Luggage

Secretary of War William H. Taft departs a ship with a variety of luggage labeled “Taft U.S.A.” and walks toward a “G.O.P.” elephant equipped with a seat for him. President Roosevelt holds the elephant.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon was published only a week after President Roosevelt’s decisive letter declaiming any interest in the 1908 nomination of the Republican Party. In 1904 he firmly announced that under no circumstance would accept another consecutive term, and yet speculation, doubts, and rumors persisted. Would he relent, and bow to public pressure, as a still popular figure? Could he be drafted?

Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon with a cigar in his mouth holds a folded up umbrella and a suitcase labeled “Uncle Joe” with a paper, “The Show Me,” walking toward “Panama.” Behind him is an elephant also with a cigar in its mouth. On the ground are footprints of others: President Roosevelt, Uncle Sam, and Secretary of War William H. Taft.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Joseph Gurney Cannon was one of the most colorful, flinty, and dictatorial Speakers of the House, a position he held from 1903-1911. He was touted as a Republican presidential aspirant for 1908, but he sometimes averred that he had more power as Speaker than any president could wield; yet his name was frequently discussed in the gaggle of hopefuls, very likely to enhance his influence and prestige as a Favorite Son of Illinois.

President Roosevelt puts a “substitute bill” in a suitcase as a “beef trust” hand sneaks a similar looking “Beveridge bill” suitcase into the room through a secret door. The “big stick” leans up against a desk.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-16

President Roosevelt shakes hands with Elihu Root as Uncle Sam watches. Roosevelt has his hand on a “Dept. of State” chair while Root holds a suitcase that has “New York” and “Washington” crossed out several times and a final “Washington” that is not crossed out. A Teddy bear behind Roosevelt drinks from a mug of “Root Beer.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-08

Theodore Roosevelt writes his sister Corinne to describe his honeymoon trip to Paris with his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee. This is a typewritten copy of the original letter.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1881-06-13

A bill of lading for Theodore Roosevelt’s luggage received from Captain McCoy while he was onboard the “Van Dyck”.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1913-09-27

William II, Emperor of Germany, stands in the middle of a narrow cobblestone street, possibly in Italy (the pope, wearing the papal crown, is walking down the street into the background). He is taking a visiting card labeled “Wilhelm” from a small pouch in his left hand. The French flag is hanging above a door labeled “RF,” on the left, where a man is leaning out a window. Austria appears to be the next door on the left, and other rulers lean out windows on both sides of the street. At William’s feet is a suitcase with labels “William Berlin, Hotel Britain, Polar Star, [and] Morocco.” Caption: “Let me see! Whom shall I call on next?”

comments and context

Comments and Context

German Chancellor Bernhard von Bulow, the former foreign minister who retained much of the diplomatic portfolio under Kaiser Wilhelm II, at this time arranged for the Emperor to undertake overseas trips to enhance the nation’s prestige and international presence. Not all visits were welcome by fellow royals; and some trips were counter-productive, as a leisurely visit to England a few months after this cartoon would prove. (Wilhelm granted a very indiscreet interview to a London newspaper).

William Loeb writes to Benjamin F. Montgomery to inform him that the landau, office carriage, and baggage wagon should meet the party upon arrival around 8:30 this evening, along with Secretary Hitchcock’s carriage.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-25

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary asks Thomas Cook and Son to return a gun case belonging to Kermit Roosevelt to Sagamore Hill.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

President Roosevelt has received John T. Loomis’s letter regarding the books and case he will bring to Africa with him on his safari, and asks several questions about whether certain books are included, and what the current size and weight of the case is.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-02

John T. Loomis updates William Loeb on the order status of the books and box for President Roosevelt’s safari. The books are ready, and their box should be finished and waterproofed by February 20. He inquires if this will be soon enough.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-04

Donald Wilson explains to President Roosevelt that damage to Ted Roosevelt’s luggage was done prior to its being delivered to the Long Island Express and, therefore, the New York Transfer Company is responsible. Wilson offers to submit the claim to the New York Transfer Company on the president’s behalf if he wishes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-08-18

President Roosevelt holds the White House in his right hand and a William H. Taft button on his label. He says, “Loeb, you’re right. This is the place for us!” William Loeb carries several suitcases, including one labeled “T. R. Wash. D.C.” Roosevelt’s dog “Pete” stands beside him with a bandage on his face. Meanwhile, an airplane flies around the United States Capitol building while a teddy bear says, “Just gaze at the improvement since June! My!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

President Roosevelt’s datebook for 1908 indicates that the day this cartoon by Clifford Kennedy Berryman was published in the Washington Star, September 22, is when Roosevelt left Oyster Bay at the end of his summer vacation.

The Army & Navy Co-operative Society sends President Roosevelt an invoice for the food and supplies that he purchased for his safari. The invoice is directed to the care of Smith, MacKenzie & Company.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-02

A wealthy businessman with his family boards a steamer “to Europe,” while a porter carries their single bag of luggage. When the family returns home, at the end of their summer shopping spree, the businessman’s pockets are empty, and the porter is burdened with countless bags of luggage reflecting their overseas purchases. Caption: He talks loudly of fostering America’s industries – but he will go to Europe every summer and do his shopping there, to save money.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-09-11

William L. Wilson stands in the street outside the White House, holding open a large carpet bag labeled “Wilson’s Free List” which contains papers labeled “Free Wool.” He has an umbrella labeled “Income Tax” under his left arm. Sitting next to him on the street is the donkey labeled “Dem. Party” that he had been riding. Several men, four of them identified as “Gorman, Brice, McPherson, [and] Faulkner,” have robbed him of papers labeled “Free Iron, Free Sugar, Free Lumber, [and] Free Coal” and are walking up the street toward the U.S. Capitol, visible in the background. Caption: “Gee whiz! And it’s a wonder they left that!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-06-06

President Wilson sits in a cobwebbed White House attic, rummaging through a trunk full of memorabilia belonging to former President Roosevelt. He pulls out Roosevelt’s famous “Big Stick” from the trunk exclaiming, “Just the thing for my new Knock-Him-Down policy!” Other memorabilia includes a framed portrait of the former president, a copy of Roosevelt’s book of essays and addresses entitled, “The Strenuous Life” (1900), a tennis racket, a sword, spurs, a sign marked “Delighted,” and other paraphernalia.

comments and context

Comments and Context

With Justice Charles Evans Hughes the prospective Republican nominee to challenge President Wilson in 1916, it was not Hughes’ trademark reserve and reticence that President Wilson needed to resist in the 1916 campaign. Roosevelt — a possible nominee of the Republicans and the Progressives, and making frequent attacks on the Administration — prompted Wilson, in this cartoon, to use Roosevelt’s iconic cudgel itself.

As President Roosevelt hastily signs a document, Uncle Sam asks him, “Bid me ‘Howdy’ before you go.” William Loeb checks when the next “presidential train” is due to leave while a teddy bear looks through a songbook of “23 Jingles” which includes the song “In again, out again, presidential train!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1905-1909

President Roosevelt, wearing a William H. Taft campaign button and carrying a miniature White House, declares to William Loeb that Washington, D.C., is indeed the place for them. Roosevelt’s bulldog Pete follows along at his feet. A teddy bear exclaims, “Just gaze at the improvements since June! My!” while a biplane circles the Capitol.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1907-1908

Frederick William Holls offers his opinion on improving methods of baggage handling for incoming European passengers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-03-12