United States. Congress

George M. Robeson, shabbily dressed as a tramp, stands in a doorway. Joseph Warren Keifer, as a small dog with a cap labeled “Speaker” tied to its tail, stands behind Robeson, and on the floor at his feet is a broken plate labeled, “Appropriations $182,496,018 Administration 1868-76.” He carries a club labeled “Repn. Leadership” and branded on the palm of his left hand is the word “More.” His appearance in the doorway frightens the “Old Women” of Congress who were gathered around a table, drinking tea. Depicted wearing women’s dress are William Windom standing behind the door labeled “Congress,” John P. Jones spilling a pot of tea, John Sherman fainting, John Alexander Logan labeled “306” and supporting Sherman, J. D. Cameron also labeled “306,” Frank Hiscock, George F. Edmunds, David Davis eating an “Independent Plum,” B. W. Harris and Abram S. Hewitt locking the “Appropriations Pantry,” and William P. Frye hiding behind a chair. Uncle Sam and Puck appear at far left, running toward the building.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-07-12

Several legislators are slicing up a large watermelon labeled “River and Harbor Bill” in an effort to carry off a share for themselves, while Chester Alan Arthur sleeps in the shade of a tree in the background. George G. Vest carries off a slice labeled “Pistol-Pocket Harbor,” James D. Cameron has carved out a small chunk labeled “Washy Washy Creek,” Elbridge G. Lapham is eating a slice labeled “Gowanus Back-Water Gutter,” and a slice labeled “Blue-Grass Brook” is at the feet of James B. Beck. Beck and Warner Miller work at cutting slices labeled “Wood-Pulp Puddle” and “Skatchekoosis Stream-let,” while Lucius Q. C. Lamar and Joseph E. Brown approach from the background, with large knives.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-07-26

President Cleveland stands next to a large “Reform Buzz-Saw” labeled “Pat. 1884 by G. Cleveland” at a sawmill, where three members of his cabinet “Manning, Whitney, [and] Bayard” are milling lumber labeled “For the Improvement of the Custom House” and “Props for the Navy.” A carpenter’s square labeled “Honesty” rests against some boards at Cleveland’s feet. A group of newspaper editors, congressmen, and a dog labeled “Blaine’s Pup” have entered on the left. Among them are “Dana, McLean, Vance, Eustis, Reid, Beck, Evarts, Sherman, Medill, [and] Edmunds.” They are standing just outside the “Secretarys Office” where Daniel S. Lamont is sitting. Through the open door is visible a wagon loaded with large logs labeled “Mormon Question, Silver Question, Tariff Ques, [and] Coast Defences.” Caption: Foreman Cleveland (kindly but firmly) “Boys, don’t monkey with the buzz-saw!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1886-02-03

Uncle Sam is ailing with a toothache labeled “Mormonism!” He sits on a chair in the office of “Washington Dental Association” offering “S.S. Cox’s Laughing Gas – Mild & Harmless,” as two arms labeled “Senate” and “House Representatives” reach toward him. One hand holds a pair of pliers labeled “Heroic Measures.” Caption: Uncle Sam – “I suppose I’ve got to have the derned thing out – only, pull it easy!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-11-07

Samuel S. Cox, as a court jester, is booted off a podium by a man sitting in the “Speaker’s Chair” in a congressional chamber, and is about to land on the floor. Cox is holding a stick with balloons attached labeled “Jokes, Witticisms, [and] Sarcasm,” and a book “by S. S. Cox” titled “Why We Laugh” (possibly the new and enlarged 1880 edition of his book first published in 1876) drops to the floor next to him. In the upper right, looking on approvingly, are members of Congress, Allen G. Thurman and Lucius Q. C. Lamar among them.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-12-05

Several members of Congress stand around a large Christmas tree labeled “Tax Surplus” decorated with money bags labeled “Surplus.” The legislators carry bags in which to place the bags of surplus they pluck from the tree. Among those identified are Charles W. Jones holding a bag labeled “Naval,” William E. Chandler holding a bag labeled “Subsidies for a Merchant Steam Marine,” William Mahone holding a bag labeled “Public Buildings and Grounds,” John A. Logan holding a bag labeled “Appropriations” and reaching for a sack on the tree, Joseph W. Keifer lifting George M. Robeson holding a bag labeled “Partners in the New Naval Scheme,” John Roach holding a bag labeled “New Navy Scheme,” Henry L. Dawes holding a bag labeled “River & Harbor Bill,” Francis M. Cockrell holding a bag labeled “Improvement of Mississippi River,” Eugene Hale holding a bag labeled “River & Harbor Bill,” John J. Ingalls holding a bag labeled “More Pensions,” Benjamin F. Jonas holding a bag labeled “Improvement of Mississippi River,” and Elbridge G. Lapham who is speaking to two well-dressed women, one holding a bag labeled “Lobby.” Lapham is also depicted in the angel at the top of the tree holding a banner labeled “Help Yourself.” Uncle Sam dances with three men in the foreground and, on the right, a lone “Taxpayer” stands outside in the snow.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-12-19

A man hands money to a Congressional Page to purchase the legislative services of a Congressman. On the left and in the background, Congressmen are shown sitting in the House or Senate chamber with signs advertising their prices, such as “I will do anything for $20,000, I can be bought for $10,000, My price is according to the size of the job, [and] My price is only $5000.00.” Caption: As it is plain that most of our Congressmen are for sale, they might as well display their prices prominently.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1884-01-09

Members of the 47th Congress carry on their shoulders large money bags labeled “Surplus $150,000,000” and “Appropriations,” and a sign that states, “No large appropriations for the Navy whilst Robeson is mixed up with it.” At the lead are three men, one dressed in armor labeled “Folger” carrying a sword labeled “Trust” and a shield labeled “Integrity,” another carrying a large ledger labeled “Chandler Navy Department,” and the third carrying a paper that states “Sen. Harris’s Exposure of Robeson.” John Sherman and John A. Logan are among the congressmen that follow. They are walking past George M. Robeson as an ogre sitting on a pile of skeletal remains of ships with skulls as figureheads and labeled “U.S.N.,” at the entrance to a cave labeled “Naval Committee.” Robeson is biting his fingernails. A notice at the entrance to the cave states, “$180,000,000 squandered and stolen during Robeson’s management of the Navy 1868-76.” Caption: “…He is, by reason of age, also of the many shrewd brushes that he met with in his younger days, grown so crazy and stiff in his joints, that he can now do little more than sit in his cave’s mouth, grinning at Appropriations as they go by, and biting his nails because he cannot come at them.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-05-03

A man labeled “Tax-payer” has fallen on steps labeled “Congress.” He has a large boulder labeled “War Taxes on Iron on Sugar on Cloth Salt Leather [and] Linens” strapped to his back. On the steps is a small stone labeled “Tax Taken Off Patent Medicines, Perfumery, etc.” In the room at the top of the steps, many hands dip into a bowl of coins labeled “River & Harbor Bill.” Caption: “He asked for bread, and they gave him a stone!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-08-09

“Policeman Puck” and Uncle Sam investigate a robbery at the U.S. Treasury. A safe has been broken into and a barrel labeled “150,000,000 $ Surplus” is empty, and there is a hole in the floor which leads to the Congressional chamber, below. A crumpled notice on the floor of the chamber states, “Congressional Theatre – The Hit of the Season!!! ‘The 40 Thieves’ – Keifer manager, Robeson property man.” The robbery happens to coincide with the end of the first session of the 47th Congress. A ladder labeled “Adjournment of Congress” leans against an open window, supported by John A. Logan and John Sherman, as Horace F. Page and two other Congressmen descend. Other Congressmen, among them George M. Robeson carrying a sack labeled “Navy Appropriation” and James D. Cameron dragging a sack labeled “River & Harbor,” are headed for their home states carrying sacks with “$” on them. Caption: Policeman Puck to Uncle Sam–“This is the work of Professionals!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-08-16

A rotund man labeled “Trust Official” inoculates himself into “Personal Immunity” with “Fine Vaccine” which is “Specially Prepared by Senate & House, Washington D.C.” Above his head is a dark cloud of prison-suited bacteria” labeled “Personal Responsibility,” some with manacle-like features. Caption: “None of those microbes will get me while I can buy this vaccine!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1909-12-08

President Taft struggles to conduct an orchestra composed of two groups of musicians. On the left, playing the “Eastern Conservatism” on stringed instruments, are “Root, Crane, Smoot, Depew, Aldrich, [and] Gallinger.” On the right, playing the “Western Conservatism” on horns and percussion instruments, are “Knute Nelson, Dolliver, Cummins, Clapp, Bristow, [and] La Follette.” Caption: Pity the poor leader of the Washington Symphony Orchestra.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

President Wilson, as a pharaoh, rides in an Egyptian chariot drawn by the Democratic donkey. Wilson holds a small sword and ropes attached to a man labeled “Monopoly” whose arms are bound behind him, walking on his knees, and wearing a money-bag crown, a moose, representing the Bull Moose Movement, and the Republican elephant. In the upper right are two figures labeled “Underwood” and “Simmons” leading an army of Congressmen who supported the Underwood-Simmons Act.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-10-01

Representative Lemke writes to James B. Connolly regarding the National Park Service’s attempts to acquire the Elkhorn Ranch site. Lemke does not believe that Congress will make appropriations to purchase the site at the valuation given by H. A. Mackoff. He suggests that the Elkhorn Ranch might need to be reconstructed on federal land elsewhere.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1948-09-01

President Wilson is a chef roasting hot dogs labeled “Congress” on a grill labeled “Washington in Summer” at a beach, with bathing house and lighthouse in the background.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-07-16

President Wilson as a doctor stands at an open door labeled “63rd Congress,” telling Uncle Sam as an expectant father standing outside the door that it looks like “it’s going to be twins.” In other words, the 63rd Congress will pass legislation on tariff reform and currency reform, as Oscar W. Underwood, coming upstairs, brings a second bed labeled “Currency Reform” to place next to a bed labeled “Tariff Reform.” Caption: Dr. Wilson–Prepare yourself for a great joy. I think it’s going to be twins.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-07-16

Uncle Sam sweeps the steps of Congress as the various politicians and interest groups leave. President Taft is in the upper right hand corner, waving cheerfully. Theodore Roosevelt is next to Taft and holding a copy of The Outlook. A tower labeled “Oyster Bay” is behind Roosevelt. In the caption, Uncle Sam says, “I’m glad it’s all over.”

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site

Creation Date

1910

President Roosevelt takes a walk with a male companion. The page is broken into five numbered frames. Roosevelt is speaking in each frame and becoming more and more animated. As he does so, he rapidly outdistances his companion. In the last frames, Roosevelt says, “I tell you, sir, Congress is a weakling-g-g!” “They are all deliberate and unqualified falsifiers.” However, his walking companion is left far behind.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site

Creation Date

1907-04-17

Theodore Roosevelt encloses a letter from someone in “sore straits” and asks William Loeb to look into the matter. Roosevelt has heard that various Congressional committees are investigating his presidential actions relating to Tennessee Coal and Iron, the Sugar Trust, and the Panama affair. He knows there is nothing to investigate but wants to have the facts at hand so no one can accuse him of forgetting a trivial detail. Roosevelt is particularly interested in locating a letter he wrote to Charles J. Bonaparte discussing the Tennessee Coal and Iron matter.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1911-06-02

Theodore Roosevelt believes that William Loeb followed the right course regarding Dawson. Roosevelt met with the congressional committee and enjoyed the session at least as much as they did.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1911-08-05