The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-12

First Came Into Prominence in the
Lincoln and Douglas Campaign.
One of the most interesting develop
ments of modern times is the art of
political cartooning. Hundreds Of
newspapers. comic weeklies and other
periodicals all over the country are
springing cartoons apropos of the great
presidential campaign of 1886. Two
score years ago the political carica-
ture was unhe lrd of. Today it is one
Of the great features Of the daily news
paper.
A number of the earliest cartoons
made in this country shows a marked
difference from the caricatures of to-
day. While the work upon some of
them is crude, the idea which the car
toonist wished to convey is neverthe-
less very forclbly expressed. Many of
the cartoons OF the early days were far
from being dignified and respectful,
and a number of them were even bru-
tai This crudity and brutality have
both passed away. The modern car
toon is finished and perfect, and in
most cases it pozes fun at a political
candidate in very inofensiVe way.
Indeed. it is said on excellent author
ity that politicians consider it such a
mark of honor to be cartooned that
they send their best photographs to
the well known artists Of the coun-
try. 1t is vigorously maintained by
many that a politician does not
amount to much until he has been car
TONED. After that distinction he is
supposed TO have advanced several
steps and to have arrived at a dis
tinction that makes him a force of
some moment.
The political cartoon first came into
prominece during the presidential cam
paign Of 1860, when Lincoln was the
Republican nominee, Douglas the Dem
ocratic champion, and john c. Brock
inridge was the nominee OF a boiling
wing Of the Democratic party Even
then few newspapers began the prac-
tice Of printing political cartoons, al
though they had many on other sub
Jects. Single-sheet wood-cut cartoons
We're made alone and scattered broad
CAST all over the country. The Cleve-
land Campaign Plaindealer, a fiery
Douglas organ, was one of the few pa
pers which printed cartoons. The pa
per was also bitter antagonist of
President Buchanan, and it did it's Ut
most to make things hot for the presi-
dent and for Candidate Lincoln and all
his supporters. One crude picture rep
resented Lincoln and Douglas as pugil-
lists. Douglas had Lincoln's head under
his arm and was REPRESENTED in the
act of severely pummeling the noted
Abolitionist, While a number of Lin
coins most noted opponents stood out
side the ring ropes jeering at the Rail
splitter and urging on the Little
Giant
By the time the next campaign ar
rived, when Lincoln was pitted against
General Mcclellan, the cartoon art had
made considerable progress. and Har-
per's Weekly entered the arena as the
stalwart champion of the Republican
party. The Weekly vigorously assailed
the Democratic party and it's cham
pion, producing some vigorous cartoons
caricaturing the candidate of the OPP
position. The campaigns of General
Grant-the first against Seymour and
the second against Horace Greeley
afforded great opportunities for the
cartoonist, and he did not neglect them.
The art was now Furnishing and i'm
proving rapidly, and some of the great
est cartoons the country has. ever seen
We're produced these years.-Chicag
Herald