What is going on in Washington

President Roosevelt rushes toward William H. Taft. On the ground are several books: “Time Tables: Steamers to Africa,” “Catalog: Guns, ammunition, and type writer supplies,” and a children’s book that shows a kangaroo for the letter “K” and a lion for the letter “L.” Caption: “W. H. Taft, who formerly worked for Mr. Theodore Roosevelt of this place, made a call upon his old employer to-day. Mr. Taft is now in business for himself and contemplates returning to Washington. Mr. Roosevelt was delighted to hear he is doing well.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Three weeks before election day, President Roosevelt welcomes his chosen successor William H. Taft back to Washington in this cartoon by Ralph Wilder of Chicago Record-Herald. If there are deeper messages in the cartoon, they are not very deep, but more about journalism and cartooning history than about the politics of the situation.

Roosevelt had much invested in Taft. He picked his old friend and cabinet member from among a small host of hopefuls and aspirants in the Republican Party. Taft was not the grass-roots favorite, but was soon accepted, particularly with Roosevelt’s machinations, and he dutifully boosted the president’s policies as his own. As a candidate, however, Taft was lackluster, and the president was not alone to worry about his assertiveness. But a late-summer campaign swing impressed the party faithful, and Roosevelt welcomed the “new” Taft in a way the cartoon illustrates.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-18

Creator(s)

Wilder, Ralph, 1875-1924

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