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Newspaper clipping of cartoon showing Theodore Roosevelt herding a pig “Delegate” into a pen labeled “The Taft Lot.” Cartoon refers to Roosevelt’s efforts to wrangle delegates for William H. Taft in the 1908 election.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1908
A number of women clean a pig as a man tells them, “Hurry up, girls. The president approaches.” President Roosevelt holds a suitcase as he walks toward the barn.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-06-16
Uncle Sam and President Roosevelt stand at a “law” fence and watch a “Standard Oil monopoly” pig eat from a “rebates” trough, thanks to Roosevelt “Garfield report” light. In the trough are several papers: “semi secret rates,” “discrimination R.R. rates,” “private tank cars,” “secret rates,” “secret state rates,” and “unfair interstate rates.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04
President Roosevelt holds an “open market” big stick as he walks toward a “Panama Canal” trough that “steel trust,” “ship trust,” and “machinery trust” pigs drink from. Caption: The President is determined that “the hogs shall take their feet out of the trough.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-05-19
A runaway pig labeled “The Tariff Issue” drags Joseph Gurney Cannon behind it. They are being chased by John Dalzell, Nelson W. Aldrich, Sereno Elisha Payne, and J. S. Sherman. An overturned cart labeled “Steel Trust” has spilled its contents of steel railroad rails. Andrew Carnegie, wearing a kilt, stands next to the cart waving his hat and gesturing to the congressmen. In the background is a large crowd, some in pursuit, and the U.S. Capitol.
After the Republican party’s sweeping victory in the 1908 elections, the major goal of the party establishment, after the oath-taking of William H. Taft, seemed to be the passage of a tariff bill. It had been a decade since the last revision of import duties (the Dingley Act of 1897), and the tariff was a hot topic in the campaign.
By general consensus, the public desired and expected lower rates, with the assumption that lower prices in markets would result. But the “hungry” managers of a proposed tariff bill in the Republican Congress were comprised of men whose careers were devoted to higher rates and “protected” industries and monopolies.
A gigantic, well-dressed pig labeled “Protection Glutton” confidently strides into Congress carrying a paper that states, “We demand a prohibitory tariff on all imports, in the interest of the suffering laborer, the down-trodden farmer, and the struggling infant industries of the country.” Among the Congressmen present are Thomas B. Reed, Nelson Dingley Jr., Matthew Quay, Garret A. Hobart, and possibly Mark A. Hanna.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1897-01-13
Franklin Edson lies on a dirt path labeled “Road to Honest Government,” hanging onto the tails of two hogs going in the opposite direction, one with the face of John Kelly, labeled “Tammany,” and the other labeled “County Dem.” wearing pince-nez labeled “H.O.T.” In the background is a road sign labeled “To Tammany Bossism” and “To County Bossism,” with New York City in the distance. Caption: He had better let them both go.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1883-01-03
An Irish pig labeled “Parnell,” carrying a shillelagh labeled “Obstruction,” walks down a road with leashes attached to a nose ring on the Marquess of “Salisbury” and on the former British Prime Minister William E. Gladstone, who is crawling on his hands and knees. Caption: “The result of the late elections in England practically gives the Parnellites the balance of power between the Liberals and the Conservatives.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1885-12-09
President Cleveland, as a pig farmer, gets tangled in leashes attached to the hind legs of several hogs, each with a distinctive brand, labeled “Hugh McLaughlin, H. O. Thompson, Higgins, Beattie,” and one labeled “Tammany Hall” that looks like John Kelly. One hog labeled “Hedden” has broken free and is headed for the “Spoils Hog Pen” in the background. Standing on the left, observing, are Benjamin F. Butler, an unidentified man, Joseph C. S. Blackburn, and John R. McLean. Road signs state “Road to Spoils,” “National X Roads,” and “Cleveland Civil Service Reform Road.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1885-09-30
Uncle Sam, as a pig farmer, holds a bucket labeled “Ship Subsidy” that he is about to pour into an overflowing trough labeled “Dingley Tariff” for a large hog labeled “Organized Greed.”
Udo J. Keppler’s mastery of caricature grew stronger through the years, even for imaginary characters like Uncle Sam. The frustration and disgust of the iconic Uncle Sam is so distorted that many readers probably were inclined to share the negative emotion before studying the labels.
Almost lost to history is the complicated and long-running matter of ship subsidies. It touched politics, economics, trade, and rivalries between the trusts. During his presidency, President Roosevelt fought hard, year after year, to have Congress increase Naval appropriations and have to settle, eventually and on average for only two major Naval ships per year.
A “road hog” drives an automobile down the middle of the road, forcing other automobiles to veer off in order to prevent a collision. Caption: For pure hoggishness, he outhogs the end-seat hog.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-06-21
Uncle Sam stands behind a group of legislators and businessmen who are bowing before a large hog labeled “Greed” with its front feet in a trough labeled “Wall Street.” Caption: Those who know the term but not its meaning may find enlightenment above.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-04-19
Uncle Sam is marrying a woman labeled “Canada” with President Taft as the clergyman. When Taft asks anyone who objects to the marriage to speak, all the guests in the church (they all have hogs heads) clamor to object. Caption: Clergyman Taft — Into this common-sense estate of Reciprocity these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now sp– / Chorus of Tariff-Protected Monopolies — We object!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-03-08
Theodore Roosevelt writes his daughter Ethel about the animals at the Keystone Ranch where he is staying. He describes a pig that forages around the ranch yard and a dog which just had puppies.
1901-01-29
President Roosevelt encloses a “rather puzzling” letter from the Kodak Company for his son Kermit. He asks if the camera is the kind Kermit wants, or if he should order a different kind. Roosevelt is glad that Kermit is out for the “freshman football eleven” and that he is going to attempt the two-mile run. He also tells a humorous story about Quentin selling a pig to “the animal man” for the profit of a nickel, and leading the pig in a parade.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-17