Scales (Weighing instruments)

President Roosevelt carrying a big stick stands beside a man labeled “Senate” casting a vote into the “Dominican Ballot.” To their left stands a woman blindfolded, holding scales in her right hand and an enormous sword “justice” in her left.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The Dominican Republic was a longtime irritant in hemispheric and world politics and commerce, as successive corrupt governments defaulted on international loans and payments, leading to numerous threats from European powers to forcibly collect reparations. President Roosevelt’s desire for regional harmony and justice, coupled with his opposition to European military activity in the Caribbean, directly led to his promulgation of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

A wildlife handling facility scale stands partially constructed in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1965-10

Columbia stands on a globe labeled “United States,” holding a balance scale labeled “Constitutional Amendment” on which rests a large sword labeled “Centralized Government.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Beginning around this time in American national politics, traditional voices in the mainstream occasionally advocated, at least in theory, the benefits of centralization and regulation. Of course Theodore Roosevelt himself did, advocating the first measures of the regulatory state that peaked around 1906 with legislation and gained traction after 1910, the insurgent and Progressive movements. There was no one impetus, but the seemingly intractable challenge of the trusts might, to some, be solved by a corresponding consolidation of governmental power. Also, political and economic theorists among academics frequently urged centralization of the federal government. Countries in Europe, especially Germany, experimented with Socialism, with apparent success. When magazines like Puck (conservative Democrat, largely) and Judge (conservative Republican) argued occasionally for centralization and, for instance, municipal ownership of utilities, it seems surprising today. It was surprising then, but reform was in the air. It is also a matter of speculation about whether the voices of opinion, and leaders like Roosevelt, might be proud of the ideas they planted, or see centralization as a Frankenstein monster after the subsequent century.

Uncle Sam holds up a balance scale with “Labor” on the left and “Capital” on the right. When the two are balanced the scale points toward “Prosperity,” and when uneven the scale points toward “Depression.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-09-18

Two women lean out windows. On the left is an Irish domestic representing the “Dem. Party” and on the right is a well-dressed matron representing the “Rep. Party.” Between them hangs a balance scale labeled “Party Politics” with Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley on the left, trying to upset the balance by pulling on the chains, causing the scale to swing wildly, and with Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson on the right, struggling to hang on.

comments and context

Comments and Context

At the time of this cartoon there was an intense national debate over conflicting claims about the destruction of the Spanish fleet in Cuba in the Spanish-American War. Despite the partisan figures in Keppler’s windows, the controversy was more about personalities than parties. Acting Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson had command of the American fleet and designed a battle plan to blockade the Spanish fleet in Santiago Harbor. He even decided which Americans ships would pursue in case of a breakout. His inferior officer, Rear-Admiral Winfield Scott Schley, commanded the fleet whilst Sampson was ashore conferring with General William Shafter. Indeed the Spanish ships, commanded by Admiral Pascual Cervera, broke out, and after naval scrambles and chases, sometimes hampered by artillery smoke, all were destroyed or grounded. Sampson’s ships arrived after the fighting, yet the tactician of the battle cabled Washington, “The Fleet under my command offers the nation, as a Fourth of July present, the whole of Cervera’s fleet.” Schley, who managed the victory, had nevertheless displayed occasional vacillation, if not insubordination, and independence that left other officers confused at times. Both officers were celebrated after the war — as were other heroes like Theodore Roosevelt and Admiral George T Dewey — and each had their fervent partisans. After release of a book that criticized Schley in the extreme, he requested a Board of Inquiry. Its hearings and findings (generally supporting Sampson, supported on appeal by President Theodore Roosevelt) were a national sensation.

A bloated Uncle Sam labeled “Balance of Trade” sits on one side of a scale labeled “Commerce of the World,” outweighing the group of nations on the other side of the scale, “Greece, Spain, China, Russia, Mexico, Africa, Germany, France, England, Turkey, Japan, [and] Asia.” Caption: Uncle Sam’s balance of trade is now the largest favorable balance any nation has ever had in its foreign trade.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-03-13

President Roosevelt thanks Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson for the scale and for her company at lunch.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-19

This report provides statistics and analysis regarding tariff concessions to the United States by Brazil, including details of specific rates of imports proportionate to Brazilian exports.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-29

Cartoon shows blindfolded Justice holding a scale labeled “Republican Administration.” On the heavier side of the scale is a baby labeled “Sugar Trust” wearing a bracelet “12 1/2 [cent sign] and sucking on a bottle labeled “Tariff Law 1897 [paragraph] 209, Dutch Standard.” The lighter side of the scale holds the island of Cuba covered in gravestones and a label “War Bill $300 millions.” The cartoon implies that the Republican administration of Theodore Roosevelt favors the sugar trust over Cuba and the debt incurred during the Spanish American War.

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 blindfolded Justice holding a scale labeled “Republican Administration.” On the heavier side of the scale is a baby labeled “Sugar Trust” wearing a bracelet “12 1/2 [cent sign] and sucking on a bottle labeled “Tariff Law 1897 [paragraph] 209, Dutch Standard.” The lighter side of the scale holds the island of Cuba covered in gravestones and a label “War Bill $300 millions.” The cartoon implies that the Republican administration of Theodore Roosevelt favors the sugar trust over Cuba and the debt incurred during the Spanish American War.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902

A Republican elephant holds a scale with President Roosevelt and an “anti-trust” paper on one side and Ohio Senator Marcus Alonzo Hanna with a “stand pat” paper on the other.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12

President Roosevelt holds down scales so that they are weighted on the “pull” side, which has Leonard Wood and a paper that reads, “promotion to a major generalcy.” The other side, which is labeled “merit,” features a number of men in uniform and with decorations. Caption: This system of weighing is now the subject of a Senatorial investigation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-12

Both the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey struggle to tip the 1904 scales, already weighted down with votes from various states, in their favor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11

President Roosevelt will try to persuade C. Hart Merriam to adopt Ernest Thompson Seton’s proposals. Roosevelt enjoyed lunching with Seton and his wife, Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson, and looks forward to receiving the weight beam.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-22

William H. Taft stands on the “political scales” to see if he meets the requisite number of delegates for “G.O.P. nomination.” Unbeknownst to him, President Roosevelt also puts his weight on the scale.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Nelson Harding of the Brooklyn Eagle (and at the end of his career the New York Journal) was an artist of limited abilities. Yet he compensated for his labored caricatures, exacting penwork, and unsure anatomy with invariably brilliant, succinct concepts.

William Jennings Bryan stands on one side of a scale, cranking out speeches labeled “Wind, Weak Speech, Cheap Oratory, Boy Talk, Silly Speech, Free Silver Sophistry, Dangerous Propositions, Mercenary Reasoning, Silly Speech by Bryan, Bryan’s Blatherskite Oratory, Foolish Speeches by Bryan, Bryan’s Demagogic Speeches, [and] Bryan’s Inflammatory Talk,” which land at the feet of William McKinley, standing on the other side of the scale, holding a paper labeled “Gold Standard.” Caption: The more he talks, the more McKinley weighs.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-10-21

A Dutchman holds with his left hand balance scales on which are pelts and a weight. He is supporting the side of the scales with the pelts with his left foot and is holding the other side of the scales with his right hand in order to cheat the Native of the proper value for his pelts. Caption: As it was in New Amsterdam.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1910-06-08

An old hag labeled “Tradition” sits in a chair labeled “Justice” and holds a large balance scale labeled “Law” with ten men on the right and one smug man labeled “Stubbornness, Ignorance, [and] Prejudice” sitting in the tray on the left next to a sack labeled “Venality.” The one man outweighs the other ten. Uncle Sam is attempting to kick the man out of the balance. At his feet is a paper that states “‘Remember, you want twelve jurymen and we want only one’ (Monopolist).” Caption: We shall see the day when Uncle Sam will kick the obstructionist out of the jury-box.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1886-02-10

Print shows John Inscho Mitchell labeled “Independent Reps.” standing on one side of a balance scale labeled “Republican Scales” and “Penn.” He outweighs J. D. Cameron who sits on the other side of the scale in a dish labeled “Bossism” with the additional weight of “Threats, Tricks, [and] Bluster” added beneath him. Chester Alan Arthur is seated behind them, holding a large sword labeled “Patronage.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-06-28