Reciprocity

Bearding the Lion Killer in His Den

Paul V. Collins recently had the chance to speak with Theodore Roosevelt on a train approaching the Twin Cities, as well as in the offices of The Outlook, and recounts his experience speaking with the ex-president. Rather than Roosevelt being interviewed, Collins writes, it felt as though he was doing the interviewing. The two spoke about reciprocity and the political situation in the United States, although Roosevelt did not grant permission to be quoted.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-25

President Taft and the Republican Party

Samuel Strasbourger writes of the importance the moment. President Taft has called a special session of Congress to deal with tariffs, reciprocity, and other big issues facing the nation. Strasbourger believes the Republican Party can continue to make the country and its people prosperous if they stick to Republican principles. Taft will need to continue to be firm and courageous and be willing to be vilified to do what is right for the country.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-05

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

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

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

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

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

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

El gallo canelo – que viva

Cartoon shows a vulture “Comision Especial Ley Reciprocidad Nov. ’02” (Special Commission on Reciprocity, Nov. ’02) looming over a U.S. eagle lying on the ground wearing a tag “Recipocidad Anexionista” (Reciprocity, Annexation). On the left, Tasker Bliss, Cuban President Tomás Estrada Palma, Cuban ambassador to the U.S. Gonzalo de Quesada and U.S. Minister to Cuba Herbert Goldsmith Squiers walk away. On the right Cuban politicians Arocha, Catá, Martinez, Ferrer, Mas, Sanguily and Perez lift their hats in celebration.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902 or 1903

Not one for reciprocity but millions for investment and annexation

Cartoon shows man “Sugar Refining Trust” pushing a wheelbarrow full of bags of money labeled “For Cuban Investment.” A child “Philippino” rides atop the money.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1903

The Bliss-Palma idea of equity La idea de equidad de Bliss-Palma.

Cartoon shows a figure of Justice with two heads, those of Special Envoy to Cuba Tasker Howard Bliss and President of Cuba Tomás Estrada Palma. Justice holds a scale “Reciprocidad” (Reciprocity.) On the left are weights labeled “20%,” “5 years,” and “Art. VII prefertial.” On the right are weights labeled “20%,” “5 anos,” and “Art. VII preferencia,” “Articulo IV.” The weights refer to various provisions related to sugar tariffs in a proposed treaty between the United States and Cuba.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1903

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

Tariff reforming 57th Congress, 2nd session

Cartoon shows a wealthy man “Sugar Trust” seated in a chair ‘[paragraph] 209 16 Dutch” smoking a pipe “Sec. 4 Tariff Law 1897” from which issues smoke labeled “Reciprocity.” A man “Beet Sugar” pulls on the back of the chair as President Roosevelt, holding a “Special Message,” and Democratic Congressman James D. Richardson spur on an elephant and a donkey hitched to a harness connected to a footstool “Duty on dark colored sugar” under the feet of the man.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

An unexpected and agreeable (?) discovery

Cartoon shows President Roosevelt looking through a telescope at a glowing cloud “Resolutions Nov. 28 1902 for a Cuban reciprocity law” while Tasker Howard Bliss places his hand over the lens of the telescope. Roosevelt wears a sword “Reciprocity” and has a rolled sheet of paper in his back pocket “Message, I hope soon to submit to the Senate a reciprocity treaty with Cuba.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

A strenuous reciprocity counter

Cartoon shows a boxing sugar beet “Producers” punching President Roosevelt labeled “Reciprocity Champion” with fists labeled “Teller Investigation” and “Reciprocity Resolution Cuban Congress Nov. 28, ’02.” Roosevelt wears boxing gloves “Quesada” and “Bliss” representing Cuban ambassador to the United States Gonzalo de Quesada and Tasker Howard Bliss, Special Envoy to Cuba. In the corner of the ring is a man labeled “Sugar Refining Trust.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Instruccion Diplomatica

Cartoon shows President Tomas Estrada Palma patting the head of Cuban Minister to the U.S. Gonzalo de Quesada while showing him a large piece of paper, “Recuerda que las proposiciones incorrectas para un tratado de reciprocidad comercial conducirán a la pronta anexion de nuestra patria al pais de nuestros buenos amigos” (Remember that incorrect propositions for a treaty of commercial reciprocity soon lead to the annexation of our country to the country of our good friends).

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Matemática diplomática

Cartoon shows Special Envoy to Cuba Tasker Howard Bliss wearing a sword “Reciprocity” showing a man “Cuba” a board with calculations showing that 20% for Cuba equals 70% for the United States. A vulture labeled “Anexion” (Annexation) sits atop the board. Cuba carries a sugar knife labeled “Industria” (Industry).

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Protected monopoly vs political exposure

Cartoon shows President Roosevelt carrying a large rolled paper “Message.” A man labeled “Sugar Trust” carries an umbrella labeled “Reciprocity” as a storm cloud “Tariff Revision” looms overhead. At the men’s feet is music “Ain’t dat a shame, a meas-ly shame”.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Bill posting

Cartoon shows the back of Francis B. Thurber “Reciprocity Missionary” who has just posted a billboard “Reciprocity on all products only exception sugars lighter than 16 D. S.” Behind his back Thurber exchanges a “Sugar check $2500” with a man “Sugar Trust” while simultaneously exchanging a “Voucher U.S. War Department $2800” with Governor Leonard Wood.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

El juego Americano ping-pong Cuando se cansarán?

Cartoon shows Cuban President Tomas Estrada y Palma and Cuban Minister to the U.S. Gonzalo de Quesada playing ping pong on a table labeled “Washington / Havana” with a ball “Tratado reciprocidad Cubana Americana” (Cuban American reciprocity treaty). A man “Monopolio Azucarero Americano” (American Sugar Trust) watches.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902