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William A. Dana informs Theodore Roosevelt that he should be nominated for president in 1912, criticizing the Sugar Trust for raising prices and urging Roosevelt to use the “big stick” to lead Republicans to victory.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-13
The House of Delegates of Puerto Rico submits a resolution to the United States Congress seeking protection for Puerto Rican sugars.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-01-04
Matthew Elting Hanna reports on the “sanitary, social, political, and economical conditions” of Santiago de Cuba.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-10-03
Uncle Sam, dressed as a woman and holding a switch of bound rushes in his left hand, talks to a young girl labeled “Philippines.” They are standing on a beach with the water labeled “Free Trade in Tobacco and Sugar.” Caption continues: “Oh, yes, my darling daughter! Hang your clothes on the hickory limb, but Don’t You Go Near the Water!!!”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1906-01-24
A young woman wearing a hat labeled “Cuba” stands, with her arms crossed, trying to decide which of three paths to choose. The first path, labeled “Reciprocity,” leads to an angry “Beet Sugar Senator” who is offering “No Tariff Concessions.” The second path, labeled “Cuban Loan,” leads to Uncle Sam offering the “Platt Amendment.” The third path leads to the U.S. Capitol and “Annexation.” None of the paths look promising to her. Caption: Events are fast limiting her to one path.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-09-03
A tiny dog labeled “Cuban Reciprocity” barks at a man who has climbed a fence out of fear. His hat labeled “Sugar Trust” has fallen to the ground.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-05-07
A young woman labeled “Cuba” turns away from Uncle Sam who is offering her a plate labeled “Reduction of Tariff on Cuban Sugar” with an egg labeled 20% on it. In the background a man labeled “American Sugar Grower” is enraged because he feels the egg is larger than it should be. Caption: Cuba — Only this little egg for me? / Sugar Planter — All that big egg for her?
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-03-26
A “Tariff Wall” on the U.S. coastline has two gates, one labeled “Annexation” and the other labeled “Reciprocity.” A woman labeled “Cuba,” holding a bundle of “Raw Sugar” cane, is attempting to enter the United States through the gate labeled “Reciprocity.” She is being turned away vociferously by a man labeled “Sugar Grower” holding a piece of paper labeled “Tariff on Sugar.” In the background is a woman labeled “Porto Rico” carrying a bundle of sugar cane. She has entered through the “Annexation” gate over which the sugar grower and his tariffs have no control. Caption: Cuba — Why not let me in? Porto Rico is inside. / American Sugar-Grower — She didn’t come in this gate. She went through the other one – and I can’t control that!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902-01-29
Uncle Sam is in a tree, chased there by the Russian Bear which is standing at the base of the tree. Uncle Sam has dropped his rifle labeled “U.S. Duty on Russian Sugar.” Caption: Uncle Sam (to Russia). — Don’t shoot! I’ll come down!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1901-07-31
Theodore Roosevelt liked the editorial and hopes to see James R. Garfield soon. He does not care if any part of his administration is investigated because there was no wrongdoing, but “they are such dishonest jacks that they do not realize this.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-09
Attorney General Wickersham has directed the File Room to re-examine whether there are any letters about the Earle-Kissel-Segal sugar matter that are not in the printed document. He thanks Theodore Roosevelt for the invitation to lunch, but his schedule is both full and uncertain.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-01
Attorney General Wickersham has dispatched a messenger to New York to deliver some files to New York District Attorney Henry A. Wise referring to the Earle-Kissel-Segal sugar matter. He has instructed Wise to communicate with Theodore Roosevelt regarding when Roosevelt would like to receive the documents for examination. He agrees with Roosevelt that “the whole assault is idiotic,” and shares his view of the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-07-26
Edmond H. Madison believes that Representative Thomas W. Hardwick, chairman of the special committee investigating the sugar trust, is more concerned with injuring Roosevelt’s reputation than in conducting his investigation. A recent interview of George H. Earle saw many attacks on Roosevelt which were subsequently reprinted in newspapers. Madison now worries that an upcoming interview with Milton Dwight Purdy may have the same aim, and asks Roosevelt for any information he should be aware or forewarned of for the upcoming hearing.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-07-07
Mark Rolla Spelman informs William Loeb that Insurgent General Cleto Collado del Cueto burned the Esperanza American property this morning, but the Constancia sugar mill was saved by Commander William F. Fullam and his men. Present forces can protect the sugar house only, so they need reinforcements.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-18
Postcard showing agricultural laborers harvesting sugar cane.
Unknown
Cartoon shows Theodore Roosevelt holding an oversized “message” behind his back. He stands in front of a hook on the wall “Proofs,” holding four sheets of paper: “No. 1 Beet petition,” “No. 2 Conclusions Ways and Means,” “No. 3 Notices of perpetual caucuses,” and “No. 4 Percentage Reduction pro-sugar trust.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902
Cartoon shows an unidentified man, possibly Attorney General Philander Knox, on the left holding sheet “Remove Dutch standard technicality 209 Tariff Law 1897” and H. T. Oxnard on the right holding a sheet “Remove 12 1/2 [cent] per. 100 lbs. on refined.” They stand on either side of a billboard, “57th Congress. Solutions wanted. Reward offered. Prevent Cuba’s annexation? Protect American beet sugars? Protect Louisiana cane sugars? Break sugar refiner monopolies? Preserve Republican harmony? Help Cuban sugar planters? Protect Puerto Rico sugars? Explanation 209 Tariff Law 1897. April 18, ’02.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1903
Cartoon shows Theodore Roosevelt and Republican House Majority Leader Sereno Elisha Payne walking arm in arm between two billboards, “Help Cuba grant 25% reduction and double stock,” and “Notice! Help Cuba remove Dutch Standard in Tariff Law 1897 Paragraph 209.” The billboards are supported by posts “Sugar Trust,” “American Planters,” and “Cuban Planters.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902
Cartoon shows Republican Speaker of the House Sereno Elisha Payne standing on a crate “1902” in front of a safe he has broken into. In the safe, labeled “Republican Pledges 1897 not to be opened until 1922,” are compartments “Steel,” “Tin,” “Sugar Trust Dutch Standard,” and “Domestic Sugar.” Payne chisels open the domestic sugar compartment. Inside the safe door is inscribed: “July 19, 1897. We will not disturb the tariff in the next quarter of a century. Sereno E. Payne.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
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.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1902