Despair

President Roosevelt appears as a knight on horseback carrying a lance labeled “Reciprocity” over his shoulder with a sack labeled “Campaign Funds” hanging from it. In the background is a giant ogre labeled “Infant Industries” sitting against a castle with a club labeled “Dingley Tariff” nestled against his right arm. Over the castle is flying a banner of “High Protection,” and a despondent maiden labeled “Fair Trade” is standing at the top of a tower.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Invoking an earlier cartoon, when Puck was more charitable about President Roosevelt’s goals and challenges, the “after” part of this composition suggests that Roosevelt extorted campaign contributions from trusts, and that represented his design from the start.

Roswell P. Flower kneels over the drowned body of a young girl labeled “Presidential Hopes.” In the background, a figure labeled “Maynard” appears to be half-buried and stuck in the mud in the aftermath of a flood. Caption: Gov. Flower–Me che-ild! Me che-ild!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-11-22

Benjamin F. Butler spreads ashes labeled “Censure, Exposure, Desire for Reform, [and] Criticism” on a slide in the snow labeled “Slide of Public Mismanagement” to the dismay of a group of children labeled “Factory Employee, Sup’t. of Charitable Institution, Prison Supt., Army Snob, Matron of Infant Asylum, Manager of Insane Asylum, [and] Superfluous Gov’t. Employee” on “Beacon Hill.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-01-17

A man whose offer of marriage has been rejected, and who is now determined to kill himself as a means of ending his suffering, is sitting in a chair with two handguns aimed at his chest, mounted on the arms of the chair, facing a cannon. Beneath him are “Dynamite Cartridges,” and overhead is a large rock labeled “500 lb. weight.” A tube from his mouth extends to a container of “Poison,” two straight-edge razors are aimed at this throat, and a “Charcoal” burner spews carbon monoxide fumes. The letter from his girlfriend is on the floor next to the chair. It states, “Dear George, I can not marry you. Carri.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-02-07

A group of Democrats sit on a log raft that is breaking up within sight of land, with two logs labeled “New Jersey [and] New York” coming loose and drifting away. A small sail on the raft is labeled “Democra[…] Record.” Some are fighting amongst themselves. Allen G. Thurman is about to hit George Hoadly who is holding a paper labeled “Dem. Nomination for Gov. Ohio Hoadly”; John Kelly is fighting with Hubert O. Thompson who is holding a knife labeled “County Dem”; and behind them is Alexander V. Davidson labeled “Irving Hall” and holding a knife. Others seem on the brink of despair, including Abram S. Hewitt gnawing on a bone labeled “Tariff,” Charles A. Dana defiant of fate, Thomas F. Bayard sitting with his elbows on his knees, Winfield Scott Hancock who appears to have succumbed, Thomas Hendricks chewing on his fingers, an unidentified man searching the horizon, Henry Watterson, and Samuel J. Tilden. Only Benjamin F. Butler shows any sign of hope as he points toward shore and the U.S. Capitol labeled “1884.” Caption: The Democrats have their regular shindy just as they come in sight of land.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-09-26

Jay Gould appears as a giant holding a large club labeled “Monopoly,” sitting on rocks, gleefully watching a line of downtrodden people entering a cave labeled “Western Union Telegraph Company – All Hope Abandon, Ye Who Enter Here.” On the horizon, the sun is labeled “Strike.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-08-29

Howard Elliott, nearly doubled-over under a heavy burden labeled “New Haven Rail Road,” walks through the “Slough of Despond” amid an atmosphere labeled “Demoralization.” Wedged under the burden on his back is a book labeled “Gospel of Efficiency.” He is making his way past a broken ticker tape machine toward a distant light labeled “Rehabilitation.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-09-24

Theodore Roosevelt, as the biblical Hagar in a moment of despair, sits on the ground next to a wooden figure (Ishmael) wrapped in cloth that looks like Roosevelt, wearing a crown labeled “III Term.” An empty water bottle labeled “Prestige” and a staff lie on the ground next to Hagar/Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-04-24