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James Sullivan Clarkson sends a letter from Mr. Hyde of the Equitable Life Assurance Society to the White House staff to give immediately to President Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-20
Governor Odell wrote to President Roosevelt praising Roosevelt’s appointment of James Hyde as French Ambassador.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-10
Jacob H. Schiff supports the appointment of James H. Hyde for a diplomatic position in France. Schiff congratulates President Roosevelt on his Annual Message.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-08
President Charles William Eliot of Harvard writes that James H. Hyde is qualified to be the ambassador to France. Eliot congratulates President Roosevelt on the election results. He praises Roosevelt for his stand against monopolies. Eliot believes the federal government must “defend American society” by regulating trusts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-06
Coaching party near Paris. Left to right: John White Alexander, Grace Green Alexander (veiled), Mrs. Thomas Hastings, Thomas Hastings, [unidentified man], James Hazen Hyde (with gray top hat), [unidentified man], [unidentified man] and, extreme right, Henry A. Alexander.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Unknown
Rats are fleeing a sinking ship labeled “Frenzied Insurance” in the background. James H. “Hyde” has already made it to the shore labeled “France” where another rat, Judge “Andy Hamilton” is standing. Richard A. “McCurdy” and his son-in-law Louis A. “Thebaud” are still swimming ashore.
The biggest rat in J. S. Pughe’s cover cartoon in Puck is James H. Hyde, the disgraced former board member of his family’s Equitable Life Assurance Society, caught in both financial improprieties and a scandalous, extravagant costume ball he threw. He moved to France, which would be his home for decades, when other opportunities disappeared and social embarrassments appeared.
A group of formally-dressed men gather around a table for a banquet, as an old man labeled “Lost Reputation” departs and a cherub labeled “1906” arrives.
This is not a random group of men at a New Year’s banquet pictured by Joseph Keppler Jr. At year’s end, the double-page cartoon in Puck is another comment on the consequential news event that was the long-running and far-reaching New York State investigations into the insurance industry.
The cast of a theatrical production “Robbin’ Hood and his Merry Men” appears on stage for the final song of the production. Shown are, from left, Francis Hendricks as “Alan-a-Dale” playing “The Insurance Lyre,” John R. Hegeman as “Friar Tuck” with a small bag labeled “Loans” at his waist, John A. McCall as “Little John,” Richard A. McCurdy as “Robin Hood” with an animal horn labeled “Bluff” hanging at his waist, James H. Hyde as “Will Scarlett,” Chauncey M. Depew as “Maid Marian” with a bag labeled “Retainer” hanging at his waist, and in the background, Charles Evans Hughes as “The Sheriff of Nottingham.” A diminutive figure labeled “Policy Holder,” his arms and legs bound, is standing between McCall and McCurdy. Includes the lyrics of the song.
Cartoonist J. S. Pughe closed out the year 1905 and one of its most spectacular news stories, the scandals uncovered in the insurance industry — with a parody of an opera company’s “farewell performance.” The investigations lasted so long, however, with Puck milking every opportunity to make cartoon commentary, that readers might have wondered whether there ever would be a farewell.
Thomas William Lawson stands among Christmas gifts and a notice posted on the wall, which states “Christmas Greeting to Lawson Put all insurance proxies in your possession on the State House Steps by 11:15 to night or–!!!” Lawson is surrounded by such gifts as a box of “Dynamite Perfectos Smoke Up! [from] Addicks,” a box of “Poisoned Candy Merry Xmas from McCall,” a large box labeled “Infernal Machine Best wishes of Wall St.,” a large jug with a skull and crossbones labeled “Drink Hearty from PA McCurdy,” a smoking bomb labeled “To Tom from John D.” nestled among flowers “From Rogers,” and a sword “From Hyde.” In the background is a Christmas tree with an oil can and one ornament showing a face.
Udo J. Keppler’s cartoon is a caricature of Thomas William Lawson, whose 14 magazine articles, collected in a sensationalist best-selling book, Frenzied Finance, marked him at the time and in subsequent history as a prototypical Muckraker on a par with Upton Sinclair (the meat industry), Ida M. Tarbell (Standard Oil), and Samuel Hopkins Adams (medicines). Lawson’s expose was of the mining business, specifically Amalgamated Copper and related companies.
Thomas Collier Platt and Cornelius Newton Bliss, as police officers, receive “Hush Money” at the door of an “Insurance Co.” from Richard A. McCurdy. Standing in the window of the building are James H. Hyde, Francis Hendricks, and John A. McCall, among others. An insert labeled “Tenderloin Dive” shows police officers accepting a bribe.
In the Muckraking Era, the public became aware of the odious similarities, first exposed in critiques during the Gilded Age of the 1870s and subsequently, between street crime of the “Other Half” and corruption among the cream of society. Keppler’s cartoon depicts that situation with almost textbook clarity.
James W. Alexander, president the Equitable Life Assurance Society, and generically labeled “Life Insurance Company,” drowns in a sea of papers labeled “Exposure, Bribery, Syndicate Profits, Dummy Deals, Wholesale Graft, Fake Transactions, Juggled Reports, ‘Yellow Dog’ Funds, Rake-off, [and] Investigation.” He is holding in his raised left hand a “Receipt for Campaign Funds Republican Nat’l. Com.” The “G.O.P.” [Republican] elephant dashes over a bluff on the coastline, losing a top hat and halo labeled “Geo. B.” Out at sea, lightning flashes labeled “Publicity.” A bouquet of flowers labeled “J.H.H.” (James Hazen Hyde, the vice president of Equitable, who had recently been ousted from the company’s board) has been tossed meaninglessly before Alexander.
Icons abound in this cartoon, but their meanings would have been clear to headline-followers in 1905. In the middle of the Muckraking Era, when public feelings rose high against Big Business and corporate corruption, the insurance industry — a “Trust” of a few major firms — was rocked by financial scandals and a high society sex scandal involving the heir to the Equitable Life fortune.
Eight men and one woman are seated or standing around a table. Each is identified with a Cabinet position: J.P. Morgan as “Sec’y Navy,” Thomas W. Lawson as “Sec’y War,” Thomas F. Ryan as “Att’y Gen’l,” James J. Hill as “Sec’y Int,” James H. Hyde as “Sec’y Com. and Lab.”, Russell Sage as “Sec’y Agric,” Henrietta “Hetty” Green as “Post Mistress Gen’l,” Andrew Carnegie as “Sec’y State,” and John D. Rockefeller as “Sec’y Treas.” Setting on the table is a statue labeled “Golden Calf,” and hanging on the wall are portraits of “Midas” and “Croesus.” On the far left is a ticker tape machine. Caption: “There is not in my Cabinet one man to whom it is not a financial disadvantage to stay in the Cabinet.”–President Roosevelt at Asbury Park.
This cartoon by Joseph Keppler, Junior, is more of an ad hominem attack on personalities than Puck was used to make. There is no political or policy subtext, either about the Roosevelt cabinet as the president is quoted describing. Nor were any of the moguls at the table imminent appointees. This is merely having fun (except for the obvious venom in the depictions) with Roosevelt’s statement about the financial status of his department secretaries.
President Theodore Roosevelt stands on a reviewing stand, holding hat in raised right hand as a large group of capitalists, industrialists, and financiers wearing the tattered clothing of tramps, march past the stand. Some carry placards with such statements as: “Irrigate the Trusts,” “No place to go but the Waldorf,” “We want the earth,” “Free quick lunches,” “Pity the poor banker,” “Dividends or we perish.” At the front of the group, J. P. Morgan carries a wooden bucket labeled “The full water pail.” Caption: “Aggregated wealth largely represented among Parker’s Supporters”–New York Tribune.
It might be said now, as it was in 1904, that the Republican Party is the home of the wealthy class, industrialists, and plutocrats. And then as now, cartoonists have fed that stereotype. Also then as now, major figures of Wall Street have supported the Democratic Party in great numbers, whether from agreement on social and political issues or frank self-interest.
Two cameo scenes are separated by a telegraph pole labeled “Western Union.” On the left is a civic meeting claiming that “We must uphold our Public Morals and Civic Decency” where seated on a stage are businessmen labeled “Flagler, Schiff, Jessup [sic], Depew, Rockefeller, Hyde, Morgan [and] Sage.” On the right are the same men sitting in a room where they are straining to hear the report of the “Annual Statement” regarding “Sundry other profits from our Subterranean wires increase this total applicable to dividends by $5,000,000” over the din of coins spilling from a cornucopia connected to a telegraph pole and overflowing a barrel labeled “Western Union Pool Room Receipts.” Visible through a window are many buildings labeled “Pool Room.”
This cartoon requires explanation beyond the depiction of prominent and greedy business tycoons of the day. In May of 1904, shortly before Ehrhart’s cartoon was drawn, the Western Union Telegraph system, which was an essential element of commerce and communication, curtailed the transmission of race track information, including facilitating gambling transactions.
President Roosevelt makes an addendum to his previous letter to Representative Sherman stating that Chairman of the Republican National Committee George B. Cortelyou and Cornelius Newton Bliss believe that James H. Hyde should not be appointed ambassador.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-12
President Roosevelt is concerned over the accusations made by Edward Henry Harriman, a prominent railroad executive, particularly a “wilful untruth” concerning a request to raise money for the Republican party during the 1904 presidential campaign. Roosevelt tells Representative Sherman that he believes the dispute with Harriman stems from a dissatisfaction with regulations made on interstate commerce, particularly affecting railroads. Harriman is also disappointed that Roosevelt failed to appoint Senator Chauncey M. Depew as Ambassador to France as he had requested, and refuses to support the Republican party as long as Roosevelt’s policies dominate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-08
President Roosevelt hopes Cornelius Newton Bliss has not taken personally the baseless accusations thrown at him of late. Roosevelt does not believe there was any unusual or excessive expenditure in the 1904 election, and in fact there was less than what the British parliament spends on their elections. It was half of what was spent on the 1892 and 1896 elections, but the more important point is that the money was spent legitimately. Bliss has only given the president advice when he asked, and asked for nothing in return, and for that the president is grateful.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-26
President Roosevelt congratulates Governor Higgins on his success and comments on the odd behavior of ex-Governor Benjamin B. Odell. Based on his actions, Roosevelt believes that Odell may have perjured himself.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-01-03
President Roosevelt tells New York Collector of Customs Stranahan that in light of the testimony of James H. Hyde, it is clear that Governor Benjamin B. Odell has, directly or indirectly, used his office for personal gain and thus should not continue to be leader of the Republican party in the state. Roosevelt does not wish to make any public statement, as he “was elected President and not boss,” but he says that Stranahan can show this letter to New York Republicans Hamilton Fish and Frank Wayland Higgins.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-11-17
President Roosevelt tells his brother-in-law, Douglas Robinson, that he has too many of his own troubles to worry about a row between James W. Alexander and James H. Hyde.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-23