Taggart, Thomas, 1856-1929

President Roosevelt is ready to make a counter-attack against the Democratic Party. Roosevelt is especially frustrated by Alton B. Parker’s plea about the common law being sufficient. According to Roosevelt, Parker will not use the federal powers of the U.S. to take a firm stand against the trusts. Roosevelt suggests to George B. Cortelyou that they should have people at party headquarters who can “receive all people and talk to them pleasantly.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-01

A man labeled “Average voter” stands between two fields, trying to decide which one he should choose. On the left is the “Democratic Lot” showing “Bryan’s Financial Fallacies, Schemes, Dreams, [and] Instability”; “Opposition to a Sound Banking System”; “Inexperience”; “Obstructive Policies”; “Tariff Reform”; “Jefferson’s Ideals”; “Low Leaders [Thomas] Taggart, Fingy [William J. Connors], Hinky Dink [Michael Kenna]”; Anti-Everything”; “Sectionalism”; and “Croak and Kick Statesmanship.” On the right is the “Republican Lot” showing “Past Prosperity” and “Constructive Policies” among “Arrogant Rule [Joseph Cannon], Extravagance, Tariff Graft, Parasite Plutocracy, Special Privilege, Swollen Fortunes, Pension Graft, Foraker Type of Statesman, [and as a snake] Wall Street.” Caption: The Democratic lot – Better soil / The Republican lot – a more alluring field.

Comments and Context

“A Question of Courage” was a remarkable cartoon to run in a prominent and usually partisan political journal. Puck, traditional Democrat-leaning, had been ambiguous during the 1908 presidential campaign, declining to be firmer in its tilt toward Republican candidate William H. Taft or utterly disapproving of Democrat William Jennings Bryan.

Its ambiguity had roots in political realities. Through the decade’s first years Puck grew increasing radical, as did many Muckraking and Reform publications; and as did President Roosevelt, whose policies Puck generally applauded. Except for subsequent years when the magazine’s circulation dipped and it had to depend on backing and advertising revenue from Democratic sources, it faithfully followed its lodestar.

A galley labeled “Government Of, By, and For the People” sails past rocks labeled “Bossism” where other ships have wrecked, drawn by “Party Solidarity” sung by Republican sirens “Connors, Aldrich, Cox, Penrose, Woodruff, [and] Lodge” and “Partisanship” sung by Democratic sirens “Mack, Conners, Murphy, [and] Taggart” sitting on rocks above the crashing seas. Caption: The old stuff doesn’t go any more.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1910-06-01

In a speech titled “Elementary Honor, Theodore Roosevelt responds to President William H. Taft.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1912

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson reports to President Roosevelt on his campaign activities in Indiana. Most people are calling the state for Roosevelt, but Mayor Taggart of Indianapolis might pay for the Negro vote in major cities. Wilson has heard of Judge Parker’s allegations against Roosevelt and Chairman Cortelyou and he is speaking out against them in Indiana.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-02

This newspaper clipping from The Globe includes several marked articles. “The First Speech of Mr. Higgins,” describes a speech of Frank Wayland Higgins, New York gubernatorial candidate, in his hometown. “Very Queer Business” highlights the hysterical situation in the press surrounding Judge Alton B. Parker, as the newspapers seem to not trust Parker to act on his own “as a self-respecting man and leader of his party.” This stands in sharp contrast to the mood of the democratic campaign itself, which seems much more sanguine. Finally, “A Notable Accession” is a partial article highlighting the choice by Robert Treat Paine of Massachusetts, a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, to vote for President Roosevelt rather than Parker.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-20

William Stephen Devery and a saloon known as “the pump” have returned to the Democratic party with fanfare. Although the article points out that Devery had previously been removed from the Democratic party, his return has been greeted warmly by high-ranking party officials including Thomas Taggart and Norman Edward Mack. Other articles on this page include commentary on vice presidential candidate Henry Gassaway Davis’s age, the delay in the opening of the subway system, and the inspection of the boat, the Grand Republic.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-03

Democratic Chair Thomas Taggart is undecided on whether he should go to Indiana to help the campaign of the Democratic Presidential nominee, Alton B. Parker. It was announced that he was going to Indiana but Taggart denied it and claimed that George B. Cortelyou planted the story.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-12

A frenzy of activity is underway as many politicians and capitalists join the labor forces to construct the Panama Canal. Theodore P. Shonts, chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission, is standing on the right, holding a whip, and directing the laborers. In the background, large groups of men labeled “Order of Walking Delegates, The Idle Rich, Amalgamated Aldermen, [and] Insurance Presidents Union No. 6” are waiting, with tools, to be called into action. Caption: Let our superfluous citizens do the work.

Comments and Context

S. D. Ehrhart’s expansive cartoon in Puck seized upon the news of labor challenges in the Culebra Cut portion of the Panama Canal construction, and built an elaborate cartoon-fantasy about people in politics, the social world, and finance being put to work at manual labor.

There are no political statements in the cartoon beyond the humorous juxtapositions: people doing work exactly opposite to their usual pursuits, condemned to perform duties contrary to their professions, join their enemies in everyday life back in the United States.

A young boy in uniform and cap labeled “1905” sweeps an office clean of many papers labeled “Yellow Peril 1904, Broken Resolutions, Dave Hill ‘I was a Democrat’ 1904, [and] St. Louis Graft 1904” and a large crown labeled “Imperialism.” Some papers labeled “Tom Taggart, [and] Campaign Oratory 1904” are already in the wastebasket.

Comments and Context

Frank Nankivell, Puck‘s Australian-born, Japanese-trained cartoonist, opened the new year of 1905 with traditional New Year Baby in a decidedly contemporary office-boy uniform, the model of efficiency, clearing the floors of old issues, old controversies, and old public figures.

The cartoon does a favor for future researchers and historians, because its file drawers, litter, and waste basket are filled with the memorable issues of the past year, and of the Roosevelt administration’s first term.

At center, Uncle Sam looks into a mirror while descending a stairway in a hall. “Swallow” and “Watson” are standing in the hall, holding candles. In the vignette at lower left, the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Roosevelt, Fairbanks, Parker, and Davis, arrive in costume. On the lower right they are unmasked and engaged in a game with Columbia. On the middle left is “Bryan” as “An Old Timer,” and on the middle right “Taggart” and “Belmont” play a prank on an elderly woman with a “Bogie Man” labeled “Militarism.” At top left, bobbing for “Campaign Funds” are “Taggart, Bliss, Cortelyou, [and] Belmont,” and at top right “Odell, Shaw, [and] Hill” are “Jumping the Issues.”

Comments and Context

Puck, a major Democratic publication, seems extremely unconcerned with the outcome of the imminent presidential election: little more than a week before balloting, its center-spread cartoon — traditionally a forum for powerful, persuasive political cartoons — instead published genre cartoons on a Halloween theme. Yes, with politicians as the characters, but more humorous than partisan. It possibly saw the writing on the wall, a massive Democratic defeat.

Thomas Taggart, Democratic National Committee Chairman, on the left, and George B. Cortelyou, Republican National Committee chairman, on the right, milk a cow into buckets labeled “Dem. Campaign Fund” and “Rep. Campaign Fund.” A bell labeled “Wall Street” hangs from a ribbon labeled “Trust Interests” around the cow’s neck.

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Keppler’s caricatures of Tom Taggart and George B. Cortelyou generally reflected their gifts used in 1904 as chairmen of their national political parties.

Taggart, Irish-born, was a politician rarely in elected positions (e.g., mayor of Indianapolis, and a brief stint in the United States Senate) but enormously effective as a functionary. In his Republican Indiana he managed campaigns that bucked the tide of Republicans in important elections; and he successfully advanced the political careers of others, including Thomas Riley Marshall (to be Woodrow Wilson’s vice president) and James M. Cox as Democrat presidential candidate in 1920.

Theodore Roosevelt praises Eugene Thwing’s letter to Governor Chase S. Osborn and discusses his campaign to win the Republican nomination. Roosevelt references the presidential race fought by Woodrow Wilson and Grover Cleveland, contending that although Cleveland was a stronger candidate, Hill and Tammany won the State of New York. Roosevelt parallels this race to that of his own against Charles Francis Murphy, Thomas Taggart, and Timothy Daniel Sullivan. Roosevelt concludes by referencing his Progressive, “anti-boss” platform.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-16

Theodore Roosevelt writes W. F. Cochran concerning the presidential race. In response to Mr. Cochran’s suggestion that he withdraw his candidacy, Roosevelt contends that he was unable to do so despite the unlikelihood that he will be elected. He asserts his belief that Woodrow Wilson’s presidency would be negative for the country.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-16

Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Commissioner Herbert Knox Smith that both political parties are dominated by political bosses with large interests, noting that there is no need to switch Republican Guggenheim-Penrose-Barnes for Democratic Murphy-Taggart-Sullivan. He also criticizes the Democratic platform, which exhibits no progressive vision to meet the needs of the nation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-13

Theodore Roosevelt writes John C. Kelly about the organization of a Progressive party movement in Iowa and expresses his frustration with those aligned with the Republican party.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-10

Theodore Roosevelt confirms with T. J. E. Yocum that he will continue to work with his current campaign staff.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-06

Theodore Roosevelt does not think that Hamilton Fish II needs to reply to William R. McCredie’s letter. Roosevelt responds to Herbert Parson’s letter to Fish, in that Roosevelt never wanted personal loyalty from Parsons, but wanted him to act honestly at the Republican National Convention. Roosevelt believes that the William H. Taft delegates were wrongfully seated.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-11-27

President Roosevelt praises Senator Knox’s statement about Democratic presidential candidate Alton B. Parker, and encourages him to expand his remarks into a speech. Roosevelt offers suggestions on how Knox might address the issue, showing that there was no wrongdoing by Roosevelt or George B. Cortelyou, and attacking Parker in turn for his hypocrisy regarding the men who are his most prominent backers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-02

President Roosevelt sends Senator Lodge copies of letters between himself and Augustus Peabody Gardner, and says that while he is willing to have the letter be published, he thinks it should wait until after the election. He is looking forward to being finished with his current political campaign, and remarks on some of the rumors that have been circulating, as well as polling figures for several states. Roosevelt was recently injured while riding his horse, but was able to avoid mention of it in the press.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-31