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President Roosevelt clarifies for Nicholas Murray Butler his position on a tariff which needs revision but hopefully will not damage protective interests in the process. Roosevelt believes the “reciprocity agitation” in New England is foolish and hopes that he can gain reciprocity from Canada.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-29
John Bell Brownlow explains to President Roosevelt how he came to be the representative of the Post Office Department on the U.S. Government Board of Management of several expositions. After serving well, Brownlow suddenly learned that then-Postmaster General Henry C. Payne was displeased with his work due to false statements against him. Brownlow was subsequently investigated on his own request to prove the falseness of the statements against him, but while the investigations seem to have vindicated him he has been negatively impacted by being excluded from the Portland board. He asks Roosevelt to consider the matter and review the inspections, which show that his record is clean.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-28
Secretary of the Treasury and former Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou delivers a speech in honor of Postmaster General George von Lengerke Meyer. Cortelyou describes how the post office is improving under Meyer’s supervision. Cortelyou mentions that the postmasters are being treated by their supervisors as equals and are building morale among the different members of the office. The new policies offer a more meritorious system of promotions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-05-22
William L. Wilson stands in the street outside the White House, holding open a large carpet bag labeled “Wilson’s Free List” which contains papers labeled “Free Wool.” He has an umbrella labeled “Income Tax” under his left arm. Sitting next to him on the street is the donkey labeled “Dem. Party” that he had been riding. Several men, four of them identified as “Gorman, Brice, McPherson, [and] Faulkner,” have robbed him of papers labeled “Free Iron, Free Sugar, Free Lumber, [and] Free Coal” and are walking up the street toward the U.S. Capitol, visible in the background. Caption: “Gee whiz! And it’s a wonder they left that!”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-06-06
A doubtful Uncle Sam watches as two horses pass on a racetrack headed for the start of the race. On the first horse labeled “Wilson Bill” is jockey William L. Wilson wearing a ribbon labeled “Tariff Reform.” Several bandages encircle the horse’s legs, tail, and neck labeled “Senate Amendments, Concessions to Collar and Cuff Trust, Concessions to Sugar Trust, Concessions to Coal Trust, Favors to Lead Trust, [and] Favors to Iron Trust.” On the second horse labeled “McKinley Bill” is jockey William McKinley wearing a ribbon labeled “Protection.” Caption: Uncle Sam–Neither one of these animals is good for anything; – they say there’s a new horse being trained, called “Free Trade,” that will beat ’em both!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-06-20
William L. Wilson appears as a nurse feeding “Infant Industries” from a large bowl labeled “Tariff Reform.” Entering through a door in the background is William McKinley, also as a nurse, carrying a bottle of “Protection Pap.” Caption: The Discharged Nurse (peevishly)–Dear me! It grieves me to death to see how that child’s wasting away since they changed its food!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-10-16
President Cleveland and five men use “Sound Policy Cement” to repair a statue labeled “Nat. Prosperity.” Shown with Cleveland are John G. Carlisle, William L. Wilson, Daniel W. Voorhees, Charles Tracey, and Michael D. Harter. Caption: The Republican vandals damaged it badly; but it will soon be as sound as ever, again.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1893-09-20
Columbia welcomes a group of ragged politicians, mostly Democrats, some no longer in office, and newspaper editors, to come in from the cold winter night and warm themselves by the fire and enjoy some “Christmas Cheer” from a large punch bowl, with the many recently elected Republican legislators, mayors, and governors. All are identified by name, except William B. Allison: “Morton, Goff, Strong, Harrison, Dayton, McKinley, McIntyre, Marvil, Upham, Coffin, Reed, Depew, C. A. Dana, D. B. Hill, Springer, Wilson, Bland, Smyth, Grant, Bynum, Waite, [and] McPherson.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-12-26
Grover Cleveland drives a stagecoach labeled “Administration Coach” carrying “Columbia” and being pulled by two horses labeled “Honest Principles” and “Sound Policy.” The coach is stuck in a hole labeled “Deficit” and “This Hole Dug by Republican Party.” Arthur P. Gorman, standing at the rear, uses a large stick labeled “Wilson Bill” and a board labeled “Bond Issue” to try to get the wheels out of the hole. On the right, in a “Bog of Public Contempt,” are Whitelaw Reid, John Sherman, Thomas B. Reed, George F. Hoar, and Benjamin Harrison. They are laughing at Cleveland.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-02-21
Two medieval monks labeled “McKinley” and “Reed” construct a wall using blocks labeled “War Tax on Dinner Pails, Heavy Duty on Laborers Tools, Prohibitory Duty on Necessaries, High Duty on Raw Materials, Unjust Tax on Farmers Implements, Burdensome Tariff on Clothing, Duty on Iron, Duty on Steel, [and] Class Legislation” and cement labeled “Monopoly Mortar” to bury alive a female figure labeled “American Industries.” Arriving “in the nick of time” is William L. Wilson with a sword labeled “Wilson Bill” to put a stop to the punishment and torture of “our industries.” Caption: Rescuer Wilson comes none too soon to prevent the Republican monks from walling up our industries alive, in the true old Mediæval style.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-02-28
William L. Wilson appears as a soldier wearing a helmet labeled “Tariff Reform” and holding a rifle labeled “Enlightenment” with fixed bayonet, with which he prevents William McKinley from advancing. McKinley is dressed as a Chinese man with a hat labeled “McKinleyism,” an amulet labeled “Monopoly,” and a medal that states “The Foreigner Pays the Tax.” He is holding a large sword labeled “Fallacious Arguments” and a shield labeled “Trusts,” and his long pigtail is wrapped around a post labeled “Played Out Protection Ideas.” Caption: Superstition and old-fogyism must be conquered in the end by enlightenment and progressiveness.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1894-09-05