Cats

President Roosevelt holds his blunderbuss labeled “announcement of hunting plans for 1909” in his hand as he stands on a dead “third term talk” cat. William H. Taft rushes toward him and says, “Again?”

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Comments and Context

Despite President Roosevelt’s declaration in 1904 that he would not seek another consecutive presidential term; and pointed hints and statements to that effect; and his rather open support of William H. Taft as his successor, speculation (and hopes) persisted that the president would change his mind. . .or would be forced to change his mind by an enthusiastic nominating convention in 1908.

Inside of a “Taft boom” barrel sits a “third term” cat with a “popular demand” brick tied to it. Roosevelt holds up a big stick to swing at the cat.

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Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

President Roosevelt holds a newspaper that reads, “Roosevelt the people’s choice. Probability that the Chicago convention will stampede to him,” as he pets a “third term” cat. Roosevelt says, “That’s a good pussy–now go ‘way and leave me alone.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

There are two smiles in this cartoon by Joseph Harry Cunningham, and it is probably intentionally challenging to discern whether the cat or President Roosevelt bears a stronger resemblance to the famous Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

President Roosevelt looks at a “Panama discussion” cat with the face of Colombian president Rafael Reyes that has a pile of papers entitled “canal settlement” tied to its neck.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-30

Theodore Roosevelt drowns a cat labeled “Anti-Third Term Principle.” In the next scene, the cat has appeared, grinning, in front of his office door.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-03

Richard Croker is pictured as a large dog standing over a smaller dog labeled “New York Police.” They are looking at a cat with its back, labeled “Investigation,” arched and tail raised, and wearing a ribbon labeled “New York Senate.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-03-28

A cat labeled “The Consumer” sits on the steps to the U.S. Capitol where a sign has been posted stating “Out of Town for the Summer Republican Congress.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1910-08-03

A young boy and a large firecracker are locked into stocks labeled “Safe and Sane 4th” with many dogs and cats dancing around them.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1910-06-29

In the “Grand National Congressional Theatre” the performance of “Fair Promise Combination No. 47 – Great Reform Bill – Act I Tariff Reform – Act II Civil Service Reform – Act III Internal Revenue Reform” is concluding. The audience is pelting the cast with cats, eggs, onions, turnips, and other vegetables and fruits. Among those on stage are David Davis, Thomas W. Ferry, George M. Robeson, Jay A. Hubbell, Frank Hiscock, Horace F. Page, and William Mahone.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-02-28

Chester Alan Arthur is a cat, with the spout labeled “‘Soap’ Campaign 1880,” that has broken off a pitcher, around his neck. The pitcher labeled “N. Y. Ward Politics” lies on the ground nearby. James Gillespie Blaine is a dog sitting in front of a doghouse, chained to a weight labeled “Mulligan Disgrace.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-05-28

William Jennings Bryan offers a bowl of “Anti-Injunction Cream” and William H. Taft offers a sprig of “Anti-Injunction Catnip” to a cat labeled “Labor Vote” that has the face of Samuel Gompers. Bryan and Taft are dressed as children learning how to get along with cats without getting scratched. Includes eight lines of verse.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Samuel Gompers, the founder of the American Federation of Labor and immigrant (British, born Shmuel Gumpertz) cigar-maker, prodded his movement to be more and more politically active, especially in 1906 when a list of legislative reforms was presented to Congress. None was adopted, but Gompers had his hearings, and the AFL was marked as a player in electoral contests, not only in labor or union disputes.

Illustration shows Theodore Roosevelt delivering a jolt of electric current through wires spelling “Presidential Message” to two cats labeled “House” and “Senate” asleep on a wall. Caption: Before and after the current is turned on.

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Comments and Context

The cartoon of Frank A. Nankivell, illustrating the effect of President Roosevelt’s challenges to Congress, is a play on the popular and ghastly rodenticide of the day, “Rough on Rats.” That product was simple arsenic powder cut with coal dust to provide color, and it was likely that neither Roosevelt nor Nankivell wanted to go that far in insinuation.

A white cat wearing a bow labeled “Nomination” is being courted by other cats who represent potential candidates in the upcoming presidential election. Two other cats peer over walls in the background. Those depicted are Philander C. Knox, Leslie M. Shaw, Charles Evans Hughes, Charles W. Fairbanks, William H. Taft, Joseph Gurney Cannon, Joseph Benson Foraker, and George B. Cortelyou. In the background are Timothy L. Woodruff and Albert J. Beveridge.

comments and context

Comments and Context

As the mid-summer Republican presidential nominating convention drew closer, Puck magazine seemed ever more determined to start a cat-fight between politicians who might otherwise have harbored White House ambitions. But President Roosevelt, having disclaimed interest in succeeding himself in 1908 — and wanting at all costs to secure the nomination for Secretary of War William H. Taft, and avert intraparty squabbles — managed to frustrate any potential rivals to Taft.

The battle of Pelusium is depicted, with the Persians identified as having “Vested Interests” belonging to a “Wall Street Syndicate” or a “Railroad Trust,” throwing cats labeled “Small Stock Holder, Small Investor, Widow, Little Stock Holder, [and] Orphan” at the bewildered Egyptians who are outside a building labeled “Administration” and flying a banner labeled “Federal Prosecution.” Caption: At the battle of Pelusium, between Egypt and Persia, the Persians armed themselves with cats, the sacred animals of Egypt. The disconcerted Egyptians dared not shoot their arrows, for fear of hitting holy cats.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Reduced to basic elements and message, this double-page cartoon by L. M. Glackens in Puck basically depicts a public-relations counterattack by trusts and financial interests after frequent drubbing by the Muckraking press and a raft of reform legislation and regulations, all coming to a head in 1906.

A cat wearing a hat labeled “American Labor” reaches for a toy labeled “Tariff Benefits” that is very close to a fire labeled “Politics.” Sitting to the right of the fireplace, in the background, is a large ape wearing a crown shaped like a money bag labeled “Protected Monopoly.” Next to it are many bags of money. Caption: Isn’t it about time that the American workingman got wise?

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-09-18

Many rats take chunks of cheese labeled “Graft” from a large block of cheese labeled “Public Office” and run into a hole labeled “Statute of Limitations,” as a black cat with a collar labeled “The Recall” approaches through an open doorway.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-05-03