Making the dirt fly

President Roosevelt stands in mud labeled “Panama Ananias Cut” as he throws dirt on William MacKay Laffan and Delavan Smith.” Meanwhile, Joseph Pulitzer hides behind a rock and holds up a paper: “World–‘Never touched me!’ J. Pulitzer.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The artistic and conceptual inconsistencies of W. A. Rogers and his cartoons have prevented researchers from tracking history through his cartoons, except as a trail of variable partisanship. One of his most famous cartoons, for instance, living through reprints in many articles and history texts, depicts a giant Theodore Roosevelt with a shovel, digging through the Isthmus of Panama; he looks dignified and noble. The drawing has the similitude of endorsement. But a close examination of s small detail reveals that the cartoonist showed dirt being piled upon Nicaragua, which the United States had decided against as it planned a path between the seas.

In this cartoon the opposite representations apply, and strangely. Three newspapers during late 1908 had claimed — falsely, as it soon developed — that several parties had profited illicitly from Panamanian negotiations. Two of them were Douglas Robinson, President Roosevelt’s brother-in-law, and Charles Taft, brother of Republican presidential nominee William H. Taft.

The newspapers were Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World; the Indianapolis News, owned by Delavan Smith; and the New York Sun, edited by William MacKay Laffan. All three were Democratic papers. Roosevelt was incensed by the reports that questioned his probity as well as the other men’s honesty. 

The Sun and, especially, the World were the newspapers that Roosevelt fought during most of his career, on matters of false news, manufactured quotations, and biased reporting. The good reputations today of Pulitzer and the World were arguably abetted by Pulitzer’s endowments of the Columbia School of Journalism and the Pulitzer Prize after his death in 1911; and the excellent newspaper that the World was when it changed its spots in the 1920s. But since the 1890s the World was known for sensationalism and “Yellow Journalism.”

When Pulitzer learned from his editor Frank Irving Cobb that there was no substantiation of the reports about Robinson and Taft, he flew into a rage and a tortured apology — yet continued to imply that monies were diverted in the Canal business. This allowed Rogers, in his cartoon, to picture Pulitzer at a distance, claiming [Roosevelt] never touched me.”

On the contrary, the president soon directed his Department of Justice to file a libel suit against Pulitzer’s Press Publishing Company.

The two other journalistic offenders continued their calumny, and Roosevelt, typically, responded with broadside attacks, defense, and public opprobrium.

What is, perhaps, unusual about Rogers’s cartoon, especially compared to his more famous cartoon of Roosevelt digging through the Isthmus, is that in this case, truth (about Robinson and Taft) was on his side; yet he is depicted vicious and mean-faced, knee deep in mire. And the newspapermen who trafficked in lies, are drawn in swallow-tail suits, seemingly innocent and dignified.

The New York Herald, which printed this cartoon was, however, also a Democratic journal; and despite not leading the charges with false accusations, evidently was happy enough to contribute to the atmosphere of scandal.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-10

Creator(s)

Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931

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