Did it miss it’s mark?
Subject(s): Boomerangs, Newspaper editors, Politicians, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Truthfulness and falsehood
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An “infamous liars” boomerang intended for a “politician,” “newspaper editor,” and “citizen” hits President Roosevelt on the head instead. The three men say, “Deelighted!!”
Comments and Context
James Calvert Smith’s cartoon, replete with misspelling in its title, had its inspiration in the wake of the controversy surrounding alleged financial improprieties during the early days of the Panama Canal’s life. Two newspapers claimed that several “insiders” improperly profited from transactions; two of them, in these reports, were Douglas Robinson (President Roosevelt’s brother-in-law) and Charles Phelps Taft (brother of the current president-elect, William H. Taft).
The president vehemently responded, and in fact there were no substantiations of the slanders against the men. As the stories appeared late in the presidential campaign, it appears the manufactured news was politically motivated in the Democratic newspapers.
Theodore Roosevelt countered so many liars, or those whom he so identified, that he invented a mythical jail where he consigned them — the Ananias Club, named for the member of the early Church (recorded in the Book of Acts) who lied to the Disciples about his tithe offerings, and was struck dead by the Holy Spirit.
After Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World ceased its accusations against Robinson and Taft, it shifted its allegations to another aspect of Panama funds. It “caught” the president in a technicality: he claimed that French investors’ monies were returned, and the World discovered that payments were handled by J. P. Morgan. Although disbursed properly, the World made much of a shady “syndicate” and its role.
For all these exchanges, and especially the World‘s claim that Roosevelt had lied, the president bypassed the Ananias Club, and directed the government to sue Pulitzer’s publishing company for libel.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-12
Creator(s)
Smith, James Calvert, 1878-1962
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:
Did it miss it’s mark?. [December 12, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301965. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Smith, James Calvert, 1878-1962. Did it miss it’s mark?. [12 Dec. 1908]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 13, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301965.
APA:
Smith, James Calvert, 1878-1962., [1908, December 12]. Did it miss it’s mark?.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o301965.
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. February 13, 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.
