“The crowded hour”

President Roosevelt sits with a Nobel Peace Prize in his hand as gramophones shout the words, “Coal Famine,” “Car Shortage,” and “Negro Troop Ques” at him. There is a stick labeled “The Big Stick” across one of his legs and two typewriters with long papers labeled “Message” at the end.

comments and context

Comments and Context

C. R. Macauley was the political cartoon for Joseph Pulitzer’s Morning World in New York City, for decades regarded as the semi-official organ of the national Democratic Party. Macauley himself, in fact, was hired to be the official cartoonist of the Democratic Party in 1912 (at the time is was a practice for political parties to supply cartoons to newspapers around the country, if, perhaps their budgets forbade their own hires.

On the surface, Macauley’s cartoon seems critical of President Roosevelt. He is not depicted in a flattering manner, but the cartoon is more observational than critical. The year 1906 had been one of the most intense in public arenas that observers could remember — a plethora of new and radical laws and regulations; scandals; investigations and exposes (it was the high-water mark of Muckraking revelations); social progress; midterm elections, and various non-political controversies. Yet, when many presidents might have taken a year-end respite, the president was busier than ever.

Roosevelt sent a great number of messages and proclamations to Congress; wrote articles that were published in various magazines; publicly advocated for new reform measures.

The public, and cartoonists, could be forgiven for thinking that Macauley’s drawing was closer to reality than caricature in the last week of 1906.

“Crowded Hour” today is largely associated with Theodore Roosevelt — his description of the triumphal day in combat in the Cuban campaign; and the title of his daughter Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s autobiography. But the phrase preceded the Roosevelts and even Sir Walter Scott who, because he borrowed it in one of his famous poems, sometimes is credited. But the phrase had its birth in the poem “The Call,” by Thomas Osbert Mordaunt (1730-1809). Written during the Seven Years’ War of 1756-1763, the stanza reads:

“Sound, sound the clarion! Fill the fife! / Throughout the sensual world proclaim, / One crowded hours of glorious life / Is worth an age without a name.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-22

Creator(s)

Macauley, C. R. (Charles Raymond), 1871-1934

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