The “fake” beggar
Subject(s): Beggars, Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925, Fraud, Political parties--Planning, Populism, Presidents--Election
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William Jennings Bryan, with a prosthesis labeled “Anti-Expansion” attached to the knee on his right leg, which is labeled “16 to 1,” walks with the aid of a wooden cane labeled “Populism.” In his left hand, he carries a small receptacle labeled “votes.”
Comments and Context
This cartoon is brilliant in its simplicity and iconography. Cartoonist Keppler executes a masterful caricature of a morose Democrat Presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan. The issue on which he was defeated four years earlier is the lame limb labeled with the slogan of Free Silver, 16 To 1. The prosthesis, 1900’s thematic hope of the Democrats, is a weak crutch labeled “anti-expansion.” Bryan had volunteered and was named a Colonel in the Nebraska National Guard during the Spanish-American War, so even those views were suspect. In a final touch, the cartoonist replaced the beggar’s tin cup with a traditional ballot box of the day.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1900-08-22
Creator(s)
Period
Governor of New York (October 1898-1900)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
The “fake” beggar. [August 22, 1900]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275590. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. The “fake” beggar. [22 Aug. 1900]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275590.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1900, August 22]. The “fake” beggar.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275590.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
