Boys, I stand pat on this decision!
Subject(s): Cannon, Joseph Gurney, 1836-1926, Cortelyou, George B. (George Bruce), 1862-1940, Fairbanks, Charles W. (Charles Warren), 1852-1918, Foraker, Joseph Benson, 1846-1917, Hughes, Charles Evans, 1862-1948, Knox, Philander C. (Philander Chase), 1853-1921, Presidents--Term of office, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
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President Roosevelt holds up a note that reads, “Under no circumstances will I again be a candidate for the presidency. T. Roosevelt. Election night 1904.” He says to a group of men, “Boys, I stand pat on this decision!” The men, who include Secretary of War William H. Taft, Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon, Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks, Secretary of the Treasury, Philander C. Knox, New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes, and Ohio Senator Joseph Benson Foraker, all responded approvingly.
Comments and Context
On the day that President Roosevelt issued a statement repeating, but with finality, his decision of 1904 not to succeed himself in 1908, cartoonist Clifford Kennedy Berryman suggests that the declaration was more for the Republican aspirants than the general public.
In a sense that was the situation, although surely a great number of citizens were disappointed. Roosevelt had won the presidency “in his own right” in 1904, and refused to budge on the promise to not run again. Despite his declination, “Roosevelt clubs” existed all over the United States; ordinary citizens, many newspapers, and a number of loyal politicians hoped he would run again.
Berryman affixed photographic likenesses to cartoon bodies as he gauged the delight among the field of hopefuls. Of course Secretary of war William H. Taft knew he was the favored successor, and so did the rivals.
The cartoonist contributed a clever inside joke to the illustrated news item — several of the putative candidates were less reform-minded than Roosevelt and Taft and called themselves “Stand-Patters.” So Berryman has fun with putting words in the president’s mouth: “I stand pat on this decision!”
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-12-12
Creator(s)
Berryman, Clifford Kennedy, 1869-1949
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Page Count
1
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Boys, I stand pat on this decision!. [December 12, 1907]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301680. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Berryman, Clifford Kennedy, 1869-1949. Boys, I stand pat on this decision!. [12 Dec. 1907]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. August 3, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301680.
APA:
Berryman, Clifford Kennedy, 1869-1949., [1907, December 12]. Boys, I stand pat on this decision!.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301680.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. August 3, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
