Reciprocity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cartoon shows President Roosevelt sitting in front of the U.S. Capitol reciting his June 13, 1902 message to Congress. On the left is a Cuban cannon firing a shot through a rolled sheet of paper, “Cuban reciprocity proposition except light colored sugar” as the head of the American Crystal Sugar Company, H. T. Oxnard, labeled “Beet sugar,” flees. On the right is a San Domingo cannon firing a shot through a rolled sheet of paper, “Dominican reciprocity offer, % reduction no exceptions” as a man “Sugar Trust” sends a telegram that fires the Cuban cannon.

Comments and Context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Cartoon shows a boxing sugar beet “Productores” (Producers) punching a man “Monopolio Refinador Americano” (American Refining Trust) with fists labeled “Teller Investigacion” and “Resolucion Ley de Reciprocidad Congreso Cubano Nov. 28, 1902” “Reciprocity Resolution Cuban Congress Nov. 28, 1902”.) The man being punched 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 Theodore Roosevelt with a bucket of water “Enmienda Platt” (Platt Amendment) and a fan “16 Escala Holandesa” referring to provisions for sugar in the Tariff Law of 1897.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

Cartoon shows Special Envoy to Cuba Tasker Howard Bliss standing before an army of sugar beets. In the background a man “Sugar Refining Trust” watches with a smile. Bliss holds a rolled sheet of paper “Cuban reciprocity, sugar refining protocol.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

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

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

Cartoon shows Cuban Minister to the U.S. Gonzalo de Quesada presenting a pot ‘Olla Podrida” (Potpourri) filled with “Reciprocidad Mercantil” (Trade reciprocity), “Aspiraciones Americanas” (American aspirations) and “Tratado Politico General” (General political treaty) to a squawking eagle “U.S.” holding an American shield.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

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

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