Payne, Sereno Elisha, 1843-1914

The Cuban Gordian-Knot

Cartoon shows Theodore Roosevelt and Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne tightening a knot in a cord “Tariff Law 1897 [paragraph] 209 16 Dutch” around the waist of a man “Cuba” holding a “cane knife.” On the right, the cord is cut into money by the head of the American Sugar Refining Company, Henry O. Havemeyer. The money falls into bags labeled “Sugar Trust Profits.” On the left, the head of American Crystal Sugar Company, Henry Thomas Oxnard pulls on Roosevelt’s coat tails. A sugar beet protrudes from the back of Oxnard. A legend at the bottom provides quotes concerning the Roosevelt administration, sugar growing and refining interests, Congress and Cuban industrialists related to reciprocity, Cuban annexation and trade.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Reciprocal percentage frothy Cuban relief

Cartoon shows Theodore Roosevelt and Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne holding full steins of beer. They each spit into an empty stein held by a man representing Cuba. At the foot of the man is a “cane knife.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Brussells conference, cartel magnate

Cartoon shows a man in German dress “Cartel Magnate” jumping a rope “Brussells Conference” turned by a barefoot man “Cuba” and Republican House Speaker Sereno Elisha Payne. The cartoon refers to the 1902 Brussels Sugar Convention where discussions included the topic of a German sugar cartel that received trade advantages over Cuban sugar.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Cuban relief, U.S. labor laws …

Cartoon shows Republican House Speaker Sereno Elisha Payne as a messenger delivering a sheet of paper “Cuban relief. U.S. labor laws. U.S. immigration law. 20% reduction reciprocity. April 1, ’02” to a barefoot man “Cuba.” Payne has a sheet of paper in his coat pocket “[Paragraph] Veto. 209 Dutch Standard Tariff Law 1897.” Cuba holds a sugar knife “Industry” and dangles a pair of shoes “Real estate taxation” behind his back.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

The uplifting of Cuba

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Payne and Republican Congressmen Robert C. Morris, Francis G. Newlands, Henry Allen Cooper, and James A. Tawney pulling on a rope to lift a bucket from a well. Their efforts are hampered by a stick “Dutch Standard” knotted into the rope “Tariff Law 1897” at the pulley. The cartoon refers to efforts by Republican congressmen to aid Cuba while high tariffs on sugar imposed by the Tariff Law 1897 hampers their efforts.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Sugar trusts profits, Dutch standard hill

Cartoon shows Theodore Roosevelt, Republican Speaker of the House Sereno Elisha Payne, Long, and a man holding a sugar beet pushing a barrel “Sugar Trust Profits” up a hill “Dutch Standard Hill.” A man at the top of the hill holds an umbrella “Color restrictions.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

In the interests of humanity and the American sugar refining combine

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne sitting on the Republican side of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber dangling a fishing line over the Democratic side. The fish hook is labeled “Fake Tariff Reduction.” Payne sits on a book with a page protruding, “Dutch Standard [paragraph] 209” which refers to the Tariff Law of 1897.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Sereno Payne robbing a safe

Cartoon shows Republican Speaker of the House Sereno Elisha Payne standing on a crate “1902” in front of a safe he has broken into. In the safe, labeled “Republican Pledges 1897 not to be opened until 1922,” are compartments “Steel,” “Tin,” “Sugar Trust Dutch Standard,” and “Domestic Sugar.” Payne chisels open the domestic sugar compartment. Inside the safe door is inscribed: “July 19, 1897. We will not disturb the tariff in the next quarter of a century. Sereno E. Payne.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Congressional puzzle: – find Cuba in the cartoon

Cartoon shows a ticker tape machine labeled “Tariff Law 1897 Dutch Standard.” On the right, the head of the American Sugar Refining Company, Henry Osborne Havemeyer, surrounded by three overstuffed bags labeled “Sugar Trust Profits,” cuts the ticker tape into dollar bills that fall into a feed trough in front of the GOP elephant and the Democratic donkey. Republican Speaker of the House Sereno Elisha Payne holds the tail of the elephant while James D. Richardson, a Democratic Congressman holds the tail of the donkey.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Treed at last

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne, the head of the American Sugar Refining Company, Henry Osborne Havemeyer, and a Republican elephant in the top of a tree labeled “Sugar Trust.” The roots of the tree are labeled “Dutch Standard,” “Cartel,” and “Bounty.” Below the tree stands Democratic Representative John R. Thayer holding a Democratic donkey wearing blinders and wearing a blanket labeled “Resolution March 11th, April 26th.” A long rein extends from the donkey to the other side of the tree where Republican Senator Henry Moore Teller holds the end of the rein. Cartoon refers to a congressional resolution introduced by Thayer to leverage divisions in the Republican party. The resolution called for an investigation into whether the sugar trust would be the primary beneficiary of Cuban reciprocity.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Sereno Payne robbing a safe

Cartoon shows Republican Speaker of the House Sereno Elisha Payne standing on a crate “1902” in front of a safe he has broken into. In the safe, labeled “Republican Pledges 1897 not to be opened until 1922,” are compartments “Steel,” “Tin,” “Sugar Trust Dutch Standard,” and “Domestic Sugar.” Payne chisels open the domestic sugar compartment. Inside the safe door is inscribed: “July 19, 1897. We will not disturb the tariff in the next quarter of a century. Sereno E. Payne.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

For better protection, wear blinders

Cartoon shows Theodore Roosevelt and Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne walking arm in arm between two billboards, “Help Cuba grant 25% reduction and double stock,” and “Notice! Help Cuba remove Dutch Standard in Tariff Law 1897 Paragraph 209.” The billboards are supported by posts “Sugar Trust,” “American Planters,” and “Cuban Planters.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Star gazing

Cartoon shows President Theodore Roosevelt and Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne arm in arm at the end of a pier “Sugar Trust Tariff Law 1897 [paragraph] 209, 16 Dutch.” The pier is held up by posts labeled “Trust” and waves below are labeled “political oblivion.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Then he (Thayer) went away back – and sat down

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne and a Republican elephant sweating in the top of a tree labeled “Sugar Trust.” The roots of the tree are labeled “Dutch Standard,” “Cartel,” and “Bounty.” Below the tree stands Democratic Representative John R. Thayer holding a Democratic donkey wearing blinders and wearing a blanket labeled “Resolution March 12th.” Cartoon refers to a congressional resolution introduced by Thayer to leverage divisions in the Republican party. The resolution called for an investigate into whether the sugar trust would be the primary beneficiary of Cuban reciprocity.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Why not wear brogans? Shoes are too small

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne standing on two documents, “Tariff Law 1897 [subsection mark] 209, 16 Dutch % reduction enrich sugar trust,” and “Annexation policy, assist Cuba, do not hurt the sugar trust.” The cartoon refers to Payne’s political positions on the US annexation of Cuba, tariffs and support for the sugar trust.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Sweetly monopolized

Cartoon shows a wealthy man “Sugar Trust” holding a cloth (?) labeled “Reciprocity” in his fist. Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne, a skeleton representing Cuba, and President Roosevelt all pull on a portion of the cloth. Roosevelt wears a sword “Tariff modifications.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

In the interests of humanity and the American sugar refining combine

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne sitting on the Republican side of the U.S. House of Representatives chamber dangling a fishing line over the Democratic side. The fish hook is labeled “Fake Tariff Reduction.” Payne sits on a book with a page protruding, “Dutch Standard [paragraph] 209” which refers to the Tariff Law of 1897.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Congressional puzzle: – find Cuba in the cartoon

Cartoon shows a ticker tape machine labeled “Tariff Law 1897 Dutch Standard.” On the right the head of the American Sugar Refining Company, Henry Osborne Havemeyer surrounded by three overstuffed bags labeled “Sugar Trust Profits” cuts the ticker tape into dollar bills that fall into a feed trough in front of the GOP elephant and the Democratic donkey. Republican Speaker of the House Sereno Elisha Payne holds the tail of the elephant while James D. Richardson, a Democratic Congressman holds the tail of the donkey.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Then he (Thayer) went away back – and sat down

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne and a Republican elephant sweating in the top of a tree labeled “Sugar Trust.” The roots of the tree are labeled “Dutch Standard,” “Cartel,” and “Bounty.” Below the tree stands Democrat Representative John R. Thayer holding a Democratic donkey wearing blinders and wearing a blanket labeled “Resolution March 12th.” Cartoon refers to a congressional resolution introduced by Thayer to leverage divisions in the Republican party. The resolution called for an investigate into whether the sugar trust would be the primary beneficiary of Cuban reciprocity.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

The uplifting of Cuba

Cartoon shows Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Payne and Republican Congressmen Robert C. Morris, Francis G. Newlands, Henry Allen Cooper, and James A. Tawney pulling on a rope to lift a bucket from a well. Their efforts are hampered by a stick “Dutch Standard” knotted into the rope “Tariff Law 1897” at the pulley. The cartoon refers to efforts by Republican congressmen to aid Cuba while high tariffs on sugar imposed by the Tariff Law 1897 hampers their efforts.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902