The man of the hour
Subject(s): Presidents--Election, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
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President Roosevelt points with his left hand as a huge shadow of William H. Taft assumes the same position.
Comments and Context
Cunningham’s drawing in the Washington Herald likely accompanied an article or editorial favorably discussing the potential Republican presidential candidate. President Roosevelt had not made a public endorsement at this time; nor had William H. Taft publicly announced his ambitions around this date. On March 16, 1908, Taft delivered a speech on industrial education as the means for advancement of black citizens in America. (It was delivered at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, Henry Ward Beecher’s pulpit for years.)
The cartoonist’s relative depictions of the sizes of Roosevelt and Taft were unlikely comments on Taft’s girth. Probably, rather, the artist meant to accompany his paper’s favorable profile of Taft.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-03-16
Creator(s)
Cunningham, Joseph Harry, 1865-1946
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:
The man of the hour. [March 16, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301715. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Cunningham, Joseph Harry, 1865-1946. The man of the hour. [16 Mar. 1908]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301715.
APA:
Cunningham, Joseph Harry, 1865-1946., [1908, March 16]. The man of the hour.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301715.
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. March 5, 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.
