The 289th trust

President Roosevelt rests on his “my policies” big stick as “trust” men dance around him. Roosevelt’s hat reads, “the presidential trust.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

“Artistic license” is a phrase that covers a multitude of sins — or opportunities — for the political cartoonist. In the profession’s bag of tricks are exaggeration, hyperbole, and even falsehoods. Some cartoonists trafficked in ad hominem attacks — unfair or vicious attacks unrelated to debate or persuasion. Usually the better cartoonists managed to make cogent statements of such, despite the lack of facts — Thomas Nast’s personal attacks on Horace Greeley are examples; Homer Davenport’s libels on Marcus Alonzo “Dollar Mark” Hanna are others. Strong graphic presentations and repetitions lent gravity to their abstractions.

Some cartoonists, however, like Edward Joseph McBride of the St. Louis Republic, could draw President Roosevelt with dollar signs on his vest, and the predictable Big Stick at his side, and putatively suggest that he was the manifestation of something called the “presidential trust.” Miniature trust icons dance in a circle around him, and the top hat might be labelled “presidential trust,” but the result was a mean-spirited virtual campaign poster that might have reinforced readers’ preferences, but not persuaded or dissuaded many.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-13

Creator(s)

McBride, Edward Joseph, 1889-

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