Metcalf, Victor Howard, 1853-1936

President Roosevelt opens his cabinet, which features busts of his cabinet members, and tells them, “Come now, all of you must take the stump.” In the foreground is the “Taft campaign stump” and the following cabinet members are depicted as busts: Secretary of Commerce and Labor Oscar S. Straus, Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou, Bureau of Corporations James Rudolph Garfield, Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War Luke E. Wright, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, Postmaster General George von Lengerke Meyer, Secretary of the Navy Victor Howard Metcalf, and Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The cabinet as a cabinet: two factors attest to the appropriate characterization of events pictured by P. B. McCord’s political cartoon during the last week of the 1908 presidential campaign.

President Roosevelt looks out of his office at members of his cabinet standing on stumps: Secretary of Commerce and Labor Oscar S. Straus, Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, Secretary of the Navy Victor Howard Metcalf, Secretary of War Luke E. Wright, and Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock. Roosevelt says, “Durn the luck.” Caption: Every member of his cabinet on the stump and he can’t get into the game.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The long-time political cartoonist of the Minneapolis Journal (and remembered as founder of a successful correspondence school of cartooning), Charles Lewis “Bart” Bartholomew pictured a situation that was known to all citizens, and regretted by many, not least President Roosevelt himself. There was a strict precedent and tradition against presidents campaigning in person — with few exceptions for themselves (somehow seen as not dignified), but never for candidates down the ballot lists; and certainly not for candidates in elections where a successor would be chosen.

This photograph includes the entire cabinet: President Roosevelt, Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of Commerce and Labor Oscar S. Straus, Secretary of the Interior James Rudolph Garfield, Secretary of the Navy Victor Howard Metcalf, Secretary of the Treasury George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Postmaster General George von Lengerke Meyer, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, and Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-25

President Roosevelt watches naval officers rush forward, shouting, “Double Quick.” Beside him is a sign that reads, “To Promotion. Wanted–More Naval Officers–Get in Young and Get More Experience–Commander in Chief.” Secretary of the Navy Victor Howard Metcalf stands on a boat labeled “The U.S. Navy” and says, “Them’s My Sentiments.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

“A Probable Naval Order”? The Washington Herald’s cartoonist Jack H. Smith was prescient, because before President Roosevelt left office, he promulgated the Physical Readiness Training (PRT) program for naval officers. Roosevelt, since his days as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, was appalled at the indolence and general physical decrepitude of naval officers, desk and line both.

President Roosevelt looks on as members of his 1906 cabinet laugh at papers with the heading, “Storer.” One chair is empty, and there are pictures on the wall of Postmaster General Charles Emory Smith, Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long, Secretary of the Treasury Lyman J. Gage, and Attorney General Philander C. Knox, all from 1901.

Comments and Context

This political cartoon by Clifford Kennedy Berryman, with its typically awkward depictions of public figures, addresses not the general composition of President Roosevelt’s cabinet, although it was within a week of this cartoon that Oscar S. Strauss succeeded George B. Cortelyou as Secretary of Commerce and Labor, the latter moving to the Treasure portfolio.

It rather has to do with the denouement of a protracted and embarrassing contretemps between Roosevelt and erstwhile friends and political sponsors, Bellamy and Maria Longworth Storer of Cincinnati. The wealthy Storers of Cincinnati, friends of William H. Taft of their city, had a home in Washington, D.C., where they hosted friends like Taft when he was President Benjamin Harrison’s Solicitor General. They attached themselves to Taft’s friend Theodore Roosevelt, too, when he became Civil Service Commissioner in 1889.

Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalf, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, and Secretary of the Interior Ethan A. Hitchcock all march out of the “White House” and to the “keeper of the gags.” There is a large sign that reads, “Notice! By order of the President the members of the cabinet will resume their muzzles on leaving the White House.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-23

All of the cabinet officers stand in a circle, have gags in their mouths, and point at one another: Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalf, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, and Secretary of the Interior Ethan A. Hitchcock.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-04

Cabinet officers march out of the “White House” with each one holding an axe: Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalf, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, and Secretary of the Interior Ethan A. Hitchcock. A bald eagle looks on and says, “Gee whiz!” Caption: Shade of George Washington!

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-18

“The Press” looks a number of cabinet officers who have gags in their mouths: Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalf, and Secretary of the Interior Ethan A. Hitchcock. The “White House” is in the background. Caption: “Think twice before you speak, then talk to yourself.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-19

President Roosevelt holds up two fingers and talks to his cabinet: Secretary of State John Hay, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of the Interior Ethan A. Hitchcock, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, and Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalf. There is a bear skin with two holes on the wall.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-05-14

Secretary of the Navy Metcalf does not endorse Senator Lodge’s recent statements regarding Democrat William Jennings Bryan’s platform on the navy. The article states that in particular, Metcalf took issue with Lodge’s declaration that were it not for the navy, Japan “would insult” the United States. A handwritten note in the margins from Lodge states that, “I did not say that or anything resembling it.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-12

Postmaster General Cortelyou is pleased about the appointment of Charles Earl as Solicitor of the Department of Commerce and Labor, and believes he will be of great assistance to Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor Howard Metcalf.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-09

The London Times relays reports from its correspondent in America regarding various issues and events in the United States. In particular, the correspondent provides updates on political policies and legislation, as well as events that have happened in Washington, D.C., and between the United States and countries abroad, such as Venezuela and Haiti.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-30

The Senate Committee on Naval Affairs interviews a number of naval officers on some alleged defects in the construction of several battleships now being built. Chief among these concerns are the questions of the placement of the armor belt, the positions of the guns, and the design of the hoists to provide the turrets with ammunition.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-21

This report records a series of documents, primarily from Admiral W. L. Capps, Constructor of the Navy, answering recent criticisms about some naval vessels in the United States Navy. These criticisms centered on the height of the freeboard of the ships, their water-line armor distribution, and the ammunition hoists used, among other topics. The report contains a statement by Capps, a report of a relevant discussion by the British Royal Navy, a number of diagrams detailing armor distribution, and a record of hearings conducted by the House Committee on Naval Affairs. Capps refutes the criticism by correcting several misunderstandings about terminology, explaining the rationale behind some shipbuilding decisions, and mentioning that several issues have already been corrected in newer ships.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-19

Johnson Hagood protests a recent letter to the editor of The Sun that argued against a proposed increase in military pay. Hagood argues that the increase will not significantly increase inequality in pay between the branches, and is certainly better than no increase. Indeed, Hagood believes that recruitment for his own artillery branch will collapse entirely without an increase in compensation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-21

The Navy Department has ordered five new destroyers whose guaranteed speed is only twenty-four knots, far less than foreign ships. President Roosevelt or Congress should consider overhauling the entire Navy Department, as inattention to speed has been a constant problem and the American people deserve better ships.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-26

The Conciliation Committee of San Francisco has called for an industrial peace conference with the encouragement of President Roosevelt. The gathering will propose to organize a branch of the National Civic Federation, led by Benjamin Ide Wheeler. Many labor leaders and some cabinet members are expected to attend.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-20

Representative Metcalf recommends E. S. Pilsbury for the advisory committee. President Roosevelt suggests that Representative Cousins second his nomination at the Republican National Convention. He asks if an African American should speak, such as Judson Whitlocke Lyons or William Demos Crum.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-05-10

Composite photograph showing President Theodore Roosevelt seated at his desk with Cabinet members superimposed near him. The members are identified as (left to right): Taft, Wilson, Straus, Root, Hitchcock, Cortelyou, Bonaparte, Metcalf and Shaw.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1906