This cartoon, published on April 11, 1903, in the Minneapolis Journal, portrays Tom L. Johnson, Cleveland mayor and Democratic contender for his party's nomination for both the Ohio governor's race and the presidential election. Johnson is shown driving an automobile labeled "Auto-Reform" past "Aunty Democracy." Johnson's car is kicking up clouds of dust representing his radical ideas and Socialism. Behind, the Democratic donkey plods along, his ears marked "Old Ideas Dem." The published cartoon's caption read, "A little too fast for Aunty," with the sub-caption, "Aunty Democracy--The odor's pretty bad, Tom--Your new-fangled rig may be all right, but I guess I'll stick to the old donkey yet awhile."
Published in the Journal Junior, a Saturday supplement for children, on September 9, 1905, this cartoon shows a boy hoeing a row of schoolbooks. At the end of the row is a sign that says, "Nine months row," a reference to the beginning of the school year. In the published version, the caption reads, "A Long Ro Wto [sic.]: Never mind; it won't seem so long from the other end."
A child representing the Board of Tax Levy places an apple labeled "$73,000 raise in salary" on his teacher's desk, and the teacher smiles at him. The Minnesota Gopher stands in the classroom door, tipping his hat.
This cartoon, published on February 24, 1913, in the Minneapolis Journal, refers to the front page story covering the assassination of the former president of Mexico, Francisco Madero, and his vice president, Jose Pino Suarez. General Huerta was at the time Provisional President. The cartoon shows a map of Mexico. Standing by a pool of blood with the word "Assassination" across it is a man dressed in military uniform and wearing a hat with the word "Huerta" on its hatband. On the northern border of Mexico is a wooden fence. Uncle Sam is leaning over the fence, looking at the man standing next to the blood. The caption underneath reads, “Another Blot." (Note: The Huerta figure standing next to the pool of blood was eliminated from the cartoon in the published version, possibly the result of correction or censorship, since the published version shows clear evidence of the drawing's having been retouched.)
Published on February 1, 1907, this cartoon portrays a Japanese-American child, labeled "Little Jap in San Francisco" and carrying on his back a large bundle with the words "Cause of war with the United States" on it. Within the bundle is a rolled-up treaty. The boy tips his cap to a Japanese military officer. The published cartoon is captioned "Another Case of Child Labor: Isn't Japan overworking the Japanese schoolboy of San Francisco a little?" Japan had registered dissatisfaction with the California government's support of the San Francisco Board of Education in its ruling that Japanese children should not be admitted to public schools but, rather, sent to Oriental School. The United States enforced the provisions of its treaty with Japan giving to Japanese immigrants equal access to public education.
A mob holds up a pumpkin head labeled "Anti-Cannon sentiment," startling Uncle Sam. This is likely a reference to opposition to Republican Joseph G. Cannon's being re-elected Speaker of the House in 1908.
This cartoon, published on July 16, 1912, shows a man standing outside a grocery store, looking at displays of rain gear. The store's proprietor stands in the doorway.
The G.O.P. elephant has a bucket, labeled "National Progressive Republican League," tied to its tail and is running across the Capitol Mall, cheered on by Senator Bourne of Oregon, President of the National Progressive Republican League, which was formed in 1911.
The football season arrives on the World Stage to take over the "Series of World War Melodramas" from the Balkan War, the Chinese Revolution, and the Mexican Rebellion. This cartoon was published August 11, 1913.
Football players are rolled into a huge snowball by members of the opposite team pushing toward the goalpost. A "sectional view," or cross-cut, of the snowball appears in the upper left-hand corner.
Published on Thursday, March 24, 1904, this cartoon pokes fun at agriculture education. The published version's sub-caption reads, "Phineas (the Farm School Graduate)--'Isn't it strange that with all the wonderful development of the science of agriculture a man with a degree still has to milk a cow?'" A farmer sits on a stool in his barn, milking a cow. Hanging on the wall behind the cow is a diploma from the College of Agriculture bearing the name Phineas Stumpuller. Nearby are barnyard animals: a chicken, a duck, and a calf, who is nibbling contentedly on a page from Phineas's Thesis on Food Values of Milk Powder. The milk cow looks at the reader and says, ""That child just devours that scientific literature.""
Minnesota Governor John Lind and Minnesota State Democratic Central Committee Chairman L. A. Rosing are shown standing outside the Parker Stables, hanging onto a rope attached to the Minnesota Democratic donkey, who is being tempted by William Randolph Hearst with a pail marked by a dollar sign and containing ears of corn. This cartoon appeared in the Friday, April 1, 1904, edition of the Minneapolis Journal and refers to Minnesota political attitudes toward two of the contenders for nomination to run for president on the Democratic ticket, Hearst and Judge Parker.
This cartoon shows Uncle Sam, the G.O.P. elephant and the Tariff catching Cold Storage in the act of raiding a pantry containing eggs, butter, and other foods.
Published on Tuesday, January 17, 1905, this cartoon shows a seated Senator Moses E. Clapp being applauded by members of the Minnesota State Senate and House. A child, representing Minnesota, pats his face. Above them hangs a sign reading "Clapp out and Clapp in. Minnesota Legislature." Clapp was chosen by a majority of the state legislators to succeed himself in the United States Senate.
William Jennings Bryan and the Democratic Party donkey are shown standing in front of the White House. Next to Bryan is a suitcase labeled "Democratic Nomination."
Published on May 22, 1912, this cartoon shows "Champ" Clark, standing by a fence labeled "Minnesota Presidential Field"and pointing to a dog with a human face. Clark tells a boy, "Minnesota Politics," who has tied a bucket to Clark's dog's tail, that Republican Congressman Charlie Towne shouldn't be kicked around.
A man wades through Lake Excelsior in the pouring rain as various animals comment on his plight. This cartoon appeared in the Minneapolis Journal on May 24, 1909.
Depositors are walking into the U. S. Postal Savings Bank, which is shown as occupying a giant Uncle Sam's hat. In the background are homes and factories.
This cartoon, published on Tuesday, February 18, 1908, in the Minneapolis Journal, refers to the front page story about a meeting of the Publicity Club--comprised largely of businessmen--to discuss the introduction of improved street lighting to the Minneapolis downtown business district. A stylish young woman representing Minneapolis stands to the left with her hand on the knob of a lamp bearing the inscription, "Illumination of Business District." A business man dressed in a plaid suit approaches from the right, saying, "Madame allow me!" The Minneapolis downtown skyline appears in the background.
Mr. Common Man stands outside the tent where the Republican National Convention is taking place on June 18, 1912. He is saying to himself, "If I could only carry water for the elephant as I use to!" This cartoon was published June 7, 1912.
A well-dressed, paunchy vote buyer stands in front of the Capitol Building, while the scrawny vote seller is chased away by a policeman armed with a billy-club. At the buyer's feet lies a scroll that states, "Public office is a private trust. When you start for it, land it or bust. Motto of Corrupt Official."
Published on Thursday, May 6, 1909, this cartoon is divided into two frames. The upper frame shows wheat from Canada being led to flour mills in the United States by the "Tariff Provision by which Canadian wheat may be milled in the United States and have drawback of duty when exported as flour." Its caption reads, "The wheat must go to the mills." The lower frame shows United States flour mills running toward the Canadian border, where a smiling wheat figure beckons to them. Here, Uncle Sam, holding a shepherd's crook tagged "Any kind of a drawback," pursues the mills, hoping to hold them back. This frame's caption reads, "Or the mills will go to the wheat."
Published on the front page of the March 2, 1904, edition of the Minneapolis Journal, this cartoon depicts a husband and wife having coffee at their dining room table. The husband is shaking salt onto the front page of the "Daily Newspaper," whose headlines include "Gigantic Victory for Russian Arms." In the published version, which includes caption and dialog, the wife asks, "Why, John, what in the world is the matter?" He replies, "I'm just taking this St. Petersburg story with a little salt." This is a reference to public response to unconfirmed reports coming from St. Petersburg, Russia, that Russian army forces had overwhelmingly defeated Japanese forces in a land battle in northern Korea, and that a sea battle near Port Arthur had resulted in the sinking of Japanese boats.
Man, outfitted in winter clothing and pulling a sled loaded with a month's provisions, looks at a map showing the location of the new Minneapolis post office.
Published on Thursday, February 23, 1905, this cartoon shows Russian Grand Duke Sergius and Death. The published version is captioned "Let the War Go On: 'Your place, s-i-r-r, is at the front,'" in reference to Sergius's assassination on February 17, 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War.
In this cartoon from May 5, 1913, the Great Powers (Italy, Austria, France, Germany, England, and Russia) are reaching for a pie (Albania), while Montenegro, with fork and knife, leaps from his chair at the table. In 1913, the Powers demanded that Montenegro abandon Scutari, a former Turkish fortress in Albania.
In this cartoon's upper frame, the forecast for Sunday is fair weather, so a father, mother, and two children plan an outing in the park to feed the ducks. In the lower frame, it is pouring rain, much to the ducks' delight, and the family is getting soaked to the skin. This cartoon was published on Monday, July 12, 1909, which, according to the "Spring calendar" shown in the cartoon, followed one of many bad weather Sundays in the spring and summer of that year.
Dressed as farmers, Wisconsin Senator Robert La Follette and Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes, both Republicans, are shown working the State of Minnesota soil. La Follette runs behind a horse labeled "Radicals" and pulling a tine harrow across northern Minnesota, while Hughes walks behind a heavier horse labeled "Conservative element" and pulling a plow across the southern part of the state.
Rivals in the effort to overthrow the Mexican government under Huerta, Venustiano Carranza (Garza), leader of the Constitutionalist forces and Francisco Villa, leader of the Federalists, push "the Mexican Revolving Door," from which Carranza emerges first. Carranza served as president of Mexico 1917-1920.
Uncle Sam holds the Hay Pauncefot Treaty regarding Panama Canal tolls while John Bull (England) presents him with a Protest as Arbitration looks on. Uncle Sam says to John Bull, "Sit down, John. Let's look it over. We don't need any interpreter to read English."
William Jennings Bryan holds up an image of Kaiser Wilhelm in an effort to draw attention to "The European War Bogie" as the major national issue to be included in the Minnesota Democratic Party platform, while "Brewery Control" takes a back seat.
In the interest of national security, the Democratic Party was largely in favor of the construction of the Panama Canal, but Senator Arthur Gorman from Maryland strongly opposed United States imperialism and, therefore, the canal project in Panama. In this cartoon, published in the Monday, December 21, 1903, edition of the Minneapolis Journal, Gorman is shown dressed as a king, brandishing a sword, and trying to pull a resistant Democratic Party donkey into the "Anti-Canal Fight."
St. Paul, Chicago, and New York City are shown standing in front of Uncle Sam, holding U. S. Postal Savings account books. Nearby, the Minnesota Gopher holds a sign that reads, "See our Paul gopher the savings."
1914 American highest production farm crops--apples, rye, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes, and corn--are caricatured as royalty, with King Corn in the lead. In the lower right corner, a sign states, "1914 farm crop values $5,066,742,000 which is $104,000,000 more than 1913."
Published in the Thursday, May 12, 1904, edition of the Minneapolis Journal with the caption "The Hoosier School Boy," this cartoon refers to the Indiana Democratic state convention, where Hearst followers challenged the convention majority, which had supported Judge Parker, by claiming unfair treatment. The claims were defeated, and the convention "instructed for" Parker. National Committeeman Thomas Taggert is portrayed as the teacher, while Hearst and the Indiana Democratic Convention are portrayed as school boys, one a privileged prankster, the other a poor pupil who reads aloud the instructions for Parker and Taggert.
The March Lion, having just eaten the Spring Lamb, licks his chops. The cartoon reads, "Maltese cross indicates location of the lamb." Published March 6, 1915, this cartoon pokes fun at the harsh weather that often characterizes Minnesota's late winter.
Published on December 10, 1908, this cartoon shows the Egg and the Potato addressing each other, "The Egg--'Hello, Small Potatoes and Few in a Hill, you needn't be so fresh. I knew your folks when you weren't worth 30 cents a bushel.' The Potato--'No one would accuse you of being fresh, and that's no joke. No doubt you can remember a good way back, all right, all right!'" The Egg's waistcoat is marked "Eggs 50 cents Doz." and the Potato's is marked "Potatoes 85 cents Bu." This dialog might be related to an article, published in the same edition of the newspaper, telling about the Minnesota Potato Growers and Shippers Association winning the support of the Interstate Commerce Commission for their demand that railroads provide heated cars for shipping perishable freight in freezing weather.
Published on June 2, 1910, this cartoon shows streetcars as "Official photograph taken at eleven a.m. by street railway co. for council committee" and "Snapshot, by most any of us, at time we have to use the street cars."
Published on November 10, 1913, this cartoon portrays General Huerta, President of Mexico, crouching under a gun, labeled "Arms for the Constitutionalists," suspended from above by the words "US embargo on arms."
Published in the Tuesday, March 29, 1904, edition of the Minneapolis Journal, this cartoon is a reference to the efforts of several powerful American trusts to be allowed to move their legal headquarters to Havana in order to evade U. S. tax laws. A figure with octopus-like tentacles and representing New Jersey-based trusts is shown carrying baggage and other gear past a mosquito, who is sharpening his "stinger." A sign at the traveler's feet points to Cuba.
Published on July 14, 1913, this cartoon shows the Underwood Simmons Tariff Bill being pushed onto the U. S. Senate stage by Senator Simmons, while the audience pellets the bill with eggs and vegetables labeled "Antagonist," "Criticism," and so on. Sen. Simmons, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had arranged for the controversial bill to be introduced to the Senate for debate on July 14.
This cartoon pokes fun at the driving habits of the citizens of Minneapolis. A Minneapolis family is out for a spin; a farmer hauling a load of hay on his tractor honks at a man in a horse-driven wagon; a stylishly-dressed woman addresses her chauffeur; and a Minneapolis Messenger Service driver reads at the wheel.
Permanent Tariff Commission, appointed by President Taft, sits waiting, while Uncle Sam advises the Congress to turn over tariff work to the Commission. The Commission is portrayed as a young woman with a valise labeled "Recommended by Pres. Taft, White House," while Congress is portrayed as an older matron.