Your TR Source
Each of the four 1904 presidential and vice-presidential candidates are drawn with a coat of arms and a descriptive word. President Roosevelt’s word is “imperial,” Indiana Senator Charles W. Fairbank’s word is “splendor,” Alton B. Parker’s word is “Jeffersonian,” and Henry Gassaway Davis’s word is “simplicity.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-12
Voters watch as August Belmont points to an illustration of Alton B. Parker who wears a “trusts” chain around his chest on the side of a circus tent. Verbiage reads, “The Democratic giant guarantees to break the chain by chest expansion.” In Parker’s hands are two weights, “sound money” and “clean politics.” Similarly, Henry Gassaway Davis holds a barrel that reads, “millions for the purification of politics. Not.” Verbiage around him reads, “The Hercules of West Virginia.” David B. Hill sits by a “ballot box” and holds a paper that reads, “After this performance, I shall retire from the show business. D. B. Hill.” Several men hide in the tent, including Parker, who holds a “political graft” weight; Thomas Taggart, who holds “gambling trust magnate” cards; Davis, who holds a “West Va. Coal Trust price” rock; Grover Cleveland; and Arthur P. Gorman.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-15
Circus performers Alton B. Parker and Henry Gassaway Davis shakily stand on two galloping horses, labeled “free trade” and “protection.” August Belmont walks along as the ringleader, while David B. Hill watches as a clown.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-05
Alton B. Parker and Henry Gassaway Davis hold sheet music and sing two contradictory songs about protectionism and free trade to Uncle Sam. Caption: Special engagement of Alton and Gassaway, the celebrated team of musical daologueists.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-29
“H. Giveaway Davis” holds a “Western Union telegram” that reads, “Democratic National Convention.” Meanwhile, President Roosevelt stands by a wall that reads, “sound finances—honesty in public service—courage to do right—protection to American labor—respect for the flag at home & abroad—fair play for capital and labor—punishment for every grafter.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-24
A sphinx-like Alton B. Parker and a frozen Indiana Senator Charles W. Fairbanks keep their mouths shut while Henry Gassaway Davis and President Roosevelt’s mouths have “censorship” gags over them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-19
A number of Republican and Democratic politicians play a game of baseball while large crowds look on. President Roosevelt is the pitcher while Charles W. Fairbanks is the catcher. The “voter” stands at the “White House” home base while Alton B. Parker tries to run to home base. Thomas Taggart tells Parker, “Get ready to slide, Judge.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-11
Alton B. Parker sweats as he attempts to hoist the flag of “anti-Americanism populism experimental doctrines” up the “Democratic platform” flag pole. He stands on somewhat cracked “Jeffersonian principles,” which is on the “Philippines.” The “N.Y. Sun” glares at him. Below the cartoon is a quote from the New York Sun decrying the Democratic platform of 1904 and endorsing President Roosevelt and Senator Charles W. Fairbanks.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-10
A song in support of Henry Gassaway Davis and Alton B. Parker in the 1904 presidential election and arranged by Rudolf Thaler.
Dr. Danny O. Crew Theodore Roosevelt Sheet Music Collection
1904
Songbook supporting the 1904 Democratic presidential ticket of Judge Parker and Henry Gassaway Davis. Several songs mention President Roosevelt. The cover is red with photographs of Parker and Davis. Only the music referencing Roosevelt is displayed.
Dr. Danny O. Crew Theodore Roosevelt Sheet Music Collection
1904
The article discusses why the English press favors the Democratic ticket. Other topics discussed on this page include “Navy Plank Struck Out,” “‘Artful’ Judge Parker,” “Judge Parker Against Palmer and Buckner,” “Democratic Lightning Change Artists,” “The Irish World on Protection,” and “Chairman Cortelyou’s Alleged Prophecy.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-11
William Stephen Devery and a saloon known as “the pump” have returned to the Democratic party with fanfare. Although the article points out that Devery had previously been removed from the Democratic party, his return has been greeted warmly by high-ranking party officials including Thomas Taggart and Norman Edward Mack. Other articles on this page include commentary on vice presidential candidate Henry Gassaway Davis’s age, the delay in the opening of the subway system, and the inspection of the boat, the Grand Republic.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-03
President Roosevelt, as a Roman emperor, rides in a chariot being pulled by an elephant ridden by George B. Cortelyou. Three captives are tied to the back: William Jennings Bryan, Alton B. Parker, and Populist candidate Thomas Watson. Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks rides in a smaller chariot with Henry G. Davis as a captive in tow. Next to them Benjamin B. Odell carries a banner labeled “G.O.P.”, except that the “P” has been crossed out and replaced with a “T.” Near Roosevelt’s chariot Secretary of State John Hay bears a standard that says “S.P.Q.R.” (acronym for a Latin phrase which means “The Senate and People of Rome”), except that the “Q” has been crossed out and replaced with a “T.” At the front of the parade, holding the elephant’s trunk, is Speaker of the House Joseph G. Cannon. In the foreground, William H. Taft is carrying a large club. An African American man appears in the lower right foreground.
Joseph Keppler Junior, owner and chief political cartoonist of Puck magazine, departed from his generally light treatment of Theodore Roosevelt to cast the triumphant Republicans in severe caricatures, including the exultant Roosevelt himself. This center-spread cartoon appeared only days before the inauguration; and the issue’s from cover was graced with a mild, even favorable, depiction of Roosevelt.
Defeated candidates and vanquished Democrats are portrayed, as well as cabinet members, Republican solons, and citizens. Keppler always had a facility for drawing Roosevelt’s face, and this portrayal seems spot-on but likely had no photographic reference.
At center, Uncle Sam looks into a mirror while descending a stairway in a hall. “Swallow” and “Watson” are standing in the hall, holding candles. In the vignette at lower left, the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Roosevelt, Fairbanks, Parker, and Davis, arrive in costume. On the lower right they are unmasked and engaged in a game with Columbia. On the middle left is “Bryan” as “An Old Timer,” and on the middle right “Taggart” and “Belmont” play a prank on an elderly woman with a “Bogie Man” labeled “Militarism.” At top left, bobbing for “Campaign Funds” are “Taggart, Bliss, Cortelyou, [and] Belmont,” and at top right “Odell, Shaw, [and] Hill” are “Jumping the Issues.”
Puck, a major Democratic publication, seems extremely unconcerned with the outcome of the imminent presidential election: little more than a week before balloting, its center-spread cartoon — traditionally a forum for powerful, persuasive political cartoons — instead published genre cartoons on a Halloween theme. Yes, with politicians as the characters, but more humorous than partisan. It possibly saw the writing on the wall, a massive Democratic defeat.
Politicians Henry Gassaway Davis, William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles W. Fairbanks, Thomas Collier Platt, and Alton B. Parker shake hands with farmers outside a tent labeled “The New Farmers’ Alliance.” Caption: Find the real farmers.
At first glance, this cartoon by J. S. Pughe can be viewed as a prosaic view of campaign-season politicians seeking the voters of farmers and the agrarian class. It is what politicians do, reaching out to all segments of the voting public. A chuckle can be raised by the depiction of politicians, even those in top hats, wearing farmers’ boots, trousers, and chore coats.
The significance of relevance of the cartoon, however, can be seen in the banner over the tent in the background: “The New Farmers’ Alliance” Party, a real political movement that mainstream political leaders wanted to attract.
Octogenarian Henry Gassaway Davis, as a runner, is attended by Arthur P. Gorman who is putting a bandage on Davis’s right knee.
Henry Gassaway Davis, an industrialist and former senator from West Virginia, is caricatured here being conditioned by Senator Arthur Pue Gorman of Maryland. Davis, at 80, was and is the oldest candidate for president or vice president in United States history. The Democrats in 1904 nominated him for his “barrel,” an immense fortune they expected he would tap to finance the national campaign. He did underwrite about a third of the national party’s expenses, which was disappointingly less than hoped.
Senator Gorman was serving his second (non-consecutive) stint in the United States Senate, where he was Caucus Chair, and from which he briefly angled for the Democrat presidential nomination himself, as he had in 1892. His age, Bourbon (ultra-conservative) tendencies, anti-Black actions, and his opposition to President Roosevelt’s successful actions regarding the acquisition of Panama Canal concessions, all conspired against his candidacy.
President Roosevelt sent Secretary of State Hay ex-senator Henry Gassaway Davis’s puzzling comments on Williams C. Fox. He feels Fox should be promoted if he is “of sufficiently moral character.” If Hay sees Elihu Root in the evening, Roosevelt asks them to review the Costa Rica proposition.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-14
President Roosevelt informs John St. Loe Strachey that he has also been reading Sydney Smith’s essays as well as Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Critical and Historical Essays. Roosevelt agrees with Strachey that parties are important in politics but party adherence cannot become servility. Roosevelt feels good about his reelection chances and disparages his Democratic rivals, Alton B. Parker and Henry Gassaway Davis by calling them Blifil and Black George, a hypocrite and a charity case, respectively, a reference from Henry Fielding’s The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Roosevelt is worried about the similarities with both James K. Polk and James Buchanan’s successful Democratic campaigns for president.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-13
President Roosevelt finds amusement in the clipping from The World about the Evening Post, and he thinks it base and hypocritical for the Post to continue to support the candidacy of Alton B. Parker in light of such speeches as that of Henry Gassaway Davis. Roosevelt provides two quotations addressing the “colored issue” for inclusion in his speech and letter of acceptance. Roosevelt aims to make his points clear while at the same time making them in such a way as to cause minimal irritation in the south.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-12
President Roosevelt asks General Boynton if he knows of the Navy and Critic which has published an article by Alexander S. Bacon, a supposed colonel and West Pointer, that attacks Frederick Funston, Leonard Wood, and Roosevelt. Roosevelt asks if it is worthwhile for Boynton to send his pamphlet to “responsible” service journals.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-01