The nation’s chef

President Roosevelt holds “relief sauce” in his right hand and wears a belt with a buckle that says, “In God we trust.” Behind him is “confidence pudding” with steam that says, “for everybody.” In the background is a turkey labeled “bank deposits” that says, “saved.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Joseph Harry Cunningham utilized the Thanksgiving holiday to find a theme for a political cartoon, and a vehicle for an entire menu of attacks on President Roosevelt. Besides the Thanksgiving holiday, in 1907 this was a season of economic distress and uncertainty — even panic, as the Wall Street bank failures and stock-market losses collectively were called.

The president is portrayed as the chef, on whose menu is a hot dessert of “Confidence,” presuming a pandering dish with “relief” as an ingredient, presumably the twenty-five million dollars the federal government infused into economy to assuage the financial collapse (a token in today’s dollars; and, ultimately of little effect against the scope of the panic).

Cunningham even imputes a political motive to Roosevelt’s action, as per the presidential bee — a possible third term — on his shoulder. In a final ad hominem attack, Cunningham outfits Chef Roosevelt with a belt bucket bearing the legend “In God We Trust,” a reference to the recent controversy wherein the president unsuccessfully ordered the motto off coinage, declaring it blasphemous. Congress passed a resolution supporting the motto’s retention.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-28

Creator(s)

Cunningham, Joseph Harry, 1865-1946

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