Substance and shadow!

Uncle Sam puts his hand on William H. Taft and a shadow of William Jennings Bryan.

comments and context

Comments and Context

In the 1908 presidential campaign, the Brooklyn Eagle was friendlier to the Republican Party than it was previously or subsequently. Like many Democrat-leaning newspapers (or, sometimes, traditionally partisan journals) it simply could not endorse William Jennings Bryan, despite his trademark policy prescriptions having mellowed somewhat.

In a virtual campaign poster, cartoonist Nelson Harding engaged in a hyperbolic endorsement of the Republican candidate William H. Taft. Besides being drawn flatteringly, Taft’s image lost many pounds and shed several chins. Bryan, on the other hand, was shown by his silhouette in an anxious pose, unkempt and hirsute.

It is ironic that Harding kept, as it were, Bryan in the shadows. The Democrat beat the hustings, as was his practice in previous runs for the White House, in 1896 and 1904. He loved retail campaigning, frequently mixed with crowds, and was an inveterate speaker. It was, after all, one speech — his “Cross of Gold” address as a 36-year-old congressman at the Democratic National Convention in 1896 — that put him and his stentorian voice on the political map.

Taft, contrary to Harding’s characterization, and in a mirror-opposite role vis a vis Bryan in real life, was for most of the campaign a “shadow” candidate. He had been a somewhat reluctant candidate for the presidency; his career had consisted of service on the bench and in the cabinet, never as an elected official; and he was too genial to be combative, even a happy warrior like Roosevelt and Bryan. He mostly remained “in the shadows.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-02

Creator(s)

Harding, Nelson, -1944

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