Halloween pranks in politics

President Roosevelt holds a candle as he steps outside in the darkness dressed in his pajamas and slippers. The outline of two people can be seen in the distance along with a small circle labeled “3rd term.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Kirk L. Russell, the successor of Clifford Kennedy Berryman on The Washington Post, seized upon Halloween to discover one more way to utilize the topic of President Roosevelt’s possible third term, a favorite and easy target of cartoonists.

Cartoonists like Russell, however, fanned such flames but did not start the fires. Roosevelt was very popular with the public and, by consensus, would have been assured of reelection in 1908. Politicians of both parties, supporters and opponents alike, were vitally interested in the president’s decision. So were the group of presidential aspirants including William H. Taft, Roosevelt’s own preferred choice.

Newspapermen, including political cartoonists, followed public curiosity, while exacerbating the continuing rounds of speculation. In truth, as seen in Roosevelt’s personal correspondence of the time, he was beginning to question the relative strength of a Taft “boom,” because of Taft’s lassitude, and the activities of intra-party rivals. He revealed himself to be almost philosophical about the eventuality of another candidate, for instance, Governor Charles Evans Hughes of New York.

The cartoonist likely kept the third-term pranksters in anonymous silhouettes, because the mischief makers easily could have been from any faction of the Republican party, or opinion leaders across the country.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-30

Creator(s)

Russell, Kirk L., 1873-1934

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