Make way for Taft!

A desk has a sign above it: “Announce yourself NOT a candidate here without a delay.” Below are two papers: “Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination. Signed, Theodore Roosevelt” and “I have not been a candidate for anything but the confidence of the people. xxxx George B. Cortelyou.” There is a map of North and South America, a telephone, and several books, including “Bears I have met,” “Santiago and way stations,” and “More bears.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Harold R. Coffman, later one of William Randolph Hearst’s “relief pitchers” on his chain’s art staffs, illustrating features and drawing occasional editorial cartoons in place of Winsor McCay, contributed clever elements to this drawing. “Make Way For Taft!” managed to say much about the breaking news story without picturing a single figure.

The cartoon appeared on the very day President Roosevelt issued a statement that rocked the political world: he declared, once and for all, that he under no circumstances would accept the re-nomination of the Republican Party in 1908. Once made, oft implied, now definitive. Roosevelt referred to the language of election night, 1904, seen on the paper that is “spiked.”

Another spiked statement is from presidential aspirant George B. Cortelyou, who had served as secretary of two cabinet departments under Roosevelt, and recently shepherded the administration’s response to the Wall Street Panic. Other elements in the cartoon are almost nostalgic remnants of Roosevelt’s presidency — the map of the Western Hemisphere, with a dotted line indicating the sea route that would be shortened by the Panama Canal, books on Cuba and on bears, and — ironically prescient — a miniature rack of moose antlers on his desk, meant to evoke Roosevelt’s hunting activities, but foreshadowing the Bull Moose Party for years in the future.

Coffman extrapolated from Roosevelt’s statement about his own political future, and the implication about the future of the rivals to William H. Taft (Roosevelt’s clear choice as successor) — inventing a threatening post for the other Republicans, besides Cortelyou, to heed. As the cartoon’s title said, “Make Way For Taft!”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-21

Creator(s)

Coffman, Harold R. (Harold Roberto), 1883-1955

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