Radicalism

William Jennings Bryan reaches for President Roosevelt’s “radical policies” teddy bear.

comments and context

Comments and Context

An early Nelson Harding cartoon in the conservative Democratic newspaper The Brooklyn Eagle well states the situation — or at least the widespread perception of public, press, and politicians — that Theodore Roosevelt had adopted increasingly radical positions through his presidency. Many observers noted that policies that had been anathema to Roosevelt and many Republicans, including onetime Populist platforms, were now accepted, or at least advocated by the president.

President Roosevelt pushes William H. Taft holding a pennant, “Taft Boom.” Behind Roosevelt is Representative Theodore E. Burton and a group of men with the pennant, “Radical Freshmen.” In front of Taft are the “Conservative Sophomores”: Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks, Philander C. Knox, Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon, New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes, and Senator Joseph Benson Foraker.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-26

President Roosevelt takes a shortcut to get in front of “the people” lead by Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette and William Jennings Bryan down the road pointed toward “radicalism.” Caption: A short cut to leadership.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Claude Maybell’s meaning in this cartoon for the Brooklyn Eagle was as challenging as his composition and caricatures. The figures on the pathway are the reliably radical William Jennings Bryan of the Democratic Party, and Senator Robert M. LaFollette, Republican of Wisconsin. The latter was a newcomer to Washington and national politics but was already making his mark as an insurgent — proponent of radical prescriptions: a proto-progressive.

President Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan walk from their own horse to the other’s horse. Roosevelt holds a paper that says “Roosevelt’s tax on fortunes” and walks onto the “radicalism” horse while Bryan holds a paper that says “Bryan’s opposition to socialism” and walks onto the “conservatism” horse.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-18

Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Gilson Gardner’s letter. Roosevelt thinks that if Gardner’s friend did not find Roosevelt’s speech radical enough, then Roosevelt does not know “what radicalism is.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-08-03

Theodore Roosevelt has announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination and “the fight is on!” He is amused that his opponents in the Dakotas portray him as too conservative while on the East Coast he is described as being a radical.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-02-29

Theodore Roosevelt is delighted that W. S. Rainsford likes what he wrote about Mexico and hopes that he also likes what he wrote about the European war. Roosevelt describes himself as a “sane radical,” suggesting that radicalism should be moderated or else it has the potential to be “very dangerous.” Roosevelt would like Rainsford to come to Oyster Bay so he can tell him about South America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-12-12

Theodore Roosevelt writes Amos Pinchot to discuss his continued support for George W. Perkins to remain a figure in the Progressive Party and warns against rooting out moderates from the party for the sake of maintaining the purity of ideals. Roosevelt also pushes back against the idea that breaking down trusts would improve the cost of living, and lays out what happened regarding the trust plank of the Progressive Party’s 1912 platform. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-12-05

President Roosevelt was very touched by the letter from Grafton D. Cushing, and feels just as he does. Many people in Roosevelt and Cushing’s social circles do not realize the fervor with which many Americans demand a change in the social order. If progress is not made under reasonable leadership, there is a risk of approaching revolution or tyranny, as occurred in France during the French Revolution. Likewise, if leadership is given to radicals like William Jennings Bryan or Eugene V. Debs, Roosevelt thinks that they will try to enact impossible programs and fail, leading once again to revolution. Roosevelt agrees with Cushing’s statement that the government must be concerned with the primacy of justice and the equality of opportunity.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-27

President Roosevelt is glad that Jacob A. Riis liked his recent speech. Roosevelt says that he “is no more to be frightened out of a sane and courageous radicalism by the creatures who yell that it is socialism, than to be frightened out of a proper conservation by the equally senseless yell that it represents reaction.” Roosevelt agrees with Riis on the uselessness of large fortunes, as well as the necessity of revising the tariff.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-18

President Roosevelt will see E. D. Morel, but will not be able to do anything about the Congo when it is six weeks before a national election. Roosevelt has been rereading Thomas Babington Macaulay’s histories and is struck by the importance of moderation in bringing about progress. Roosevelt discusses his position on race relations and labor issues as being moderate compared to extremists on either side.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-16

President Roosevelt begins to chop down the “Bryanism” tree with branches of “bank guaranty law,” “radicalism,” “government ownership of railroads,” and “sensational issues.” A cat or raccoon that has the face of William Jennings Bryan is trapped up in the tree. On the ground are several wood chips: “Standard Oil controversy,” “Define your attitude toward labor.–T.R.,” and “Haskell incident.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon possibly was drawn by a young Frank Godwin, who was born in Washington, D.C., to a newspaperman father. Frank was 15 (four years before this cartoon’s publication) when he secured his first job as an artist. He lived around Philadelphia, and in New Jersey, most of his life. 

This newspaper article begins by quoting from Jacob Gould Schurman and notes he advocated “substantial concessions to the radical sentiment of the country.” While Schurman will never openly side with radicals, the writer believes his thoughts are indicative of the rest of the United States. As Schurman demonstrates, there is “real sympathy” between William Jennings Bryan’s radicalism and republicanism. The article suggests that President Roosevelt has tried to bridge the gap between the two positions and that Schurman’s advice of a “modern reform policy” like that in Russia is “the most sagacious policy” conservatism can adopt to retain power.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-20

British Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman, wearing a “Radical Promises” cloak, rides a horse with a “Radical Major” harness and a “Socialism” tail. The horse is kicking up the dust of “Distrust,” “Financial Insecurity,” “Faddism,” “Confiscation,” and “Experiment.” Caption: Lady Godiva:—”Good Gracious! If this covering blows off they’ll discover that I’ve nothing underneath!”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-08

The speech discusses what it means to be “truly conservative” and distinguishes between being a true conservative and what it means to be radical. The author discusses farming and farmers, railroads, the Panama Canal, and the Sherman Act.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

Unknown

President Taft, wearing a large hat, offers a corn stalk labeled “Excuse, Apology, Explanation, Defense, [and] Persuasion” to a cow labeled “The West” and with a bell labeled “Insurgency” around its neck. The cow is not interested in Taft’s excuses or explanations.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-11