Awaiting the “third party”
Subject(s): Democratic donkey (Symbolic character), Democratic Party (U.S.), Porches, Republican elephant (Symbolic character), Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ), Rest homes, Storks, Third parties (Law)
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The “Democratic Party” donkey and the “Republican Party” elephant sit on a porch. A stork carrying a bag labeled “Dr. Stork” is coming around the corner of the building. Caption: Will it be an elephass or a jackaphant?
Comments and Context
A mid-summer cartoon — Puck almost palpably enjoyed a few weeks of politics, scandals, and muckraking on hiatus — addressing, with added humor, common speculation that the two political parties were growing similar to each other, or perhaps switching their identities.
President Roosevelt had dragged the Republican Party in the direction of reform, thereby producing a generation of reformers. Some of the new ideas reminded cynical politics-watchers of old Populist prescriptions, just dusted off a bit. The public was happy with this evolution, even if older senators — happy to call themselves Stand-Pat Republicans — were not.
On the other side of the aisle, the Democratic Party, at least in Congress, continued in its reformist mode; however in 1904 its presidential candidate and platform were conservative. That candidate, Judge Alton B. Parker, was the titular leader of the party, and former President Grover Cleveland, a conservative, was the respected senior member.
A realignment of the parties surely was a legitimate topic of debate — and cartoons — but few could have dreamed that an actual third party would be born almost precisely six years in the future, and beat the Republican Party in a presidential contest.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1906-08-08
Creator(s)
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
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:
Awaiting the “third party”. [August 8, 1906]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278563. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. Awaiting the “third party”. [8 Aug. 1906]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278563.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1906, August 8]. Awaiting the “third party”.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278563.
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. February 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.
