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.
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.
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."
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.
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'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.