Who’s next for U.S. Attorney?

President Roosevelt crosses out names for the appointment of the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, as a number of men, including Francis J. Heney, Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, Oregon Senator Jonathan Bourne, and Senator Charles William Fulton, look on.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Harry Daniel Murphy, the most modest of political cartoonists (at this stage of career he signed his with almost microscopic initials, compensating with huge, flourishing signatures when he drew for Los Angeles newspapers) correctly depicted the position of President Roosevelt regarding the United States Attorney position in the Eastern Oregon office in 1908.

There were many interested parties, and, seemingly, an equal or greater number of overbearing advocates and detractors. The president, always scrupulous, waded through reports and recommendations, as well as accusations and actual scandals.

Before a distraught, perspiring Roosevelt is a scroll with possible appointees… and the major names who opposed them. Roosevelt’s new Attorney General (formerly Secretary of the Navy), Charles J. Bonaparte, opposed the nomination of William C. Bristol (as did Senator Charles William Fulton, who himself was convicted of land fraud and bribery). John Hall, president of the state Senate, was indicted in 1908, and would have been an unfortunate nominee as U.S. District Attorney. It was the crusading attorney Francis J. Heney who was Hall’s strongest detractor in Roosevelt’s ear. Senator Fulton also objected to Christian Schuebel, a corrupt state senator. Roosevelt himself, however, was convinced that Fulton was dishonest before courts found him so, and was therefore disinclined to even accept his advice [as per a letter of August 7, 1906, from Roosevelt to Attorney General William Moody, discussing the tangle of corruption among Oregon politicians].

In the end, President Roosevelt virtually uttered “a pox on all your houses,” and nominated John McCourt on March 17, 1908. He served until the Democrats took the presidency in 1913, and later served on the Oregon Supreme Court.

Murphy depicted Roosevelt’s mood and frustration accurately, and despite relying on photographic portraits, the attitudes of the politicos who were bees in his bonnet likely matched their public personas.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02

Creator(s)

Murphy, Harry Daniel, 1880-1973

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