Bumping the bumps

President Roosevelt wears his “imperialism” crown and holds his “big stick” as he bounces down the bumps labelled “liars,” “Secret Service,” and “Tillman” of the “Sixtieth Congress.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

One of James Calvert Smith’s virtual farewell drawings (the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt had about six weeks remaining) was almost a textbook example of an ad hominem attack cartoon.

“Bumping the Bumps” was presented as a summary of the previous months, and addressed the relations between the White House and Congress. The “Imperialism” crown is a gratuitous criticism; few of the controversies with the Sixtieth Congress had anything to do with foreign affairs or new American oversea possessions.

“Liar” was an epithet that was exchanged between Roosevelt and Congress with frequency as his days in office waned.

The Secret Service dispute was prolonged and messy but in fact largely was neutralized by July’s establishment, without much fanfare, of a special investigations unit formed in the Justice Department — and it was that squad, not the Secret Service, that evolved into the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Roosevelt’s dispute with Senator Benjamin R. Tillman resulted in the exposure of his shady land dealings, which soon effectively silenced his vendetta against the president and his proposal to expand the Secret Service’s scope.

Smith’s cartoon notwithstanding, when this cartoon was published, public opinion generally supported the president on matters relating to all three “bumps.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-18

Creator(s)

Smith, James Calvert, 1878-1962

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