Kite time

President Roosevelt sits on a fence on a hill, flying a kite labeled “Popularity.” Below are several potential Democratic presidential candidates, all of whom are having difficulty flying their kites. From left to right are William Jennings Bryan labeled “W.J.B.” holding a bellows labeled “Moral Issue” and blowing on his tattered kite labeled “1896” and “1900” with ribbons on the tail labeled “Free Silver, Populism, Anti-imperialism, [and] Free Riot.” Next is David B. Hill holding a kite labeled “Parker Boom,” then Charles Francis Murphy holding a kite under his arm labeled “McClellan Boom,” followed by Grover Cleveland, then Richard Olney holding the string to a kite labeled “Past Record” lying on the ground, with ribbons labeled “1884” and “1892,” “Tariff Reform, Independent Vote, [and] Personal Popularity,” and then Arthur P. Gorman whose kite is tangled on a tree branch labeled “Panama Blunder.” In the center is a little yellow child labeled “Willie” who is all tangled up in his own kite string. The kite, lying on the ground, is labeled “Yellow Journalism” and the string spells “McKinley Slanders.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon is a simple and accurate portrayal of the political situation as the United States entered the presidential campaign of 1904. The Democratic field was divided among several weak candidates, and harbored a fear that a third nomination of William Jennings Bryan would result in a third substantial defeat at the polls. And President Roosevelt, as the incumbent, seemed sure of victory as enjoyed widespread popularity in the country and could boast of many policy victories.

A key to the Democratic figures will explain the nature of the potential candidates and their status as nominating conventions approached.

William Jennings Bryan’s kite is tagged with his policy weaknesses (as seen by Puck) and his failures. The label on the bellows, “Moral Issue,” sarcastically refers to his insistence in the face of waning support that his agenda was comprised not only of political planks but essential, even insistent, moral issues that could not be ignored. (Ignored they largely were to be, as he was denied the Democratic nomination at the upcoming convention.)

The intra-party rivalry in the New York Democratic Party is illustrated by the struggle shown between the perennial leader David B. Hill (who sublimated his own ambitions in 1904 to back Judge Alton B. Parker, the eventual nominee) and Tammany Hall boss Charles Murphy, whose candidate was the new mayor New York City, George McClelland.

Richard Olney, President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of State in the mid-1890s — and possessor of shifting policy positions and variable presidential ambitions himself — is depicted as urging Cleveland to make a fourth run for a third presidential term. Cleveland, the only confident Democrat in the cartoon, is too wise to be tempted. In fact, he renounced a possible draft before the convention. His many accomplishments as president, in the eyes of Puck and, generally, the country, are shown as many tails on his kite.

Senator Arthur P. Gorman of Maryland, chairman of the party and another perennial presidential aspirant, is shown with his kite string tangled on a branch labeled “Panama Blunder,” a reference to his criticism of President Roosevelt’s decisive moves to recognize the new republic and swiftly negotiate a canal deal. His opposition was regarded as political opportunism, but the country generally approved Roosevelt’s actions.

The figure of William Randolph Hearst is interesting for several reasons. The newspaper publisher, a one-term congressman, was at the time a radical force, a supporter of many positions held by Bryan, including free silver. At the convention was the recipient of vestigial Bryan delegates, and in fact was the runner-up in floor votes. Hearst, who in his long career evolved into an advocate of consistently conservative views via his dozens of newspapers, is pictured as the Yellow Kid. This was a character that appeared in the papers of Hearst and his rival Joseph Pulitzer in the mid-1890s during circulation wars. The Yellow Kid is regarded as the first successful comic strip. The string on his kite “McKinley Slanders” refers to the charge that extreme opposition to President William McKinley in his papers — including a poem that hinted at McKinley’s likelihood a of being assassinated, reportedly written by Ambrose Bierce — incited the anarchist Leon Czolgosz to murder the president.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1904-04-06

Creator(s)

Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909

Period

U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)

Repository

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Page Count

1

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation