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Article describes a future where all the countries of the world become one nation. The article closes with the statement, “If this should come to pass soon we nominate Theodore Roosevelt for President.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-01
Herbert G. Squiers must state to the Cuban government that if Cuba expects the United States to continue its policy of commercial advantage, the United States government must request that the Cuban government insert the clause sent after Article Twenty of the Cuban-British Treaty. If Cuba fails to grant this, the Cuban government will alone be responsible for any trouble that may arise in the future between the two countries.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-12
A bill proposing amendments to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among states.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-01-26
Article discussing various politicians’ support of the Dolliver Bill.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-01-24
A bloated old man, his hat labeled “Trusts,” sits on the “U.S. Customs” building. The tiny figure of Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw is in his vest pocket, and he is anchored to an “American Consumer” bound by the “Dingley Tariff.” He is distressed as Uncle Sam takes a giant stride across the ocean to “Europe” where he can purchase “American Goods Cheap.” Caption: Uncle Samuel — I’ll buy Yankee goods, yew bet! / The American Consumer — Aw, why don’t you buy at home and be a patriot like me.
A largely neglected factor among many of the contemporary, and lingering, disputes about America’s role in securing leased territory and building the Panama Canal is the various levels of opposition from Big Business.
Two strong men labeled “Labor” and “Commerce” use a battering ram labeled “Tariff Reform” to knock down a door in a building flying a banner for “High Protection.” A frightened man, labeled “Protected Trust” and wearing a crown, is looking over the wall.
The deeper meaning behind Keppler’s straightforward message is his choice of labels. “Tariff Reform” indicates that Puck, editorially, was not advocating for free trade as some Populists and Bryan followers in the Democratic party did. The same point is made in the specific phrase in the caption “…in the hands of the right men.”
John Bull, representing “England,” and a line of European rulers with the attributes of Nicholas II “Russia,” William II “Germany,” Franz Joseph I “Austria,” Emile Loubet “France,” Victor Emmanuel III “Italy,” and Alfonso XIII “Spain,” each with a broom, stand on a beach trying to sweep back the wave of “American Commerce” about to crash on their shores.
This cartoon seems to depict old ladies duplicating the futile resolution of legendary King Canute, who attempted to command ocean waves to recede. In fact the women, representing leaders of world trade, with their brooms and mops, were familiar as “Mrs Partingtons” to readers in 1902. Lost in obscurity today, Mrs. Partington was a comic figure in text humor created by Benjamin Penshallow Shillaber of the Boston Post, and in reprint books. Allegedly his character was inspired by an invented character of the British critic Sydney Smith about a self-absorbed busybody who attempted to mop the Atlantic Ocean from her door during a storm. In Shillaber’s hands, Mrs. Partington became known for silly aphorisms, malaprops, and semi-logical pronouncements. When Shillaber died in 1890, his very famous character died with him, but eulogists declared they would live forever in American culture. The necessity of this explanation suggests the contrary. The main point of Pughe’s cartoon is that by 1902 the United States has become the world’s largest trading nation.
Uncle Sam, John Bull, and “Japan” as dogs stand in an open doorway, the door labeled “China Trade.” Caption: The way to keep the door open is not to let it be closed.
The situation depicted in this cartoon uncharacteristically does not reflect reality, as many contemporary political cartoons do. As the Boxer Rebellion ended, the eight Colonial powers alternately saved face and withdrew from China, but also committed harsh atrocities and imposed punitive penalties and reparations on the Chinese. There were no actual guarantors of the peace, or aftermath, although Russia and Japan, largely due to propinquity, assumed dominant status in certain regions, thus inviting friction that erupted into the Russo-Japanese War a few years subsequent. Some nations received lands and ports as part of reparations, such as Great Britain with Hong Kong. Under Theodore Roosevelt, the United States claimed no land, and the scheduled reparation payments paid by the Chinese Dynasty were transferred in full to Chinese students studying in the United States, and who intended to return to China.
A man labeled “American Food Products” and laden with agricultural produce welcomes a man labeled “American Manufactures” laden with industrial products to Europe. Caption: “Welcome to Europe, old man! I knew you’d follow me sooner or later!”
With the turn of the century, there were many assessments and reassessments of America’s place in the world. One aspect, much noted in reports, abstracts, political speeches, and financial forecasts, is that by 1901 the United States had become the world’s leader in manufacturing. This fact mirrored the business activity and general patterns of consumption in the domestic economy. Also it fueled exports, joining American agricultural goods to serve receptive world markets.
A British bulldog labeled “Commercial Interests” stands before a plate of food labeled “American Products.” He is looking across a small body of water at four cats labeled “France, Italy, Austria, [and] Germany” sitting on a fence labeled “Continental Jealousy” and flying a banner “Commercial Tariff Blockade.” The bulldog is chained to a dog house draped with British and American flags and a with a sign on the front that states “England Biggest Consumer of American Goods — [as per article in the] London Times.” Caption: There is no danger of a European combination while his appetite lasts.
This cartoon is an example of what has since been called the “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain. High tariffs in America and England worked to mutual advantage. England’s commercial dominance in the world was long-standing, and its continental relations were set. To the United States, trade favors with England seemed satisfactory until the commercial appetites of the rest of the world became clear. A decade after this cartoon, President William Howard Taft sought to mend this situation by futilely proposing a series of reciprocal trade treaties.
Uncle Sam, labeled “Trade Balance,” carries a large tray with many food products that constitute American agricultural exports. Seated around an L-shaped table are representatives from nations around the world, including “China, Asia, Africa, Russia, Germany, England, Spain, France, Austria, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Servia, [and] Norway.” Each is demanding food. A sign on the wall states “Cafe Yankee – If you don’t see what you want call for it.” John Bull, representing “England,” sits at the head of the table, holding a long list labeled “Bill of Fare – U.S. Restaurant.”
The “McKinley Prosperity” included several years of bumper crops, the expansion of manufacturing, mining, and a population base (including record immigration that fed employment needs), and placed the United States in the forefront of world trade, commerce, and exports. Puck celebrated this moment in American history.
An “Absentee Millionaire” stands on land labeled “Europe” spraying money from a hose connected to an “American Hydrant source of income,” suggesting that wealthy Americans spend more money in Europe than in their own country.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1901-08-28
A bloated Uncle Sam labeled “Balance of Trade” sits on one side of a scale labeled “Commerce of the World,” outweighing the group of nations on the other side of the scale, “Greece, Spain, China, Russia, Mexico, Africa, Germany, France, England, Turkey, Japan, [and] Asia.” Caption: Uncle Sam’s balance of trade is now the largest favorable balance any nation has ever had in its foreign trade.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1901-03-13
William Jennings Bryan carries a banner that states “16 to 1 will help you,” and Adlai E. Stevenson carries a banner that states “I ran with Cleveland, vote for me.” They stand in front of a gigantic farmer who has swelled to enormous proportions on profits from wheat, cotton, and other farm produce.
In 1896, with a devastating depression in recent memory, the Presidential campaign arguments of Democrats and Populists were largely economic. However, they lost in large numbers to the Republican Party. Again the nominee, William Jennings Bryan found his old message irrelevant in the face of the McKinley prosperity. Cleveland’s second Vice President, Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois, was put on Bryan’s 1900 ticket, in hopes of appealing to more conservative Democrats.
The mythological figure Hermes/Mercury, as “Commerce,” stands atop a cliff, extending his arm to “Peace” standing on a cliff opposite, with the Nicaragua Canal separating them. On the cliff below Hermes, Uncle Sam stands on a ladder supported by John Bull. Uncle Sam is placing a sign that states, “Notice No Fighting on These Premises.” Another man labeled “Jingo” is pulling on the tails of Uncle Sam’s coat.
Three years prior to the successful revolution and secession of Panama from Columbia, a Nicaraguan canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans seemed as a likely a prospect as any. Many in the United States favored such a route, and international forces including the French who had invested and abandoned efforts to build a Colombian canal, and Great Britain. Keppler’s cartoon betrays the mindset, in pre-Roosevelt times, that American foreign policy was inextricably tied with England’s. The adornments of the figure of Hermes asserts that trade, commerce, and travel — domains which the Greeks assigned to the god — was a natural ally of Peace. The figure labeled “Jingo” (traditionally, a hyper-nationalist) is meant to attack those Americans who opposed an American-backed canal of any sort; or those who militated for the Colombian alternative. By his hat and sword he possibly was meant by Keppler to be French; the French government and surviving Franco-American financial interests, argues against a Nicaraguan canal — hoping at least to salvage their investments.
Theodore Roosevelt responds to a letter from Hannis Taylor. While Roosevelt appreciates Taylor’s note, he believes foreign and native deep-water commerce must be treated the same.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-07-26
Legislation to use President Roosevelt’s money from the 1906 Nobel Prize to establish a committee dedicated to the promotion of industrial peace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-12
President Roosevelt thanks H. D. W. English for sending him a resolution from the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce endorsing the plan for a conference on the conservation of natural resources. Roosevelt believes that commercial organizations should take an interest in conservation, because commerce depends on the resources that are being depleted.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-02
President Roosevelt writes to Joseph Gurney Cannon, Chairman of the Notification Committee, to formally accept his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and to approve the platform adopted by the Republican National Convention. In the letter, Roosevelt provides a comprehensive defense of his foreign and domestic policies and outlines what he believes are the major differences between the Republican and Democratic parties in the upcoming election. Roosevelt discusses, among other topics, his position on international relations, antitrust legislation, tariffs, the gold standard, pensions for Civil War veterans, the military, civil service, commerce, agriculture, taxation, and self-government in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-12
Acting Secretary of State Adee sends President Roosevelt a dispatch from the embassy in Petrópolis, Brazil, that references a previous dispatch that advised a tariff reduction of 20%. Adee also lists the eleven articles that are granted preferential tariff rates, including rubber, appliances, and flour.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-22