Vest, George Graham, 1830-1904

Attorney General Moody writes to President Roosevelt regarding funding sources for American Indian Day and industrial schools. Members of Congress declared that public money could not be used to fund sectarian schools, but the Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock can use certain money for American Indians held in trust in any way he saw fit, including assistance to sectarian schools.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-02

In the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol, a large cat with papers tied around its waist labeled “Ship Subsidy Bill” is making a mad dash for a door as senators throw ink pots and books at it while Mark Hanna tries to get them to stop. Senators Vest and Tillman are identified in the foreground as being in opposition to the bill.

comments and context

Comments and Context

There was a sort of “perfect storm” that doomed the Ship Subsidy Bill in 1902. The American shipbuilding industry was thriving on its own and was not in dire need of subsidies. For instance, Germany’s Prince Henry, an admiral, had recently visited the United States to take possession of his American-built yacht Meteor. However, J. P. Morgan, new chief of trusts, including steel, that had interests in building ships and in international oceanbound trade, desired government subsidies. (When Morgan failed to secure American subsidies he shifted his designs to England where, among other moves, he engaged Bruce Ismay to help him purchase the White Star Line, whose ships eventually included Titanic.) Two of the states, and therefore two of the senators, most desirous of shipbuilding subsidies were Pennsylvania and Ohio, which is why Mark Hanna is shown trying to protect the cat in this cartoon. In addition to the logical economic arguments against handouts, and a rising public tide against trusts, there was resentment of Senator Hanna, even from Republican senatorial rivals.

President Roosevelt thinks that James K. Jones should be proud of the letter from George Graham Vest.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-24

Prominent Catholics who claim to be Democrats support President Roosevelt because of his commitment to the separation of church and state, and stated desire to nominate men to office based on their merits, rather than their religion.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-30

The spirit of General Winfield S. Hancock holds a paper that states “Governors Island 1880. The Tariff is a Local Issue. Gen. W. S. Hancock.” He stands among congressmen in a congressional chamber where senators or representatives from “Maryland, New York, Ohio, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, Kansas, [and] Pennsylvania” are tearing off sections of a large paper labeled “The Tariff?” that apply to their respective states. Caption: Shade of General Hancock–They laughed at me when I said the tariff is a local issue; but I was right, after all!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-05-02

President Cleveland holds papers labeled “National Honor and Credit” behind his back, as he faces a group of newspaper editors and legislators labeled “Tribune, N.Y. Sun, Tom Reed, Hill, World, Teller, Stewart, Vest, Peffer, [and] Hoar.” Charles A. Boutelle is at the back of the group holding a paper labeled “Boutelle Resolution.” The U.S. Capitol is in the background behind President Cleveland.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-01-31

President Cleveland appears as an explorer, with cabinet members John G. Carlisle and Walter Q. Gresham, in a jungle, where they have come across a band of monkeys labeled “D. Hill, C. Dana, W. Reid, Blackburn, Vest, Jones, Pugh, Foraker, Wolcott, Teller, Morgan, Peffer, [and] Stewart.” Caption: Pioneer Cleveland is bound to carry political enlightenment forward, even if the simian statesmen don’t like it.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-11-22

Senators labeled “Stewart, Peffer, Vest, Jones, Teller, [and] Wolcott” are being thrown out of windows in a building labeled “U.S. Senate” by laborers and other citizens. Papers labeled “Anti-Repeal Drivel” and “Obstructionist Nonsense” have been thrown out with them. Caption: What a pity this is only a fancy sketch!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-11-01

President Cleveland, a railroad engineer, drives a locomotive labeled “Administration R.R.” that is roaring out of a tunnel labeled “Business Depression Tunnel,” and knocking out of the way legislators who are placing “Dilatory Admendments” and “Teller’s Dilatory Tactics” on the tracks, trying to derail the train. Among the legislators are Francis M. Cockrell, James Z. George, James L. Pugh, William A. Peffer, George G. Vest, James D. Cameron, William M. Stewart, Henry M. Teller, John P. Jones, and Edward O. Wolcott.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-10-11

A group of Democrats, identified as “Hill, Murphy, Vest, Bland, Matthews, Morgan, Harris, Crisp, Tillman, Altgeld, Campbell, [and] Stevenson,” stand near a bier labeled “Dem. Free Coinage Platform” on which lies the expired “Democratic Party” donkey. A ladder labeled “Chicago Convention” has been placed against the bier and the “Chicago Nominee,” wearing the black shroud of a widow, climbs to the top. Benjamin R. Tillman places more straw on the bier with a pitchfork, while John Peter Altgeld and James E. Campbell use torches to ignite fuses to burn the donkey. David B. Hill and Edward Murphy console each other.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-07-08

Several legislators appear as quack physicians trying to cure a large sick man labeled “Protection” with a packet of “Boodle” on his lap. From left are “Hill, Pugh, Vest, Chandler, Brice, Hoar, Peffer, Gorman, [and] McPherson,” and John Sherman. They apply such medications as “Delay Tonic, Concessions to Trusts, Sympathy, Wind, Senatorial Fog, Obstruction Pills, [and] Misleading Talk.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-07-18

Emilio Aguinaldo stands at center, wearing military uniform, and holding a flag and a sword. Around him are many old men dressed as women, supplicating themselves and tossing roses at his feet. Among them are Carl Schurz, John P. Jones, Charles A. Boutelle, Edwin L. Godkin holding a paper labeled “N.Y. Evening Post,” William B. Cockran, Eugene Hale, George G. Vest, Donelson Caffery, George F. Hoar playing a lyre labeled “Sen. Hoar,” William Lloyd Garrison Jr. reading his “Ode to Dear Aguinaldo,” George F. Edmunds, Joseph Pulitzer, Oswald Ottendorfer, [and] William Jennings Bryan. A bundle of “Editorials” lies on a rock in the left foreground.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-05-10

President William McKinley stands on a road leading to the White House, in the background. He is delivering a speech, with a group of newspaper editors and congressmen, to the left and right, who have broken into small groups, talking amongst themselves. In the right foreground, William Jennings Bryan is inflating his “Anti-Annexation Issue for 1900.” American flags are on islands beyond the White House. The flags and/or islands are labeled “Porto Rico, Ladrone Islds., Cuba, Hawaii, [and] Philippine Islds.” At McKinley’s feet is an excerpt from his “Speech at Banquet of Board of Trade and Associated Citizens” in Savannah, December 17, 1898.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-01-11

Edward Oliver Wolcott as the biblical Joshua rides on a horse labeled “U.S. Senate” at the head of a small infantry comprised of John Sherman, George F. Hoar, George G. Vest, William A. Peffer, David B. Hill, Julius C. Burrows, Thomas H. Carter, William V. Allen, William J. Sewell, John M. Palmer, Roger Q. Mills, Justin S. Morrill, Matthew Quay, and others unidentified. Many are carrying spears or bow and arrows. They are chasing the sun labeled “Gold Standard” and descending upon a small community of farms and factories. One man carries a military standard that states, “Resolved, that some legislation be had by the U.S. Senate looking to an international conference with the nations of the world for the promotion of Bimetallism. Wolcott’s Resolution in Caucus.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-01-06

An encampment of the Democrat/Populist presidential candidate and his followers dances around a campfire labeled “Repudiation.” Depicted are, from left, “Peffer, Jerry Simpson, Teller, Vest, Watson, Bryan, Sewall, Sen. J. P. Jones, Jones, Altgeld, Bland, [and] Stewart.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-11-04

Former president Grover Cleveland and his wife Frances play with their children, Ruth, Esther, and Marion, in the backyard of their residence. Several men labeled “Morgan, Daniel, Pugh, Faulkner, Vest, Dana, [and] Gorman” spy on them from behind a fence, bushes, and over a hedge.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-06-09

Print shows a large monument constructed “A.D. 1898,” showing statues of President William McKinley labeled “Administration,” General William R. Shafter labeled “Army,” and Admiral George Dewey labeled “Navy,” and a plaque that states “To Commemorate the Spanish-American War which has raised the United States Army and Navy to a proud position not only in the eyes of Americans but in the eyes of the World.” Also, a gang of “Old Women” with ropes are shown trying to pull down the statues. Among the identified women are “Schurz, Boutelle, Hoar, N.Y. World [Pulitzer], Cockran, Tillman, Caffery, Gorman, Vest, Jones, Hale, Bryan, Godkin [turning a crank for the] Evening Post, Sherman, Ottendorfer, [and] Edmunds”.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-03-22

Print shows a pack of dogs, with their tails between their legs, howling at a full moon labeled “Prosperity” outside the U.S. Capitol building. The dogs are labeled “Tillman, [?], Vest, Jones, Bryan [his tail tied to a can labeled “16 to 1″], Altgeld, Gore, [and] Hogg.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-10-25

Puck stands in the Senate chamber, among many senators sick with “Presidential Fever.” Puck is offering a spoonful of “Anti-Presidential Quinine” to John Sherman. Among the senators present are Wade Hampton, George Frisbie Hoar, J. D. Cameron, William Mahone, Warner Miller, Daniel W. Voorhees, John Alexander Logan, George F. Edmunds, John Sherman, George Graham Vest, Thomas F. Bayard, John P. Jones, and David Davis. Peering over the chamber walls are George M. Robeson, Jay Gould, and Roscoe Conkling.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-02-21

Print shows William Jennings Bryan, John P. Jones, and Arthur P. Gorman mesmerized by a large menacing genie carrying a sword labeled “Free Silver” that has emerged from an oversized urn. George G. Vest has his ear to the ground and is unaware of the presence of the genie.

Caption: “At the appearance of this huge monster, the fisherman wished to run away; but his fear was so great he was unable to move.” The Arabian Nights Entertainments.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs