Politicians

The combined forces of the gold standard supporters, including some newspaper editors, and a reluctant William McKinley, march under the standard “The Nation’s Credit Must Be Upheld,” toward a fort labeled “Fort 16 to 1” flying the banner “Repudiation,” and manned by soldiers armed with pitchforks and scythes. The newspaper editors are staffing the big guns labeled “Sound Money Press.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-07-22

Emilio Aguinaldo stands at center, wearing military uniform, and holding a flag and a sword. Around him are many old men dressed as women, supplicating themselves and tossing roses at his feet. Among them are Carl Schurz, John P. Jones, Charles A. Boutelle, Edwin L. Godkin holding a paper labeled “N.Y. Evening Post,” William B. Cockran, Eugene Hale, George G. Vest, Donelson Caffery, George F. Hoar playing a lyre labeled “Sen. Hoar,” William Lloyd Garrison Jr. reading his “Ode to Dear Aguinaldo,” George F. Edmunds, Joseph Pulitzer, Oswald Ottendorfer, [and] William Jennings Bryan. A bundle of “Editorials” lies on a rock in the left foreground.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-05-10

The statue of George Washington, full-length, stands with right arm raised and with fasces behind him, at Federal Hall on Wall Street, New York City. A large crowd of men is standing on steps, among them William “McKinley,” holding a flag that states “The National Honor Must Be Upheld,” and from left, “Phelps, Carlisle, Sherman, Buckner, Palmer, Harrison, Hobart, Cleveland, [and] Flower.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-10-21

In the “Field of Municipal Revenue,” a man labeled “Taxpayer” gleans the droppings labeled “Public Improvements” left behind by harvesters labeled “Political Boss, Franchise Lobbyist, Practical Politician, [and] Corrupt Politician” with a wagon-load of hay labeled “Deals, Franchise Grabs, Graft Contracts, Extravagance, Rake-offs, [and] Jobs.” The wagon is being driven by a man labeled “The Man Higher Up.” Caption: Formerly the impression prevailed that this gentleman owned the field.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1909-10-13

Two men labeled “Political Boss” and “Public Service Corporation,” with shotguns, hide in tall reeds near decoys labeled “Respectable Candidates” trying to lure a flock of ducks or geese labeled “Votes.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1909-10-20

At a dog show, a variety of breeds are competing. In the upper left corner, labeled the “Judges’ Stand,” are several newspaper editors, including James Gordon Bennett, Whitelaw Reid, Murat Halstead, Charles A. Dana, Henry Watterson, and George W. Curtis. They are judging two dogs, Winfield Scott Hancock and Samuel J. Tilden. Other dogs depicted are “Sesquipedalian Sleuth Hound Evarts, Mulligan Mongrel, Rossa Runt – take care dangerous, Lap Dogs Monopoly Breed”, also Chester A. Arthur, William Mahone, Thomas Collier Platt, Roscoe Conkling, James D. Cameron, John Logan, “Pointer Bayard, Tammany Tarrier, House Dog Edson, Dachshund, Toby Dog, Poodle, Water-dog,” David Davis, U.S. Grant, “Tewksbury Ratter, Hoar-Hound, Hybrid Hayes” and at center, “Puck’s entry Cleveland [and] S. Low.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-05-09

A large procession crosses the newly-completed Brooklyn Bridge. At the front, dressed as policemen with nightsticks, are several newspaper editors. Among them are James Gordon Bennett, Oswald Ottendorfer, Whitelaw Reid, Murat Halstead, Joseph Pulitzer, Charles A. Dana, and Carl Schurz. Puck follows at center on a white horse, with a group of dandies on the right, one labeled “Freddie,” and a group of “Political Tramps” on the left, including George M. Robeson, Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas Collier Platt, James G. Blaine, and Roscoe Conkling. John Kelly is at the lead of the “Tammany Heelers,” followed by Hubert O. Thompson with the “New York Street Cleaning Department.” Behind them comes “Puck’s Monopoly Target Company” with Russell Sage, William H. Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, and Cyrus W. Field. On the left is a masonic group labeled “F. & A.M.” carrying a goat on a pedestal. Beneath the bridge is a boat labeled “The Dynamiter” filled with angry anarchists. Caption: Puck follows the example of the illustrated newspapers, and gives an accurate picture of the event one day before it takes place – and don’t you forget it!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-05-23

Eight stagecoaches stand in a procession, each jammed with passengers. Riding in the first coach, labeled “Republican Harmony Coach,” are Chester Alan Arthur, Roscoe Conkling, James Gillespie Blaine, John Alexander Logan, Ulysses S. Grant, J. D. Cameron, George William Curtis, John Sherman, John F. Miller(?) and an unidentified man. Riding in the second coach, labeled “Dem. Love Feast Coach” and “One Republican thrown in to please Mr. Dana,” are Charles A. Dana, Benjamin F. Butler, Edward Cooper, Rutherford B. Hayes, Franklin Edson, Samuel J. Tilden, John Kelly, and Hubert O. Thompson. Riding in the third coach, labeled “Heavy Hack,” are Cardinal John McCloskey, Robert Green Ingersoll, “Jacobs, Potter, Storrs,” Howard Crosby, Henry Ward Beecher, and Theodore Tilton. Riding in the fourth coach, labeled “Monopoly,” are William H. Vanderbilt, Russell Sage, Cyrus W. Field, Jay Gould, and a box labeled Henry Clay. Riding in the fifth coach, labeled “Thespis,” are Lester Wallack, Rose Coghlan, Marie Geistinger, “T.P., J.E. Pearson, Levy,” Dion Boucicault, Edward Harrigan, and Tony Hart. The sixth coach is labeled “Homeopathy”; the seventh coach is labeled “Allopathy”; and the eighth coach is labeled “The Bruiser.” The horses pulling this last coach wear boxing gloves. Caption: [If this takes, we will have another one next year.]

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-06-13

Print shows an upper class British man shaking hands with Richard Croker at an equestrian event.

Caption: Lord Slapbang–I am proud to shake the hand of one of America’s uncrowned kings! / Richard Croker (to himself)–One! I wonder if he thinks there are two of us? Somebody must have been stuffing him about Platt!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

A richly dressed man stands in the street in a neighborhood of lavish homes, with two large bags of money hanging at his sides, labeled “Profits as Attorney at Law” and “Profits as Claim-Agent.” A smaller bag, labeled “Salary,” hangs at his waist.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-02-14

Grover Cleveland rides the Democratic donkey past the “Republican R. R. R. Hotel” on the way to his inauguration. He is surrounded by a host of characters that includes many political figures and newspaper editors, including Joseph F. Keppler with his diminutive character Puck. Among those depicted are: Roscoe Conkling, George Edmunds, Augustus Garland, “Hampton,” “William H. Barnum,” L. Q. C. Lamar, “Grace,” “Jones,” Joseph Pulitzer, James G. Bennett, Henry B. Ward, Samuel J. Randall, Thomas Hendricks, Abram S. Hewitt, U. S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, “McDonas,” Daniel Manning, George W. Curtis, Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel J. Tilden, Thomas F. Bayard (carrying a flag that states “Public Office is a Public Trust. G. Cleveland”), Joseph Medill, William C. Endicott, John Logan, James G. Blaine, Carl Schurz, William F. Vilas, Cox, Winfield Scott Hancock, Benjamin Harrison, Henry Watterson, and Hermann “Raster.” Also shown is Puck’s Independent Party figure and papers labeled “Compliments of C. A. Dana.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-03-04

Print shows a fireworks display with Puck bowing on a stage in front of a “Fan Light” featuring the likenesses of William H. Vanderbilt, Russell Sage, Cyrus W. Field, and Jay Gould; on stage with Puck is a hand holding a smoldering torch which may represent Bartholdi’s hand and torch from the Statue of Liberty. On the left is a pagoda labeled “Puck Office” and on the right is a building labeled “Tammany Hall.” Among the fireworks are many faces of politicians and other prominent figures of the day, some labeled by type of firework, such as “Chicago Shower” – Arthur, Grant, Conkling, Logan and Cameron; “Tumbler” – Tilden; “Twister” – Schurz; “The Falling Tammany Star” – Kelly; “Bomb” – Davis; “Junk Whizzler” – Robeson; “Polar Rocket” – Bennett; “Buster” – Butler; and “Star Route Staggerer” – Dorsey. Others shown are James G. Blaine, Henry Ward Beecher, Elizabeth Tilton(?), Thomas De Witt Talmage, and Theodore Tilton.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-07-05

Republican presidential candidate James G. Blaine as the prostitute “Phryne” is revealed by Whitelaw Reid, wearing shorts, a bib labeled “Magnetic Pad,” and covered with tattoos relating to his various shady dealings, standing before Republican delegates who are dressed as Greek senators. Among those depicted are George W. Curtis, William M. Evarts, Carl Schurz, a youthful Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Bristow, Warner Miller, William H. Robertson, John A. Logan, John Sherman, James Donald Cameron, Simon Cameron, Benjamin Harrison, and George F. Edmunds. Drawing is based on J. L. Gerome’s 1861 painting “Phyrne Before the Areopagus.” Caption: Ardent Advocate “Now, Gentlemen, don’t make any mistake in your decision! Here’s purity and magnetism for you – can’t be beat!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-06-04

In a crowded outdoor scene, possibly in “Times” Square, Japanese paper lanterns are hanging and almost everyone is wearing Japanese-style clothing. Among the porters, street vendors, and street railroad conductors are depicted Jay “Gould,” H. O. “Thompson,” Charles A. “Dana,” Whitelaw “Reid,” Benjamin F. Butler, “Bergh,” Elizabeth Cady “Stanton,” Joseph “Pulitzer,” Samuel J. “Tilden,” Thomas De Witt “Talmage,” William M. “Evarts,” and “Grace, Murray, [and] Barrett,” and Marcus “Daly,” along with Puck holding his lithographic pencil.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1886-01-13

In the interior of the “Political Hot House,” many plants with the heads of politicians are potted and labeled with botanical names, for example “Butleria Cockeya,” “McVeaghia No Chancea,” “Tildenus Fossilis,” “Blainea Sunstrokea,” “Hewittia Tariffia,” “Shermania Honestia,” and “Thurmania Ragbabia.” At center is a figure fashioned from quill pens, a drum labeled “Press,” and newspapers labeled “Louisville Courier Journal, N. Y. Sun, Tribune, Herald, Advertiser, Times, [and] Cincinnati C[…],” holding a potted plant labeled “Arthuria Accidentalia.” A politician holding a spade labeled “Out of a Job” gestures toward the door of the greenhouse. In the background is the “White House.” Among the plants are Rutherford B. Hayes, Thomas F. Bayard, Winfield Scott Hancock, George B. McClellan, Roscoe Conkling, Cyrus W. Field, Samuel J. Tilden, Allen G. Thurman, John Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, Wayne MacVeagh, George F. Edmunds, William M. Evarts, Benjamin F. Butler, Abram S. Hewitt, Chester A. Arthur, James G. Blaine, David Davis, and a plant identified as “Adams Icebergea.” Caption: Unoccupied Politician “Oh, I assure you, my dear Mr. Press, it’s none too early to begin to set out the Presidential Plants!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-04-05

Puck holds a shotgun over one shoulder and a dead owl in his raised right hand. With him are two hunting dogs labeled “Wit” and “Satire.” He is surrounded by dead animals that have the faces of politicians, including James G. Blaine, Roscoe Conkling, George M. Robeson, and William E. Chandler. A frog probably represents Benjamin F. Butler, an unidentified man is lying in the marsh grass, and a bird of prey, with the face of Jay Gould, carries off a sheep with “Wit” in pursuit.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-01-14

Uncle Sam puts politicians, newspaper editors, and others on “Ice” in an icehouse to keep them cool until campaign time for the presidential election. Among those depicted are Ulysses S. Grant, Roscoe Conkling, James G. Blaine, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, Samuel J. Randall, George M. Robeson, Samuel J. Tilden, David Davis, John A. Logan, George F. Edmunds, Thomas Bayard, Abram S. Hewitt, Grover Cleveland, Lucius Q.C. Lamar, Daniel W. Voorhees, William Mahone, James D. Cameron, Carl Schurz, Whitelaw Reid, James G. Bennett, John Kelly, Joseph B. Foraker setting off firecrackers attached to the tails of Uncle Sam’s coat, George Hoadly, Henry Watterson, John Sherman, Thomas Hendricks, Henry Ward Beecher, and Stephen W. Dorsey trying to light a stick of dynamite labeled “Bulldozing Threats” beneath Uncle Sam.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-07-04

Print shows a large group of political peddlers trying to sell their goods to Columbia as mistress of the house. Among those shown are Samuel J. Tilden selling “Tribulation Toys”; Benjamin F. Butler with “Elastic Politics” suspenders; Ulysses S. Grant, “306” on his watch chain, with a sack of “War Record” and “Old Clo’s”; Roscoe Conkling with a bag of “Stalwart Stationery”; James Gillespie Blaine offering his card “J. Blaine Fancy Goods” with a bag of “Southern Policy [and] Fancy Notions”; Thomas Hendricks; Chester Alan Arthur; David Davis peddling “D. Davis’s Soap will Scour Both Parties”; Abram S. Hewitt; William Evarts; Allen Granbery Thurman with a sack of “Rag Babies”; John Alexander Logan peddling “Logan Bombast”; Grover Cleveland with a sack of “Clean Shirts”; Thomas F. Bayard peddling “Dodge Salve” and “Bayards No Policy”; John Sherman with “Honest Hosiery”; and Winfield Scott Hancock with “Clean Gloves.” Dashing up in the background are “Johann Kelly & Co., Samuells Randall & Co., [and] Gen. Sherman U.S.A.” Uncle Sam is sitting, in the upper left, with his feet on the railing of the second floor porch. Caption: Columbia – “Not to-day – some other day!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-07-25

Father Knickerbocker, symbolic figure of New York City, uses a hose attached to a fire hydrant to wash the city streets clean of mud labeled “Mr. Mud, Mrs. Mud, Gaynor Mud, Hearst Mud, Ivins Mud, Tammany Mud, Fusion Mud, [and] Just Mud.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1909-11-03

Theodore Roosevelt forwards to Secretary of War Stimson a letter from Joseph Bucklin Bishop. Roosevelt praises the work of both Bishop and Colonel George W. Goethals on the Panama Canal. Roosevelt says that he, Gifford Pinchot, and James Rudolph Garfield are all pleased that Stimson has accepted the appointment as Secretary of War, even though Pinchot and Garfield “are still inclined to be entirely off in matters political.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-31