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A program listing the January, February, and March dates and speakers for the Saturday Discussions lecture series sponsored by the Republican Club of the City of New York.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-11
Iowa Governor Albert Baird Cummins wears a “protection” muzzle as he says, “Tariff revision.” He holds two flags—”They can’t lose ‘A. B.'” and “For governor, A. B. Cummins”—as he is tied to the back of an elephant with a sign on its back that reads, “Standpatters from Standpattersville” The elephant also holds a flag, “We’re all in line.” Senator William B. Allison leads the elephant along.
The “Iowa Idea” was a controversial tariff-tinkering whose origin was with the new governor, Albert B. Cummins. He had national ambitions — indeed he would soon be appointed to the United States Senate — and his insurgent views blossomed into his leadership of the Progressive movement, even to supporting Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 against the incumbent president, William H. Taft.
In 1903 his promotion of the “Iowa Idea” — to consider tariff revisions with pledges not to preserve or create monopolies — was a sincere reform proposal, but also a gambit to commit the national Republican Party to address the tariff issue… and imply downward rate revisions.
A “U.S. Senate” horse stands and eats cobwebs as “Senator Root,” “Senator Cummins,” “Senator Roosevelt,” “Senator Bryan,” and Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follete push a steam engine that produces steam labeled “umsteen horse power legislative capacity” toward the horse to hitch it up. Meanwhile, the “people” push the “old regime” — “the old family phaeton,” an old-fashioned carriage — including “Sen. Platt” and New York Senator Chauncey M. Depew, as Uncle Sam watches and chuckles in the background.
Readers do not have to check their pulses or their texts when they see the vintage political cartoon by Jay N. “Ding” Darling referring to Senators Theodore Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan. Two men labelled senators were indeed appointed to their offices just at this time — Elihu Root of New York, the recent Secretary of State, and Governor Albert Baird Cummins of Iowa. Robert M. LaFollette of Wisconsin had been in the Senate for two years at the time of this cartoon.
A variety of individuals jump for joy: Uncle Sam, President-elect William H. Taft, Vice President-elect J. S. Sherman, Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon, Iowa Governor Albert Baird Cummins, President Roosevelt, New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes, and the Republican elephant.
Sometimes the very simplest concept and presentation is the most effective. Jay N. “Ding” Darling proved that many times over his career — most notably in his eulogistic cartoon on the death of Theodore Roosevelt. Astride a horse and headed up a ghostly trail to Heaven, Roosevelt turned and waved to readers.
Iowa Governor Albert Baird Cummins will not oppose Senator William B. Allison’s reelection.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-13
Secretary of War Taft informs President Roosevelt that he has changed his mind about writing a speech on the Brownsville affair. He will write a draft and send it to his campaign manager, Arthur I. Vorys, and Roosevelt to get their opinion. Taft describes his opinion of James Buchanan Aleshire’s fitness for Quartermaster General. Taft encloses letters on William Edgar Borah and Albert Baird Cummins. He relays discussions on the appointment of the Postmaster in New York.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-07
In anticipation of Assistant Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock making a visit to President Roosevelt at Oyster Bay, William H. Taft reports a recent conversation a third party had with Hitchcock. The latter expressed his intent to oppose Taft’s nomination for the presidency and to press for President Roosevelt to run for a third term. Hitchcock believes that Taft has made an unfavorable impression on a number of important figures in the Midwest. Taft implies that Hitchcock’s views might be influenced by those of Winthrop Murray Crane.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-06-29
President Roosevelt goes over his position on tariffs and is concerned about the New York situation.
Massachusetts Historical Society
1903-04-27
The Des Moines Daily Capital reports on the Polk County Republican convention in Iowa on Saturday. After reports on corruption in the vote counting process in favor of S. F. Prouty, John A. T. Hull was given the nomination for the House of Representatives. In addition to nominating Hull, the convention named delegates to the state convention and issued a resolution calling for a reform of the primary voting process, expressing support for President Roosevelt’s renomination, and commitment to the Republican platform. A second article contains an allegory about a young politician who lost a race and learned that he should not “squeal.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-03-07
A group of men, scoffers, labeled “Tillman, Elkins, Penrose, Crane, Lodge, Depew, Gallinger, Aldrich, [and] Sherman” watch four men labeled “Cummins, Dolliver, Gore, [and] La Follette” construct an ark labeled “Principle.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1909-07-28
Supporters of a “Square Tariff Deal,” carried in an ark by “Folk, Clark, Gore, Harmon, [and] Beveridge,” march on Jericho, blowing ram-horns labeled “The Voice of the People” causing the walls of Jericho labeled “Graft Tariff” and “Standpat Republicanism” to crumble. Among those marching are “Bacon, Borah, Bristow, Clapp, Dolliver, La Follette, [and] Wilson” and on horseback “Cummins.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1910-10-05
Page four of the July 3, 1903, edition of the Des Moines Daily Capital. Several sections on this page are emphasized, including an article titled “Why These Attacks Upon Cousins?,” another titled “The Head Liners Have Their Ideas,” and a brief poem. The first of these discusses the difference in treatment given to Iowa Governor Albert Baird Cummins and others who have expressed their opinions about the tariff, and the treatment given to Robert G. Cousins when he did the same. The second compares the different ways that headlines across the country have described the Iowa Republican Convention. The circled poem declares that the “Iowa Idea” is dead and should be buried.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-03
President William H. Taft speaks from the back of a railroad caboose to a large crowd of skeptical mid-westerners that also includes Jonathan P. Dolliver, Robert M. La Follette, and Albert Baird Cummins. One man is holding a sign that states, “We’re from Missouri also Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Dakota & Iowa. Show us!” Taft is holding papers behind his back that state, “Notes for speech how new tariff will benefit the West.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1909-09-15
A “Middle West” farmer is being awakened by Albert B. “Cummins” as a rooster, while a man sneaks into the farmer’s barn and is caught in the illumination of a lantern beam labeled “Tariff Greed.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1909-09-01
President Taft struggles to conduct an orchestra composed of two groups of musicians. On the left, playing the “Eastern Conservatism” on stringed instruments, are “Root, Crane, Smoot, Depew, Aldrich, [and] Gallinger.” On the right, playing the “Western Conservatism” on horns and percussion instruments, are “Knute Nelson, Dolliver, Cummins, Clapp, Bristow, [and] La Follette.” Caption: Pity the poor leader of the Washington Symphony Orchestra.
President Taft, as a railroad brakeman, stands atop a freight car labeled “Administration Route.” He is waving to a woman labeled “Reactionary Politics” driving an automobile. The train is headed for a tunnel labeled “Revolt of the West.” Above the train is a bar labeled “Insurgent Movement” from which strips of rope are hanging, labeled “Burkett, Beveridge, Brown, Nelson, Clapp, Cummins, Dolliver, Bristow, [and] La Follette,” an insurgent group of senators who broke with Taft’s policies. Includes note: “A telltale is a bar to which strips of leather or rope are attached to warn brakemen on freight trains when they are approaching a bridge or a tunnel.” Caption: But there is still time to duck.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1909-11-17
A sword labeled “Nomination” is stuck deeply into a tree, where Theodore Roosevelt and Jacob A. Riis are resting on a large branch. Roosevelt is grinning like the Cheshire cat. On the far right are Albert Baird Cummins and Charles Evans Hughes, and on the left are several other potential candidates for the upcoming presidential election, including Philander C. Knox, Joseph Benson Foraker, Charles W. Fairbanks, Joseph Gurney Cannon, William H. Taft, Albert J. Beveridge, and George B. Cortelyou. Caption: Who is the hero with the strength to draw it out?
Cartoonist Udo J. Keppler actually knew, or was virtually assured of the answer to the question posed by his drawing, “Who has the strength to draw it out?” President Roosevelt had been public and persistent in his desire that Secretary of War William H. Taft succeed him. Politicians, reporters, and cartoonists especially, as was their wont and avocation, promoted the possible ambiguity of Roosevelt’s refusal to run again.
A disagreement has broken out among Republicans who were working to construct a tower labeled “Republican Harmony.” They have broken off into small factions clustered around building blocks labeled “Progressivism” with the Republican elephant sitting against it sniffing “Smelling Salts,” “Radicalism” over which “Munsey” and “Woodruff” are engaged in a discussion, “Conservatism” on which President Taft sits gesturing toward “La Follette” who is standing on his head and “Pinchot” trying to make a point to “Barnes” who is facing a diminutive “Job Hedges,” “Standpatism” around which “Cummins, Cannon, Sherman, Penrose, [and] Root” are involved in a heated discussion, and “Meism” upon which Theodore Roosevelt is jumping up and down and gesturing wildly. Others present are “Dixon [and] W.B. McKinley” who appear about to come to blows, as are “Perkins [and] Garfield.” “Lorimer,” wearing a bandage labeled “Vindication,” addresses “Lodge [and] “Gov. Stubbs” and, in the background, on the right, the man standing on a block addressing a crowd may be Charles W. Fairbanks. The few tools visible sit idle. Caption: Sad finish of the Republican tower of Babel.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-06-12
Albert Shaw encloses a letter from D. W. Norris, owner of the Marshalltown Times-Republican in Iowa, expressing concern about the actions of Joseph William Blythe and the railroads in the state. Shaw also sends an excerpt from a letter from journalist Murat Halstead, who expresses concern about efforts by factions of the Republican party to prevent President Roosevelt’s nomination for re-election.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-01-13
Joseph Bucklin Bishop warns President Roosevelt that “the Jew” has withdrawn and that he will discuss the matter with General Thomas H. Hubbard. Bishop alerts Roosevelt that “the Jew” has the support of Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw and Iowa Governor Albert Baird Cummins, and that he may run for President in 1904. Bishop believes there is a “Jew syndicate” that wants to control the press.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-10-24