Picking his way
The “Republican Party” elephant walks on “Senate” and “House” stilts, on a path covered with eggs labeled “Monopoly, High Tariff Excuses, ‘Bad Trusts,’ Labor Question, Post Office Scandal, [and] Protected Trusts.” A paper attached to the elephant’s tail states “Tariff Reform.” A sign in the background points “To Washington 1904.”
Comments and Context
The Republican elephant, drawn by Puck‘s go-to animal cartoonist J. S. Pughe, is the focal point of this cartoon that is frankly a generic concept, rare for Puck, rather than an accurate portrayal of events or analysis of issues. The cartoon’s implication is that the party in June of 1903 and a year from the national presidential convention, avoids dealing with a myriad of issues. In fact, except for plainly viewing the tariff as an issue with no urgency to address, the eggs are labelled with issues, positions, and accomplishments that President Roosevelt and the Republican Party were quite willing to discuss with voters.