Hewitt, Abram S. (Abram Stevens), 1822-1903

Too many leaders

In a winter scene, a soldier labeled “Democracy” stands in front of a road sign that points in four directions “Free Trade, To Tariff Reform, To Protection, [and] No Policy.” Between his feet is a small dog that looks like John Kelly. “Speaker Carlisle” as a drum major for “Reform” is standing in the left foreground. Behind and to the left are Benjamin Butler “Butlerism,” Abram S. “Hewitt” with “Free Trade” banner, and Samuel S. “Cox” pointing toward “Free Trade.” Samuel J. “Randall” is standing in the right foreground, wearing a helmet labeled “Protection.” Behind and to the right are Sereno “Payne” with banner labeled “Straddle Every Issue!”, Thomas “Bayard” holding papers that state “Dodge the Question,” and Samuel J. Tilden labeled “Ancient Issues.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-01-30

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

The contest of beauty

A beauty contest is underway where “First Prize” is the “Presidency.” The presidential candidates, all dressed as women, are sitting on raised platforms around which men have gathered to admire their beauty. Two men in the lower left appear to be voting for number “1. The Empire State Enslaver.” Among those in the running are “2. The same Old Widow from Beanville, 3. The Mulligan Masher from Maine [holding fan labeled] J. Blaine, 4. The Delaware Darling, 5. The Indiana Dumpling [holding fan labeled] J. E. MDonald, 6. The Homespun Houri of Ohio, 7. The Illinois Pet, 10. Utica Immortelle, 11. The Buffalo Girl, 12. The Indiana ‘Sun-Flower’ [with ribbon labeled] W. S. Holman, 13. The Nation’s Ex-Favorite [holding fan labeled] U.S.G., 14. The Pension Ring Pocahontas [with fan labeled] Logan, 15. The Centennial Spinster Ex-Champion de jure, 16. The Free Trade Fairy [with fan labeled] Hewitt, 17. The Ohio Water Lily Ex-Champion de facto, 18. The Pearl of Protection [with fan labeled] Randall, The Sherman Sisters 19. The Tecumseh Twin, 20. The Treasury Twin, 21. The Virtuous Vermonter [with fan labeled] Edmund, [and] 22. The Fat Fairy.” Among those depicted are Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin F. Butler, James G. Blaine, Thomas Bayard, Joseph E. McDonald, Allen G. Thurman, Robert Todd Lincoln, Roscoe Conkling, Grover Cleveland, William Steele Holman, Ulysses S. Grant, John Logan, Samuel J. Tilden, Abram S. Hewitt, Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel J. Randall, William T. Sherman, John Sherman, George F. Edmunds, and David Davis.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-01-23

Creator(s)

Keppler, Joseph Ferdinand, 1838-1894

A new bull in the ring

Print shows Chester A. Arthur riding the Republican elephant tossed high in the air in a “Political Arena.” The elephant is patched with scandals labeled “Credit Mobilier, Collusion with Monopolies, Back Pay Grab, Third Termism, Whiskey Ring, Navy Ring, [and] Dorsey ‘Soap’ 1880.” Below, on the floor of the arena, Samuel J. Tilden is sitting backwards on a donkey labeled “Incurable” and Puck’s Independent Party figure is riding a bucking bull, its horns labeled “Anti-Monopoly” and “Tariff Reform.” Puck applauds from a viewing stand on the right; sitting in the grandstand at left are Ulysses S. Grant, Cyrus W. Field, Rutherford B. Hayes, Thomas F. Bayard, Winfield Scott Hancock, Benjamin F. Butler, Adams, David Davis, Allen G. Thurman, William M. Evarts, Abram S. Hewitt, George F. Edmunds, Wayne MacVeagh, and George B. McClellan. Caption: Puck presents another prophetic cartoon – and the sooner it is realized the better.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-04-19

Creator(s)

Graetz, F. (Friedrich), approximately 1840-approximately 1913

Rushing the season

In the interior of the “Political Hot House,” many plants with the heads of politicians are potted and labeled with botanical names, for example “Butleria Cockeya,” “McVeaghia No Chancea,” “Tildenus Fossilis,” “Blainea Sunstrokea,” “Hewittia Tariffia,” “Shermania Honestia,” and “Thurmania Ragbabia.” At center is a figure fashioned from quill pens, a drum labeled “Press,” and newspapers labeled “Louisville Courier Journal, N. Y. Sun, Tribune, Herald, Advertiser, Times, [and] Cincinnati C[…],” holding a potted plant labeled “Arthuria Accidentalia.” A politician holding a spade labeled “Out of a Job” gestures toward the door of the greenhouse. In the background is the “White House.” Among the plants are Rutherford B. Hayes, Thomas F. Bayard, Winfield Scott Hancock, George B. McClellan, Roscoe Conkling, Cyrus W. Field, Samuel J. Tilden, Allen G. Thurman, John Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Wayne MacVeagh, George F. Edmunds, William M. Evarts, Benjamin F. Butler, Abram S. Hewitt, Chester A. Arthur, James G. Blaine, David Davis, and a plant identified as “Adams Icebergea.” Caption: Unoccupied Politician “Oh, I assure you, my dear Mr. Press, it’s none too early to begin to set out the Presidential Plants!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-04-05

Creator(s)

Keppler, Joseph Ferdinand, 1838-1894

A tail they can’t twist

Print shows Samuel S. Cox, Abram S. Hewitt, and William E. Robinson (waving a paper that states “The demands of 20,000,000 Irish-Americans”) pulling on the tail of the British Lion. The front paws of the lion rest on the body of a man with a handgun in one hand and a paper labeled “Assassin O’Donnell” in the other. A gibbet stands in the background. Patrick O’Donnell was executed by hanging in London on December 17, 1883, for the murder of James Carey. Caption: The little men and their little grip on the British Lion.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-12-19

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

A new way of “waking” the Democratic shaughraun

Print shows a small, rustic room crowded with members of the Democratic Party, some dressed as old women, others drinking and smoking clay pipes. One man, the “Shaughraun” labeled “Democratic Party,” is lying on a board that is resting on wooden supports. He is stirred to life by snuff sprinkled on his nose from a bowl labeled “Tariff Reform Snuff” by John G. Carlisle who is dressed in a formal uniform with sword. Among the crowd are Charles A. Dana, Benjamin F. Butler, and Samuel J. Tilden (all dressed as old women), Grover Cleveland, Samuel J. Randall, John Kelly, Henry Watterson, Abram S. Hewitt (dressed as an old woman), Samuel S. Cox, and Thomas F. Bayard (also dressed as an old woman), with arms raised in alarm and a broken pipe at his feet. On the far right are Thomas A. Hendricks drinking from a bottle labeled “Old Ticket Rye,” Winfield Scott Hancock, and Allen G. Thurman. Caption: “Captain” Carlisle shows that he is up to snuff.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-12-12

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

In the jaws of death – a cold day for the Independent Party

Print shows Puck’s figure for the “Independent Party” in a small sailboat of that name, flying a banner labeled “Independents”, sailing through icy waters among large icebergs. In the background two ships labeled “Tariff Reform” and “Civil Service Reform” have wrecked on icebergs. Among the faces in the icebergs are Rutherford B. Hayes, Roscoe Conkling, George M. Robeson, William Mahone, George F. Hoar, James G. Blaine, Jay Gould, Cyrus W. Field, John Sherman, John A. Logan, Whitelaw Reid, Samuel J. Tilden, Hubert O. Thompson, John Kelly, Charles A. Dana, Thomas Hendricks, Thomas F. Bayard, Winfield Scott Hancock, Benjamin F. Butler, Grover Cleveland, Ulysses S. Grant, Allen G. Thurman, Abram S. Hewitt, and Chester A. Arthur.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-11-07

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

Blundering again!

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

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

A moment of anxiety – who is going to get left?

President Cleveland, as Santa Claus, stands in front of a fireplace where stockings are hung from the mantle. He has a large sack of toys labeled “Navy, Treasury, Interior, Justice, State, [and] War Dept.” on his back, and a cat that looks like John Kelly lies at his feet. Watching from around the room are “Bayard, Randall, Cox, Barnum, McDonald, Slocum, Lamar, Morrison, [Garland], Tilden, Carlisle, Hewitt, Watterson, [and] Thurman,” and asleep in a cradle labeled “Independence” is either Carl Schurz or Joseph Pulitzer.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-12-24

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

The true inwardness of the Tilden boom – the democratic tribes clamor for Sammy to strike his rocks

Samuel J. Tilden, pictured as Moses with two rays of light emitting from his forehead, stands with his back to a mountainside where some rocks look like barrels labeled with “$”, and a sign that states “This Stream Stopped Running in November 1876.” He is confronted by a group of parched (for funds) political aspirants labeled “Hewitt, Watterson, Dana, [Hendricks], Cox, Bayard, Randall, N. Y. Democracy, [Kelly], Payne, Lamar, [and] Thurman,” and one man holding a jug labeled “For Campaign Funds.” They implore him to strike the rocks and make the money flow.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-04-02

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

Who killed Hancock?

The ghost of Winfield Scott Hancock sits on a throne in a banquet hall. Samuel J. Tilden pushes a frightened Charles A. Dana, as Macbeth, toward Hancock. Dana makes wild statements while waving around a note for $5000.00. A chalice has fallen to the floor, spilling “Harmony.” Samuel S. Cox, as a court jester, sits on the floor next to the throne with “S.S. Cox’s Joke Book” at his knee. The room is filled with courtiers, among them Thomas A. Hendricks, Grover Cleveland who has fallen backwards onto John Kelly, Thomas F. Bayard, Samuel J. Randall, David Davis, Henry Watterson, Abram S. Hewitt, Hubert O. Thompson, George Hoadly, and Benjamin F. Butler. All seem to be sitting in judgment of Dana. Caption: MacBeth-Dana–“Never shake thy gory locks at me! I’ll bet you Five Thousand Dollars thou canst not say I did it!!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-08-29

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

For sale again

Print shows John Kelly carrying a basket labeled “27,000 Votes For Sale,” accosting passengers on a “New York Train,” seeking buyers. Around the car, men are seated beneath windows labeled “Democratic Nomination Hewitt for Gov.,” “Cornell for Gov.,” “Folger for Gov.,” and “Wadsworth for Gov.” They are reading newspapers labeled “Half Breed,” “Greenback,” “Independent Puck,” “Stalwart,” and “Machine Paper.” Caption: John Kelly Here you are! I’ll sell to anybody else, except “blind pool men.” How much for the lot?

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-08-30

Creator(s)

Graetz, F. (Friedrich), approximately 1840-approximately 1913

A Lenten dream

A mermaid labeled “Presidency” swims in water with a clear view of the fish that are attracted to her. Depicted are David Davis, Grover Cleveland, Joseph E. McDonald, Benjamin F. Butler, Robert Todd Lincoln, John Sherman, Sereno Payne, Chester A. Arthur, William T. Sherman, John Kelly, Samuel J. Tilden, Allen G. Thurman, Abram S. Hewitt, Roswell P. Flower, John Logan, Thomas Bayard, James G. Blaine, Ulysses S. Grant, Roscoe Conkling, Samuel J. Randall, and Winfield Scott Hancock.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-03-12

Creator(s)

Keppler, Joseph Ferdinand, 1838-1894

The political Sam’ls of Posen

Print shows a large group of political peddlers trying to sell their goods to Columbia as mistress of the house. Among those shown are Samuel J. Tilden selling “Tribulation Toys”; Benjamin F. Butler with “Elastic Politics” suspenders; Ulysses S. Grant, “306” on his watch chain, with a sack of “War Record” and “Old Clo’s”; Roscoe Conkling with a bag of “Stalwart Stationery”; James Gillespie Blaine offering his card “J. Blaine Fancy Goods” with a bag of “Southern Policy [and] Fancy Notions”; Thomas Hendricks; Chester Alan Arthur; David Davis peddling “D. Davis’s Soap will Scour Both Parties”; Abram S. Hewitt; William Evarts; Allen Granbery Thurman with a sack of “Rag Babies”; John Alexander Logan peddling “Logan Bombast”; Grover Cleveland with a sack of “Clean Shirts”; Thomas F. Bayard peddling “Dodge Salve” and “Bayards No Policy”; John Sherman with “Honest Hosiery”; and Winfield Scott Hancock with “Clean Gloves.” Dashing up in the background are “Johann Kelly & Co., Samuells Randall & Co., [and] Gen. Sherman U.S.A.” Uncle Sam is sitting, in the upper left, with his feet on the railing of the second floor porch. Caption: Columbia – “Not to-day – some other day!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-07-25

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

Blundering in a perilous position

A camel has collasped under the weight of its burden labeled “Amendments,” with Samuel J. Randall riding on top. Concerned travelers include John Kelly, Samuel J. Tilden, Henry Watterson, Sereno Payne, Morrison, Abram S. Hewitt, Grover Cleveland, Carlisle, Charles A. Dana, Thomas Bayard, Benjamin F. Butler, and Samuel S. Cox. Bones labeled “1880 Local Issue, 1876 Fraud, [and] 1872” lie in the sand nearby. A “November Simoom” is approaching in the right background. On the left, an elephant labeled “Republicans” carrying among others James G. Blaine, John A. Logan, and Roscoe Conkling, races toward an oasis. Caption: “If its back is broken, we are lost!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-03-19

Creator(s)

Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896

Persuasive nymphs trying to lure the coy faun into the presidential waters

Thomas A. Hendricks, Abram S. Hewitt, Charles A. Dana, and Henry Watterson are pictured as nymphs in women’s clothing attempting to coax Samuel J. Tilden as a faun into water labeled “Presidential Waters.” Already in the water, in the background, is Thomas F. Bayard.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-08-22

Creator(s)

Graetz, F. (Friedrich), approximately 1840-approximately 1913

Letter from Charles E. W. Smith to Theodore Roosevelt

Charles E. W. Smith submits the names of several men whom he believes would be respected as members of a commission to investigate the Anthracite Coal Strike.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-10-13

Creator(s)

Smith, Charles E. W.

Letter from Donald McDonald Dickinson to George B. Cortelyou

Donald McDonald Dickinson offers his opinion on the prospects for President Roosevelt’s administration and the attacks being made on him. Although popular sentiment is with Roosevelt, the organization is likely to oppose him in strength at the next election, and the time to begin preparing for that fight is now. The Booker T. Washington incident and his speech at Arlington hurt him. If Roosevelt could make some statement this fall about his desire to find a solution for the negro problem, it might assuage those in the South who were offended. Dickinson also urges that Abram S. Hewitt and others with large investment interests be made advisers to the president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-07-11

Creator(s)

Dickinson, Donald McDonald, 1846-1917

Letter from F. Norton Goddard to Theodore Roosevelt

F. Norton Goddard has recently spoken with Samuel Thorne, who does not believe there is a Coal Trust that can be formally prosecuted. Goddard has also spoken with Abram Stevens Hewitt, who is described as “a very poor adviser.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-05-28

Creator(s)

Goddard, F. Norton (Frederick Norton), 1861-1905

Letter from John Hay to Theodore Roosevelt

There have been many complaints from Ecuadorian officials against Consul De Leon in relation to his drunkenness and violent temper. Minister Carbo of Ecuador encouraged the removal of De Leon. Secretary of State Hay had suggested De Leon be removed from office and was pleased when De Leon took a leave of absence and said that he would not return. However, De Leon is now complaining to his friends about his mistreatment and would like his record cleared on the State Department’s books. Hay has no problems with these records being destroyed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-05-07

Creator(s)

Hay, John, 1838-1905