Face-feeding campaign against Teddy

A large President Roosevelt has several small men jumping on his top hat: “Chancellor Day,” “Justice Brewer,” and “Ex-Senator Spooner.” “Wall Street’ collapsed on the brim of his hat and says, “I’m ‘most dead!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

This clever cartoon from the political-cartoon phase of A. D. Condo’s long career displays a seldom-recognized aspect of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, specifically concerning the possibility that he might have yielded to public pressure and accepted another nomination in 1908.

Roosevelt was resolute in his decision not to accept the nomination. He was barely fifty years of age, and had more life to live (especially, one suspects, his avidly planned African safari, to commence soon after leaving office). The majority of the public, by accounts, and many politicians were similarly resolute in urging his reconsideration.

Condo, however, highlighted on of the most active parties to the discussion: reactionary politicians and robber barons of industry who were desperate to end the Roosevelt Era and its reforms.

To these people — “malefactors of great wealth,” and other bearers of the president’s trademark epithets — Roosevelt was impervious. In fact, as Condo drew, he likely took joy in exciting the ire of such opponents.

Condo drew political cartoons for the Cleveland Press; and they were distributed around the country by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. He drew comic strips like Mr. Skygack From Mars, one of the early science-fiction strips; Diana Dillpickles; Osgar and Adolf; and the popular, long-running Outbursts of Everett True, about life’s everyday annoyances, vented by the eponymous hero. That feature continued until 1946.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11

Creator(s)

Condo, A. D.

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