitol building. There are a variety of phrases on the watermelon: “peace terms for Russia & Japan,” “no war taxes in times of peace,” “square deals,” “honesty in politics,” “uniting the North & South,” “ousting the political grafters,” and “anti-trust crusade.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-02

New York Senators Thomas Collier Platt and Chauncey M. Depew led a durbar procession, which includes President Roosevelt, who holds a paper that reads, “the presidency compliments of the people,” sitting on a Republican elephant. Democratic party leaders, including Arthur P. Gorman, David B. Hill, Alton B. Parker, August Belmont, and Henry Gassaway Davis, watch from the side. Uncle Sam bows toward the procession.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-29

William H. Taft stands at the door of the “Presidency” holding a paper from Justice Brewer recommending him for the presidency and comparing him to President Roosevelt. Caption: Secretary Taft–“I wonder if Justice Brewer was joking?” On the verso, an article titled “The Great World Traveler Is Here” describes William Jennings Bryan’s arrival in New Jersey and the “oratorical tour” on which he is embarking. Another article, “The Standpatism of the Hon. Joseph Cannon,” lauds the Republican Party’s achievements since the inauguration of William McKinley as president, noting these are to be preferred over Bryan’s intended projects.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-01

A Chinese man and Uncle Sam hold up a variety of cards. The Chinese man has several “boycott” cards while Uncle Sam is about to throw down an “exclusion of all Chinamen” card. President Roosevelt enters the room holding “a Square Deal deck” with the following cards: “Chinese merchants,” “Chinese educators may enter the U.S.,” “Chinese students admitted,” and “liberal observation [of] laws.” Caption: Roosevelt—”Come, now, gentlemen; it is time to throw aside that worn-out deck and try one which will give both of you a square deal.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07

Alton B. Parker gives Uncle Sam a paper that reads, “application for position as master of the White House—Alton B. Parker—References: Hill, Belmont, McCarren, Taggart, Williams, Davis, Bailey, Murphy,” as Parker points to a group of men, all of whom are listed on the paper. On the wall is a “U.S. bulletin help wanted” board.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09

President Roosevelt stands at the “Presidency” plate on a baseball diamond, holding a bat labeled “Honest & Upright Government.” David B. Hill is poised to pitch him a “Tricky Politics” ball. “Gray,” William Jennings Bryan, and Grover Cleveland are in the outfield, while “Williams, Captain” talks with catcher Alton B. Parker. August Belmont, as bat boy, carries a “$” bag of bats labeled “Trusts” and “Interest.” Behind Roosevelt in the dugout are his teammates, Chauncey M. Depew, Albert J. Beveridge, Joseph Gurney Cannon, John Hay, George B. Cortelyou, “Black,” and vice-presidential candidate Charles W. Fairbanks. In the stands in the background are kings and other interested fans.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08

A woodpecker with the face of Ohio Senator Joseph Benson Foraker uses an “anti-trust amendment bill” to peck at a sign that reads, “Sherman anti-trust law—Iron clad. Cannot be punctured.” President Roosevelt rushes away from the United States Capitol building and toward the woodpecker with his gun.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-02-20

Voters watch as August Belmont points to an illustration of Alton B. Parker who wears a “trusts” chain around his chest on the side of a circus tent. Verbiage reads, “The Democratic giant guarantees to break the chain by chest expansion.” In Parker’s hands are two weights, “sound money” and “clean politics.” Similarly, Henry Gassaway Davis holds a barrel that reads, “millions for the purification of politics. Not.” Verbiage around him reads, “The Hercules of West Virginia.” David B. Hill sits by a “ballot box” and holds a paper that reads, “After this performance, I shall retire from the show business. D. B. Hill.” Several men hide in the tent, including Parker, who holds a “political graft” weight; Thomas Taggart, who holds “gambling trust magnate” cards; Davis, who holds a “West Va. Coal Trust price” rock; Grover Cleveland; and Arthur P. Gorman.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-15

A woman labeled “Business Interests” is drowning in a pond of silver coins labeled “85 cents.” She is wearing waterwings labeled “Patent Air-Bladder” and “Life Preserver,” “Makeshift Silver Certificate,” and “85-Cent Legal Tender Dollar,” from which air is escaping through several punctures. The U.S. Capitol is in the background and a long line of congressmen are departing “Homeward.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-03-11

Nicholas II and General Obruchev look over a “War Map” spread on a table, with “Russia” on one side, “England” on the other, and “Afghanistan” between them. Beneath the table, having come through a “Nihilists’ Private Trap Door,” is “the Herald’s Special Correspondent” with an over-sized right ear, listening and holding a notebook labeled “N. Y. Herald.” Caption: Instantaneous sketch by Puck’s special artist of the Herald’s special correspondent getting his important information about the Czar and Gen. Obrutscheff.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-05-06

William E. Gladstone stands on the balcony of a building where the windows are labeled “Pride, Prestige, Supremacy in India, Commerce, British Empire, [and] Control of the Afghan Frontier” (which is above two broken windows). On the ground is a thug identified as a “Russian Rapscallion” who is about to throw a rock at “Gladstone” and the “British Empire.” In the background is a wretched hovel labeled “Russia.” Caption: The Russian rapscallion has no windows of his own, and he can afford to throw stones at the house of the respectable Briton.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-04-29

William C. Whitney, Secretary of the Navy, insists that John Roach, a contractor, accompany him on a test cruise before the Navy can sign off on the contract and accept delivery of the ship “Dolphin.” Roach, holding a piece of paper that states “Bill for Constructing the Dispatch Boat ‘Dolphin’ –J. Roach,” steps back in fear and does not accept Whitney’s offer. Caption: Secretary Whitney – “I can’t accept your ship until we have tried her again. Step on board, sir. ” / J. R. – “Step on board! No, sir, never! My life is entirely too valuable to the nation. Cut down the bill, and call it square!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-04-01

A man labeled “Labor Union” raises a large club labeled “Boycotting” over his head, about to strike a man labeled “Manufacturer” sitting behind a desk. In the process, he strikes a man labeled “Laborer” sitting on a chair behind him. On the wall in the background are two notices that state “Enforced Idleness for the Manufacturer” and “Enforced Idleness for the Laborer.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-11-25

Pope Leo XIII climbs through a ballot box in an effort to get to the sign on the wall that states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion–Constitution.” Other notices pasted on a wall in the background state, “Every Catholic should rigidly adhere to the teachings of the Roman pontiffs…”; “All Catholics should do all in their power to cause the Constitutions of States and legislation to be modeled in the principles of the true church”; and “All Catholics … must penetrate wherever possible in the administration of civil affairs.” Each is noted as a “Papal Encyclical.” Caption: Through the ballot-box to the Constitution.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-11-18

David B. Hill places a cap labeled “Gen’l Jones” on an old man’s head and hands him a sword labeled “Baltimore Blade.” The old man is wearing a sandwich board that states “Hill and Jones Political Outfitters, Opposition to Monopoly in the Hero Line! – Look at our War Record before purchasing elsewhere! – Try Jones’s Baltimore Brand! Jones pays the freight!!! – Don’t Forget that Jones is a General, too.” Hanging on the right are “Hancock’s Uniform” and “Sheridan’s Uniform.” In the background is another old man wearing a cap labeled “Gen’l Carr” standing outside the office of “Davenport and Carr Political Outfitters.” He is wearing a sandwich board that states “Carr’s Pat. B. Shirt – Dont deal with Traitors and Rebels! – Patronize the Old Veteran!” Mounted on the board is a bloody shirt. Caption: D. B. Hill “Here, Jones! – be a veteran, can’t you? You sail out there, too, and do some hero business for me and yourself!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-10-28