He won’t let go
Subject(s): Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925, Crows, Democratic National Convention, Fables, Foxes, Political conventions, Presidents--Election
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A large crow labeled “Bryan” perches on a branch labeled “Denver Convention,” holding a slip of paper labeled “Nomination” in its beak. Sitting on the ground below is a fox labeled “Eastern Democracy.” Caption: A cleverer crow than the bird of Aesop’s fable.
Comments and Context
The story of the Fox and the Crow is one of the most popular of Aesop’s many fables, and appears to have predated Aesop by centuries. many cultures have variations of the tale and its lesson, and variations or re-tellings are famous, at the hands of La Fontaine, Martin Luther, and even DC Comics.
Many modern readers, to whom Aesop is no longer taught or shared, might think that the lesson is that the fox chatted, and fooled the crow into replying, thereby droppings its morsel of food. In the fact the “moral” throughout the centuries and societies, is not that the fox was so clever as to fool the crow into speaking, but that the bird was susceptible to flattery. In the fable, the fox repeatedly praised the crow’s beautiful voice (the first indication of false flattery) until it proudly opened it mouth to sing… and dropped the food.
This nuanced aspect was the point of J. S. Pughe’s cartoon, then: the conservative “Eastern” Democratic Party — the more conservative wing, including business interests and Wall Street Democrats that had been uncomfortable with the Populist aspects of William Jennings Bryan’s policies — was sidling up to Bryan’s inevitable candidacy.
The 1908 presidential election was close, and the nominating convention even closer, and “Eastern Democrats” were eager to assert some leverage on Bryan and his campaign.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1908-05-13
Creator(s)
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909
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:
He won’t let go. [May 13, 1908]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286108. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909. He won’t let go. [13 May. 1908]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286108.
APA:
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909., [1908, May 13]. He won’t let go.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286108.
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.
