The Republican hare and the Democratic tortoise
Subject(s): Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925, Presidents--Elections, Rabbits, Racing, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930, Turtles
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A turtle with the face of William Jennings Bryan is racing a rabbit with the face of William H. Taft. Caption: The Tortoise — If that chap only goes to sleep, I’ll win out by a mile.
Comments and Context
Few observers of the American political scene in 1908 expected the Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan to win the election over Republican William H. Taft for the open seat in the White House. In 1904 the “Solid South” was broken, with Missouri breaking its long-term ranks and swinging in line for the Republicans.
In fact, Bryan’s third attempt at the presidency was not as big a loss as his first two, not Judge Parker’s disastrous showing again President Roosevelt in 1904.
Cartoonist L. M. Glackens, in Puck, appears to have granted some credence to the fantasies — of fables — of Democratic optimists. Few people believed that Aesop was a seer, in this allegory anyway, but Democrats obviously wished that Taft’s presumed lead was ephemeral, or that Republicans would commit an error.
Glackens’s cartoon was somewhat different in style than his usual. Perhaps because it was a cover design, it manifests graphics aspects of poster designs of the era: thick outlines and broad, flat colors. Despite granting the Democrats some reason to hope, by its theme, Glackens nevertheless depicted Bryan as morose, and Taft as genial. The sedentary Taft is also caricatured as sprightly — not his style — and the peripatetic Bryan as slow and plodding.
True to nature, if not Aesop, Taft won the election handily.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1908-07-08
Creator(s)
Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933
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:
The Republican hare and the Democratic tortoise. [July 8, 1908]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286135. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933. The Republican hare and the Democratic tortoise. [8 Jul. 1908]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. April 2, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286135.
APA:
Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933., [1908, July 8]. The Republican hare and the Democratic tortoise.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o286135.
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. April 2, 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.
