Dr. Vespasian Smith was the third mayor of Duluth. Born Oct. 21, 1818 in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, he earned a medical degree from Western Reserve College in 1851 and practiced in Ohio and Superior, Wisconsin before moving to Duluth. In 1860 he received a government appointment to serve as physician to the Indians at the Bayfield Agency. It is said that there were no votes opposing his first election to mayor, in 1873, except his own. He was re-elected the following year. The financial panic of 1873 and dire financial circumstances of Duluth itself made for difficult mayoral terms, but he was said to have been a man of great common sense who was well suited to lead during such times. He also served on the State Board of Health for twenty years. Dr. Smith died in Duluth on Oct. 11, 1897.
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.
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."
Political candidate William Jennings Bryan stands before a dresser mirror, writing a note to himself, "Will you run again, Mr. Bryan? You guessed it that time, my boy." A figure, likely Bart himself, sketchbook in hand, watches through the window.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Published on July 12, 1912, this cartoon shows Uncle Sam asking the Senate and the House, "Meeting again or yet?" The Senate figure holds a document titled "Lorimer case," a reference to an election bribery case.
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."
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.)
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.
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 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.
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.