Jockeys

A doubtful Uncle Sam watches as two horses pass on a racetrack headed for the start of the race. On the first horse labeled “Wilson Bill” is jockey William L. Wilson wearing a ribbon labeled “Tariff Reform.” Several bandages encircle the horse’s legs, tail, and neck labeled “Senate Amendments, Concessions to Collar and Cuff Trust, Concessions to Sugar Trust, Concessions to Coal Trust, Favors to Lead Trust, [and] Favors to Iron Trust.” On the second horse labeled “McKinley Bill” is jockey William McKinley wearing a ribbon labeled “Protection.” Caption: Uncle Sam–Neither one of these animals is good for anything; – they say there’s a new horse being trained, called “Free Trade,” that will beat ’em both!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-06-20

Arthur P. Gorman appears as a jockey riding on a bucking horse labeled “Maryland.” He has dropped his riding crop labeled “Trickery.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-05-09

Puck appears as a jockey on a galloping horse labeled “Free Trade” on a racetrack labeled “International Commercial Race-Track.” John Bull stands on the track next to the British Prime Minister Lord Rosebery as a jockey, sitting on a horse labeled “British Commercial Supremacy.” Caption: John Bull–Good ‘evins! Hif that there filly is goin’ to start, hit’ll go ‘ard with my ‘orse!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-08-01

A horse labeled “Butler’s Policy” ridden by Benjamin F. Butler is kicking up its rear legs, startling a horse labeled “Cleveland’s Policy” ridden by Grover Cleveland at the “Presidential Race-Course” where “Horses [are] Trained for Presidential Races.” The “Gubernatorial Training Stables” are at far left. Gathered beneath a large tree on the right, observing, are John Logan, Roscoe Conkling, James Gillespie Blaine, John Sherman, David Davis, Winfield Scott Hancock, Ulysses S. Grant, Schuyler Colfax, and Samuel J. Tilden. Caption: Dismounted Jockeys – The horses look well enough now; but they began training too early; and will break down long before the race!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-01-31

Sunday at the horse races in Paris about 1906.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1906

A well-dressed couple discuss the amount of money a jockey earned the previous racing season. The woman suggests that he should be able to earn more than the diminutive jockey. Caption: He — That jockey made $50,000 last season! / She — What! That little fellow! Why can’t you do something like that, John?

Comments and Context

Puck surrendered its political prerogative on this issue’s front page in favor of what it thought was a good joke, perhaps an early and brunette version of today’s “dumb blonde” memes. Of interest might be the specific reason the couple is impressed by the jockey’s earning of $50,000 the previous year. In today’s value that is approximately one million dollars.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

William Jennings Bryan, as a horse racing jockey, sits on a rocking horse trying to catch Grover Cleveland, who is walking away from him on the right. Caption: “I’ll run that man down, if I have to kill the horse.”

Comments and Context

Former President Grover Cleveland never admired and scarcely supported William Jennings Bryan. While still president and after Bryan was nominated for the presidency by the Democrat and Populist parties, Cleveland supported the “Gold Democrat” candidate Palmer in 1896. As Bryan never surrendered his radical principles, Cleveland never wavered from his essential conservative beliefs. Who was titular head of the party?

Bryan always resented Cleveland’s opposition, but, as depicted by cartoonist Pughe, his counter-attacks were somewhat futile. Cleveland moved on (recipient of a short-lived “boom” in the 1904 Democrat nominating convention), and so did Democrats; a sizable portion of whom never accommodated themselves to Bryan’s radicalism.