Pictorial passing review

In one circle, President Roosevelt holds a box labeled, “Nobel Peace Prize.” In another, Andrew Carnegie cuts a paper labeled “Inheritance” that is divided in half. One side reads, “This piece is for the children,” and the other reads, “This piece is to be returned to the ‘community.'” In the last circle, Henry Watterson faces Roosevelt and holds a bag with a tag, “To Europe,” and a paper sticking out that says “T.R. is all right.” Two men are outside the circles with a paper that says, “We got ours,” while a government clerk looks through a telescope at the number “20%.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

This genre cartoon by Jack H. Smith was typical of drawings many newspapers and magazines produced at the time — weekly or monthly pictorial round-ups of recent news events; not commentary or advocacy, but summaries.

Smith’s unfortunately imprecise conceptions again challenge readers of this drawing. President Roosevelt had indeed received the Nobel Prize for Peace (months after the award’s announcement) at this time; Andrew Carnegie, possibly the world’s richest man after selling his steel businesses to J. P. Morgan, announced that he would donate all of his fortune, except for nominal inheritances, to charity and various causes; and aspirants for the 1908 presidential nomination learned of Roosevelt’s firm intention to back another Republican, Secretary of War William H. Taft. Why Smith would depict them smiling is an example of the limited talents he employed.

“Marse” Henry Watterson — the nickname was derived from a stereotypical slave’s dialect pronunciation of “Master” — was one of the South’s most prominent publishers and editorialists between the Civil War and World War I. From his desk at the Louisville Courier-Journal he exerted strong influence over national Democrat policies, despite differences with Presidents Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson. He predictably sparred with Roosevelt, too, but the compliment in his suitcase likely refers to well-wishes the president sent to a 200-person dinner at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria as Watterson prepared to depart on a trip to Europe.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Creator(s)

Smith, Jack H., -1935

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

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