Resolutions that might be made, but won’t!

Various men hold up resolutions. John D. Rockefeller holds a can of “Standard Oil” can and a paper that reads “Resolved that I’ll still do business in Missouri. John D.” President Roosevelt holds his big stick and a paper that reads “Resolved that I’ll abandon the Ananias Club.” President-elect William H. Taft reads a “my policies” pamphlet. Caption: Taft might forget Roosevelt. Herbert S. Hadley sits on top of a goblet with “the lid” and holds a paper that reads “Resolved that I will take off the lid. Hadley.” Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon smokes a “gag rule” cigar. Caption: Cannon must swear off using the same old brand. Andrew Carnegie holds a paper that reads, “Resolved that I’ll refuse to reveal any more secrets of the steel trust. Carnegie.” Arthur N. Sager holds a paper that reads, “Resolved that I’ll absolutely refuse to run for mayor.”

Comments and Context

Edward McBride’s cartoon in the reliably, and highly partisan Democrat, newspaper the St. Louis Republic features seven prominent figures referring to major news stories, disputes, and scandals. Rather than attacking the figures or seeking to persuade readers, the cartoon’s publication date reveals that it simply was a humorous treatment of New Year’s resolutions.

It then was common, and to an extent still is among political commentators and cartoonists to exploit holidays for their thematic preoccupations– in fact, sorts of holidays for themselves. The humorous New Year’s resolutions (or, sometimes, “the Millennium has come!”) presented an opportunity to show prominent figures doing things opposite of their normal pursuits.

In Edward McBride’s cartoon, for instance, John D. Rockefeller commits to do business in Missouri, where he recently been on trial, and convicted, of more than a thousand offenses as Standard Oil’s president. President-Elect Taft had been obliged to run on “My Policies,” widely acknowledged as Roosevelt’s orders; McBride has a fantasy that Taft will be his own man in the new year. Arthur N. Sager was a circuit lawyer and state official, originally allied with Governor Joseph Folk, but then a Republican eventually allied with Folk’s successor Herbert Hadley. In 1914 Sager ran for the United States Senate from Missouri on the Progressive ticket. Politically ambitious, he flirted with a possible St. Louis mayoralty candidacy several times.     

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-28

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