Jack-in-the-box

Santa Claus, labeled “G.O.P.,” reaches to place the “Star of Hope” on top of a Christmas tree trimmed with lemons, marble hearts, a stuffed bear “From Teddy,” two “Little Big Sticks” and a “Big Stick,” a ball of “Promises,” and three balls labeled “Gas, Guff, [and] Wind.” On a nearby table is Joseph Cannon as a “Joe in the Box,” a “Home made frosted cake from Uncle Joe’s Pantry,” and a book of “Fairy Tales by Uncle Sam.”

Comments and Context

J. S. Pughe’s cover cartoon directly addresses a crisis in America’s handling of the Philippine Islands as an American territory, during an important moment of policymaking. The matters at hand were important to the Filipinos, of course: trade, tariffs, and economic sovereignty.

To the American public, especially since most of the bloody insurrection was quelled — largely by President Roosevelt’s amnesty and promises of self-determination — questions concerning the Philippines had become a matter of great indifference. Governor-General William H. Taft, returning to the United States and engaging in policy speeches, remarked that the sure way to clear a hall of reporters and attentive listeners was to mention the Philippines.

Uncle Sam watches as a jack-in-the-box holding a paper that reads “the president of Panama” is controlled by “New York” (“canal prospects”) and “Paris” (“canal bonds”). Meanwhile, a man carrying the “credentials of new minister” heads toward the White House. Several United States battleships steam towards Panama.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-13

President Roosevelt walks toward a “canal ‘scandal'” jack-in-the-box with his big stick in his hands. Uncle Sam puts his hand on Roosevelt’s right shoulder. Caption: Uncle Sam–“There’s no need of getting excited, Theodore.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The context of this Nelson Harding cartoon is, in the cartoonist’s view the scandal that was not a scandal, but nevertheless perturbed President Roosevelt. His brother-in-law, as well as William H. Taft’s brother, were accused of illicitly profiting from negotiations and transactions during the “taking” of Panama and beginning of construction of the Panama Canal four years previous. The president was also offended at the implied criticism of his management.

Three figures stand holding strings leading to boxes with small figures popping out of them. The first figure, a tiger, represents the Democratic Tammany Hall and holds a string leading to a box labeled “Dix.” Second is the figure of Theodore Roosevelt, who holds a string leading to a box with “Stimson” written on it. Finally is the figure of William Randolph Hearst, who holds both a sign saying “The simon-pure unbossed Hearst” and a string to a box labeled “Hopper,” with the figure emerging out of the box holding a flag labeled “Independence League.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1905

A hydra-like jack-in-the-box labeled “Political Trick-Box” has the heads and arms of Matthew S. Quay, David B. Hill, and Arthur P. Gorman, each holding a whip labeled “Bosses” and pointing an index finger.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-09-25

The angel of peace sits on a rocky ledge, playing a large horn, with a dove sitting on her feet. Around her in the night sky are discordant images emerging from the horn, such as Marianne knocking over the “French Cabinet,” Turkey and Greece as Jack-in-the-boxes shooting at each other, King George V and “Lords” dealing with a firecracker labeled “Ulster” and the “Home Rule Bill,” a man carrying a large stick labeled “Interstate Commerce” about to strike a menacingly snake-like railroad train, and “Huerta” and “Villa” fighting atop a pile of dead bodies.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1914-07-18

A man, identified as the “Pirate Publisher,” stands at center with one foot on a large book labeled “Law.” He is wearing 17th century court dress, a large hat with four plumes labeled “American, French, German, [and] English,” and a long cape that appears to be made from the title pages of pirated works of literature; and he is carrying two moneybags. Authors from “America, Germany, France, [and] England” form a half-circle behind him, including “Mark Twain, C. D. Warner, G. W. Cable, E. C. Stedman, F. Brete Hart [i.e., Bret Harte], J. Hay, O. W. Holmes, F. R. Stockton, J. G. Whittier, T. B. Aldrich, W. D. Howells, J. R. Lowell, Heyse, Ebers, Scheffel, Zola, Sardou, A. Daudet, Jules Verne, Gilbert, Browning, Burnard, Hughes, Tennyson, [and] W. Collins.” Some hold papers labeled “James Payn, Louis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, [and] R. L. Stevenson.” They are accusing the man of illegally publishing their work without compensating them, while the man maintains that he has a legal right to publish their books. There is a jack-in-the-box labeled “The Hugh Conway Posthumous Producer.” The jack holds a knife in one hand and a gun in the other. Includes choruses “of British Authors…French Victims…German and other Sufferers, [and] Humble American Authors.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1886-02-24

Uncle Sam’s Christmas tree is about to topple over onto him because there are too many heavy ornaments near the top, including a red devil labeled “Politician,” a cannon labeled “Sherman Law,” a jack-in-the-box labeled “Wickersham,” a basket filled with food labeled “Cost of Living,” a parrot labeled “Woman Suffrage,” a ball labeled “Increased Taxes,” a large book labeled “Over-Legislation,” another ball with a “$” and the face of big business, an automobile labeled “Extravagance,” a large ball labeled “Bill” with the face of President Taft, and an angel labeled “Teddy.” Caption: Uncle Sam’s Christmas crash.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-12-20