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Edward Henry Harriman stands on a “soap” box as a circular sawblade that resembles the face of President Roosevelt swirls around. It looks as if Harriman is trying to touch the sawblade with his finger.
During his career and presidency, Theodore Roosevelt engaged in many controversies — including downright ugly feuds — some private and some public. His virtual war with railroad baron Edward Henry Harriman had aspects both private and public.
Edward Henry Harriman walks up behind President Roosevelt in the first section. They get into a tussle in the second section; and then Roosevelt walks away as Harriman’s battered hat sits on the ground. He is pressed up against a lamp pole with stars coming out of his head.
This early cartoon from cartoonist Jay N. “Ding” Darling’s career depicts President Roosevelt walking along the sidewalk — coincidentally with his foot over the subsequently affixed mailing label to “The President / Executive Mansion;” this was a “comp” (complimentary) copy received by the president himself and pasted into the White House scrapbook.
President Roosevelt holds Edward Henry Harriman and J. Pierpont Morgan on his knees. Morgan holds a boat. Roosevelt says, “Now children, all in the world you have to do is to be good.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907
Uncle Sam covers his ears and says “Shut up!” as two birds depicting President Roosevelt and Edward Henry Harriman squawk at one another. Roosevelt says, “Liar, liar, liar!” while Harriman says, “You’re another!”
The vituperative controversy between President Roosevelt and railroad baron Edward Henry Harriman grew more bitter as 1907 progressed, in spite of other issues, including the Wall Street Panic. Harriman had generally supported the Republican Party — although, like many trust magnates, he played both sides of the political street — but by 1906 had grown angry with the Republican President Roosevelt. The immediate cause was dissatisfaction with a myriad of reforms backed by Roosevelt — and by much of the public and press, and a growing band of insurgents in Congress.
Harriman’s public criticisms of the president grew more strident, and Roosevelt characteristically responded in kind. After a summit meeting in the White House in March 1907, at which J. P. Morgan represented the railroad leaders, Harriman leaked a letter from the 1904 campaign that purportedly showed that Roosevelt solicited campaign funds from Harriman; the latter supposedly conditioned the donation on an overseas diplomatic appointment for New York Senator Chauncey M. Depew; supposedly, Roosevelt reneged.
Three pilgrims (Edward Henry Harriman, J. Pierpont Morgan, and James J. Hill) look toward the Sphinx that has President Roosevelt’s head. Caption: The Pilgrims Who Sought an Oracle Find a Sphynx
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-01
President Roosevelt is decked out with boxing gloves, prepared to hit a boxing bag with a face on it. In the foreground is a large weight labeled, “R.R. statistics,” and a teddy bear about to swing a club at a train. A man checks the calendar and three men are pictured on the wall, including J. Pierpont Morgan, Edward Henry Harriman, and likely James J. Hill.
Following the meeting between President Theodore Roosevelt and J. Pierpont Morgan, representing major railroad executives, on March 12 in the White House, and many other discussions since January on matters of concern to the industry, the president was understood to be preparing a speech on the subject.
J. Pierpont Morgan and Edward Henry Harriman stand on the side of the “Square Deal” labeled “railway interests” while President Roosevelt stands on the other side, “public interests.” In the foreground is an elephant holding a ruler labeled, “Square Deal” and a book entitled, “How to Square a Circle.”
President Roosevelt was a voluble leader who had a gift for colorful and memorable phrases. He often encapsulated a concept or policy in a pithy word or phrase, as with “race suicide” or “malefactors of great wealth”; or by bestowing labels that would universally resonate, like his “bull moose” remarks when he renewed his electoral ambitions. “Bully” and “Dee-lighted” were words instantly and permanently associated with his personality.
Edward Henry Harriman visits President Roosevelt in the White House as depicted in nine scenes. In the first scene, Harriman is dressed in a top hat and marches toward the White House saying, “I’ll show this Roosevelt that there are no flies on yours truly.” In the second, President Roosevelt grabs Harriman by the collar, “Welcome!” In the third scene, Roosevelt throws him on the ground saying, “This is the anti-mollycoddle tackle!” In the fourth scene, Roosevelt jumps on him and says, “A little roughness is a good thing.” In the fifth scene, Roosevelt grabs Harriman by his legs and says, “This is Jui Jitsu.” In the sixth scene, Roosevelt wears boxing gloves and states, “Take your corner. This is to a finish.” In the seventh scene, Roosevelt punches Harriman in the face: “That is the interstate wallop.” In the eighth scene, Roosevelt picks Harriman up, “Dee-lighted to have met you, Harriman.” In the ninth scene, Harriman has been thrown out, and Roosevelt stands watching, “Call again!”
Cartoonists never tired of depicting Theodore Roosevelt in various aspects of physicality and athletic activity; largely because neither did the peripatetic president himself. When a personal or political conflict provided a context, readers were treated to visual fun. Cartoonist William Norman Ritchie of the Boston Post took advantage of these ingredients when he prepared a feast of speculation about a meeting, just announced, between the Roosevelt and J. Pierpont Morgan, who was representing railroad trust magnates.
Edward Henry Harriman holds up his thumb labeled “R.R. Regulation” and his arm, “Grab Arm,” to President Roosevelt saying, “It hurts something fierce, Mr. President!” Caption: Dr. Roosevelt: My, my! Edward, you’ll have to be very careful or you will have to have the whole arm amputated.
The context of this cartoon by Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling of the Des Moines Register and Leader is the meeting the evening before at the White House between President Roosevelt and J. Pierpont Morgan, who spoke on behalf of major railroad concerns. While it was J. Pierpont Morgan who spoke for the railraod magnates, it probably was Union Pacific’s Edward Henry Harriman who had the loudest complaints.
The railroad trusts wanted laws and especially regulations eased. Through 1906 various reforms made consolidation more difficult, and railroad rates had to be lowered. The industry resented lower profits that might follow, but also argues that bank loans were harder to secure under new strictures. The president was not sympathetic to the arguments, but was intrigued by a “floated” suggestion that government “centralization” of the railroads might solved many problems. Among the results of this concept, advanced by the president of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific line, was guaranteed profits.
Edward Henry Harriman shakes hands with Uncle Sam saying, “My long-lost uncle!” as Harriman holds a brick labeled, “24 Carats (NIT).” President Roosevelt rushes toward them with his “big stick” saying, “No gold-bricking while I’m on this beat.” The White House is in the background.
The somewhat mysterious (that is, unknown to researchers) cartoonist “June” uses a cliched situation of the day, popularly a theme of cartoonists, political and humor artists alike, of a country bumpkin visiting the big city, being braced by a “bunko man” who gains his trust, and buys the shyster’s “gold brick” (at a supposed sacrifice), invariably a real brick painted gold.
A man wearing magician clothing labeled “Harriman” examines President Roosevelt’s head and says, “He lacks fixity of purpose.”
Present-day Oklahoma comprised two territories formed the year after the famous land rush of 1889: Indian Territory and and Oklahoma Territory. Native Americans governed Indian Territory and, despite white settlers eventually outnumbering natives there by six to one in 1906, whites enjoyed few privileges like voting rights. In 1906, however, agitation in favor of applying to Congress in Washington for statehood — although largely opposed by Indian Territory authorities — led to federal recognition. In 1907, months after this cartoon was published, a unified Oklahoma joined the Union.
President Roosevelt plays chess with Edward Henry Harriman, who reaches under the table and attempts to shake the hand of Uncle Sam, who is labeled, “the public.”
When Clifford Kennedy Berryman left the Washington Post to draw political cartoons (for the next four decades, as it turned out) for the Evening Star, several cartoonists temporarily filled his space on the editorial page. Most were amateurish, and their identities lost to history. Proving that good cartooning dies in darkness, the person signing “June” produced this drawing about President Roosevelt’s increasingly bitter feud with railroad baron Edward Henry Harriman.
President Roosevelt holds a hot gridiron and runs after Senator Joseph Benson Foraker who is escaping through the Senate door. Meanwhile, Edward Henry Harriman runs toward a train to escape Roosevelt.
Supreme Court Justice Holmes presents the opinion of the court regarding several appeals from the Circuit Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York involving the Interstate Commerce Commission, Edward Henry Harriman and Otto H. Kahn. Holmes rules that the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission to compel testimony is limited, and only applies when conducting investigations into specific breaches of the law.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-14
William E. Chandler expresses his complete confidence that the Republicans will be victorious and President Roosevelt will win reelection. Thanks to Alton B. Parker’s blunder in sending a telegram about the gold standard, the only thing that could cause Roosevelt to lose is the perception that he is taking too much money from magnates like J. Pierpont Morgan, Edward Henry Harriman, and Henry Clay Frick.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-10
Edward Henry Harriman’s name is underlined in a list of stockholders of the First National Bank of Deadwood, South Dakota.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-02-03
Frederick A. Sawyer, secretary of The Newspaper Magazine Co., informs President Roosevelt of Adolph Edwards’ slanderous booklet, “The Roosevelt Panic of 1907.” Sawyer believes capitalists and financiers inspired the booklet to discredit Roosevelt’s administration. Furious, he hired writers to produce a manuscript refuting the booklet’s claims. Sawyer appreciates suggestions for further action in the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-15
Attorney General Bonaparte updates President Roosevelt about the work of United States Attorneys throughout the country. He delivered an address at the University of Chicago, where he was questioned about the conduct of United States Attorney William H. H. Llewellyn. Oklahoma is about to gain statehood and Bonaparte would like to discuss the matter with Roosevelt, given his earlier opposition. Many people Bonaparte met in Chicago support a third term for Roosevelt. He believes they would accept Secretary of War William H. Taft as president if necessary, but would oppose Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-20
Secretary of War Taft responds to President Roosevelt’s letter regarding the candidacies of different Republican Party candidates. Taft thanks Roosevelt for talking to Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou and believes that Philander C. Knox would be a more independent president than his supporters believe. Taft believes Charles Evans Hughes is likely to be the man in the field against him and observes that he has received many expressions of good will while traveling across the continent. Taft mentions that he will set sail for the Pacific tomorrow and encloses a clipping on his speech in Seattle regarding capital and labor.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-11
At the Jamestown Exposition, President Roosevelt spoke highly of England. Other Americans usually disregard England, but Roosevelt reminds his fellow Americans that the United States developed its intellectual origins out of English philosophy. However, the United States should watch out for the rich magnates and monopolies in the United States.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-27