Legislators

William E. Chandler appears as a store clerk at the “Republican Misfit Clothing Company” helping David B. Hill purchase some new clothes. Hill is trying on a new coat that has a large golden medal labeled “McKinleyism” hanging from the lapel. The coat is too big for him, though Chandler tells him it fits perfectly. Hill’s old coat, with a ribbon that states “D.B.H. I am a Democrat,” is lying on a chair between them. Caption: Mister Chandler–Mein cracious, Meester Hill; it fits you like de paper on de vall!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-05-16

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

The spirit of General Winfield S. Hancock holds a paper that states “Governors Island 1880. The Tariff is a Local Issue. Gen. W. S. Hancock.” He stands among congressmen in a congressional chamber where senators or representatives from “Maryland, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, Kansas, [and] Pennsylvania” are tearing off sections of a large paper labeled “The Tariff?” that apply to their respective states. Caption: Shade of General Hancock–They laughed at me when I said the tariff is a local issue; but I was right, after all!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-05-02

A group of men, scoffers, labeled “Tillman, Elkins, Penrose, Crane, Lodge, Depew, Gallinger, Aldrich, [and] Sherman” watch four men labeled “Cummins, Dolliver, Gore, [and] La Follette” construct an ark labeled “Principle.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1909-07-28

Uncle Sam sits on the Speaker’s desk in the “U.S. Senate,” bound by tape labeled “McKinley’s High Protection Monopoly Tariff,” facing a group of senators labeled “Coal Senator, R. Road Senator, Collar and Cuff Senator, Sugar Senator, Steel Rail Senator, Lumber Senator, Copper, [and] Iron Senator,” and David B. Hill holding a large knife labeled “Peanut Dave.” Seated among them is George F. Hoar. Caption: What are we here for, if not for our private interests?

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-03-28

A prisoner labeled “McKane” sits on a bench labeled “Reserved for Bosses who Steal Elections” at Sing Sing prison. McKane is holding a large pair of scissors, a measuring tape, fabric and thread. He is looking back at the new arrival, Edward Murphy Jr., sitting in a chair labeled “U.S. Senator,” that is being lifted over the wall of the prison by a pair of hands labeled “Justice.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-04-04

A troop of soldiers wearing red coats, some labeled “Clothing Trust, Franchise Grabber, Food Trust, [and] Land Trust,” march past Daniel Chester French’s sculpture, “The Minute Man.” Among the soldiers are Nelson W. Aldrich wearing a miter and carrying a flag decorated with an emblem of a crowned hand pointing thumb-down in a squashing gesture, John Dalzell, J. S. Sherman, and Sereno Elisha Payne. Joseph Gurney Cannon is pictured kissing the boot of a fat officer labeled “Privilege” riding on a horse. In the background, more red coats are ransacking “The American Home” and tearing down the American flag.

Comments and Context

Udo J. Keppler’s Fourth of July cartoon was a scathing indictment of the American economy, 1909, and specifically a gallery of politicians and business leaders he portrayed as dismissive of patriots and patriotism.

Various trusts and monopolies are pictured as generic, overblown villains; but the identifiable figures are singled out for special censure — especially the Speaker of the House of Representatives Joseph Gurney Cannon kissing the boot of Special Privilege; and the banner of Nelson W. Aldrich (leader of Senate Republicans) bearing the symbol of a crowned hand pressing its thumb down. In the distance, the American flag — upside-down, a distress signal — is being torn down.

In this vignette cartoon various presidential candidates are depicted with their trappings. David B. Hill as “The Political Suburban Resident” is overloaded with packages labeled “Low Political Jobs, Petty Schemes, Unsuccessful Intrigues, Tricks, [and] Peanut Politics.” William McKinley is “The National Political Brooklynite” pushing a stroller containing papers labeled “High Protection.” Thomas Collier Platt is “The Obstreperous Cook” with William L. Strong and Levi P. Morton standing in the background. Thomas B. Reed is “The Political Lady with the Big Hat” which is labeled “Presidential Boom” and obscures the view of Benjamin Harrison, John Sherman, and William B. Allison. William A. Peffer is “The Amusing Political Hayseed” of “very ordinary” intellect, but long on whiskers, and George F. Hoar is “The Voluble Political Mother-in-Law” who clears the “U.S. Senate” when he stands to speak.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-01-30

Stephen B. Elkins walks down an aisle in the “U.S. Senate,” holding a “Certificate of Election to U.S. Senate – Stephen B. Elkins.” Seated on the left are “Teller – Senator on Cash Basis” and “Smith,” and seated on the right are “Brice – Senator by Grace of Boodle” and “Jones Bonanza Senator.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-01-23

Columbia welcomes a group of ragged politicians, mostly Democrats, some no longer in office, and newspaper editors, to come in from the cold winter night and warm themselves by the fire and enjoy some “Christmas Cheer” from a large punch bowl, with the many recently elected Republican legislators, mayors, and governors. All are identified by name, except William B. Allison: “Morton, Goff, Strong, Harrison, Dayton, McKinley, McIntyre, Marvil, Upham, Coffin, Reed, Depew, C. A. Dana, D. B. Hill, Springer, Wilson, Bland, Smyth, Grant, Bynum, Waite, [and] McPherson.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-12-26

David B. Hill as the animal trainer Carl “Hagenbeck” performs a circus act with trained animals labeled “Murphy, Pugh, Chandler, Peffer, Morgan, Coke, Higgins, Stewart, Teller, Cullom, [and] Hoar.” Hill is standing at center with a bag of “Peanut Politics” at his feet. He holds a whip in his right hand and a string in his left, which is attached to a ring in the nose of “Murphy” as a dancing bear. “Pugh” as a monkey sits on the floor. The other animals are standing on short pedestals arranged around the rear of the cage.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-02-07

A small dog wearing a collar labeled “Boutelle” is bound with heavy chains and a large padlock labeled “Democratic Majority.” The dog sits outside a doghouse labeled “Minority Kennel.” He is exposed to the cold and snow of winter.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-02-14

President Cleveland holds papers labeled “National Honor and Credit” behind his back, as he faces a group of newspaper editors and legislators labeled “Tribune, N.Y. Sun, Tom Reed, Hill, World, Teller, Stewart, Vest, Peffer, [and] Hoar.” Charles A. Boutelle is at the back of the group holding a paper labeled “Boutelle Resolution.” The U.S. Capitol is in the background behind President Cleveland.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-01-31

Senators labeled “Stewart, Peffer, Vest, Jones, Teller, [and] Wolcott” are being thrown out of windows in a building labeled “U.S. Senate” by laborers and other citizens. Papers labeled “Anti-Repeal Drivel” and “Obstructionist Nonsense” have been thrown out with them. Caption: What a pity this is only a fancy sketch!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-11-01

President Cleveland, a railroad engineer, drives a locomotive labeled “Administration R.R.” that is roaring out of a tunnel labeled “Business Depression Tunnel,” and knocking out of the way legislators who are placing “Dilatory Admendments” and “Teller’s Dilatory Tactics” on the tracks, trying to derail the train. Among the legislators are Francis M. Cockrell, James Z. George, James L. Pugh, William A. Peffer, George G. Vest, James D. Cameron, William M. Stewart, Henry M. Teller, John P. Jones, and Edward O. Wolcott.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-10-11

A senator, probably William M. Stewart, with papers in his pocket labeled “Silver Mine Owner,” addresses the Senate, though all the senators are asleep.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-10-18

Father Knickerbocker, a symbolic figure for New York City, tosses an old man with a long beard out of a building labeled “N.Y. City.” Papers labeled “Anti Local Option, Blue Laws, Hayseed Legislation, [and] Anti Home Rule Laws” fall out of his hat labeled “Hayseed Legislator.” Sitting on the ground outside the building is Richard Croker, the Tammany Hall boss, rubbing his head. The State House labeled “Albany” is visible in the distance. Caption: He got rid of Tammany rule, and now, if he gets rid of Hayseed rule, he will be ready for home rule.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-08-28

A man with a slip of paper in his pocket that states “Senator-Elect from–” is stepping off a barrel labeled with a “$,” and climbing through an open window to a building labeled “U.S. Senate.” The door and the steps are covered with cobwebs from lack of use, and the steps are labeled “Patriotism, Statesmanship, Understanding, [and] Character.” Title quote is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, John 10:1.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1898-02-09

On the left, a “New York Police” officer accepts money from a woman’s hand extending from a window labeled “N.Y. Den.” At right, a man labeled “U.S. Senate” accepts “Stock” from a hand extending from a window labeled “Trusts.” Both men are leaning on a solid pedestal labeled with a large “$” and the word “Protection.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-08-01

Several legislators appear as quack physicians trying to cure a large sick man labeled “Protection” with a packet of “Boodle” on his lap. From left are “Hill, Pugh, Vest, Chandler, Brice, Hoar, Peffer, Gorman, [and] McPherson,” and John Sherman. They apply such medications as “Delay Tonic, Concessions to Trusts, Sympathy, Wind, Senatorial Fog, Obstruction Pills, [and] Misleading Talk.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-07-18