The political vaudeville
Subject(s): Coal miners, Corruption, Labor leaders, Miners--Labor unions, Pennsylvania, Strikes and lockouts--Miners, Vaudeville
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The union organizer (known in the day as a “walking delegate”) for the Pennsylvania coal miners does a song and dance on a stage for the benefit of striking coal miners. Lurking in the shadows is a man labeled “Manager Jones.” Caption: The walking delegate in his latest popular song, — “No matter what happens, I’m always on top.”
Comments and Context
Mary “Mother” Jones and her husband George had been active in labor organizing and radical politics when, in 1900, they became active in the coal fields of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. She was employed for a time by the United Mine Workers, who were leaders two years subsequent to this cartoon, in the crippling strikes where President Theodore Roosevelt broke precedent and intervened, mediating between mine owners and workers. A feature of the nascent labor movement since the 1880s was the “Walking Delegate,” either a union organizer or union representative — frequently portrayed by opponents (and many cartoonists) as a corrupt, selfish, and arrogant provocateur who bilked laborers as much as fighting corporate forces.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1900-10-24
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 political vaudeville. [October 24, 1900]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275674. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. The political vaudeville. [24 Oct. 1900]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275674.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1900, October 24]. The political vaudeville.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275674.
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 12, 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.
