An unexpected challenge
Subject(s): Douglas, William Lewis, 1845-1924, Free trade--Protection, Gladiators, Governors, Massachusetts, Monsters, Reform movement, Tariff, Trusts, Industrial
Click on image to zoom in
The newly elected Democratic governor of Massachusetts, William L. Douglas, appears as a gladiator holding a sword labeled “Popular Approval” and a shield showing the Seal of the State of Massachusetts. In the arena, he faces a dragon with the head of a bull and fashioned out of industrial parts labeled “Leather Trust, Flour Trust, Beet Trust, Steel Trust, Cotton Trust, Tobacco Trust, Oil Trust, Woolen Goods, Iron, Copper, Steel, [and] Glass.” The dragon’s back and tail are labeled “Monopoly” and “High Protective Tariff.” On the ground between its front legs is a woman labeled “Fair Trade.” Standing in the audience are Republicans O. H. Platt, Henry C. Lodge, Nelson W. Aldrich, Nathan B. Scott, John C. Spooner, and Redfield Proctor.
Comments and Context
An interesting figure in American politics was William Lewis Douglas. He was a prominent shoe manufacturer in Massachusetts, a state known for that product. He was friendly to unions (but a foe of socialism); a staunch opponent of monopolies (as depicted in Pughe’s cartoon, where he challenges the Trust Monster); and an advocate of free trade with Canada (if for no other reason that his business bought hides and coal from the neighbors to the north). He pioneered the concept of manufacturer-owned retails outlets, growing W. L. Douglas Shoe Stores to 60 across America at their busiest.
Claiming inspiration from P. T. Barnum, Douglas festooned his likeness of every show, and every advertisement… of which there were many. Puck and dozens of other magazine ran W. L. Douglas Shoe ads, with his face more prominent than shoes themselves, every week or month, for years. “$3.50 Union-Made” Douglas was, therefore, a familiar face to Massachusetts voters — and Puck readers — long before he ran for governor.
Douglas was overwhelmingly elected as a Democrat despite the substantial Roosevelt wave. That he declined any more one-year terms was, reportedly, because opponents uncovered (but agreed to keep secret) the allegation that he was a deserter from the Union Army in the Civil War.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1904-12-14
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
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:
An unexpected challenge. [December 14, 1904]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278058. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909. An unexpected challenge. [14 Dec. 1904]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278058.
APA:
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909., [1904, December 14]. An unexpected challenge.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278058.
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.
