Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-19
RY W. :. MANN.


Copyright, 1929, by The washington
starr
WASHINGTON. April 10. - Uncle
Joe Cannon, Champ Clark, Gen. Sher-
wood Of Ohio and some other con
Eressmen were confabulating In the
cloak room the other day when q
young members of the house wanted
To know the origin of the use OF the
elephant and the donkey as the en-
blem, for cartooning purposes. OF the
Republican and Democratic parties'
Several different versions OF the adoP-
ton of the ~caricatures were advanced
and finally one OF the younger men
was detailed to set out on a klnd OF
political naturalists' expedition 10
trace the custom 10 It's lair; 70 nhu
out how. when and why it originated
Tho trail led far aneld but the
quarry was finally run down IN rev
York City. IT'S an interesting yarn
mates: draw near.
The elephant and the donkey were
created by the cartoonist, Thomas
Mast. in Harper's. The genesis OF tno
idea. however was with the new 1oIh
Herald. One Sunday morning IN NotI
enber 1874, the New York Herald
published a fake" story describing
fbe escape of animals from the zoo.
~ attracted widespread on
account of It's graphic portrayal ana
vivid description. II was accompanied
by pictures of all kinds OF anlihals,
eiephants. donkeys, lions and in Iact
n regular Noah's ark collection. On
November Z. Mr.. Mast published q
cartoon In Harper's. portraying an
elephant, and calling II the fepuDiCdh
marty. The idea was that the ele-
phant. on recount of It's great strehBth
and burden bearing capacity, mula
81 The Republican party which had to
cnrry the burden or the cry o.
-oanStism then being raised against
Gen. Grant. Nj
published another cartoon depictins
The donkey as the emblem or the
democratic party. because OF tne w
+be democrats had handled THINGS n
ctrtoon anpearing In HarperS II
january. 1870. was based on the fabie
oe fba oss kicking the dead Hon. 1he
nee vas marked 1.-THE Co3perhead
Press while the lion bore the features
of Edwin II. Stanton, who had recent
lv died. The cartoon was supposed 10
we reference to the utilization OF
ne memory of Stanton by the
"c~opporhoad'' section of the demo-
cratic press. -
Mr. Nast's first use of the elephant
was In depicting that animal, mafke1
'eThe Republican voters crossln5 o.
planks from the RepuDlicah pIat'plnt
(which were breaking under the bur-
dens he had to carry. Mr.. Mast con
tintied to use the two animals Tor
characterization of the RESPECTIVE
p~arties and other Cartoonists TOOK up
the idea. until today they are IN UNI
versai use for purposes or flulcailhS
Tho two parties or having n little goou
natured run.
william Jennings Bryan. who has a
keen sense of humor and who enjoys
n cartoon even at his own expehse,
even If its clever. has never resehte"'
the adantlon of the donkey 10 lhe
caricaturing OF The democratic party
No likes to be pictured in its company.
At n notable public dinner in WASH
fnrton several years ago, he took oc-
casjon 70 point with pride"-to the
iowIv donkey rs emblematic or ms
marty. He glowingly described the
domestic virtues of the faithful anu
nal. It's patience under the inhtctloH
of heavy burdens, as characteristic OIL
tha long suffering Of the plain peo-
nle, under theirs. and was glad that
fbe "husIness end" Of the donkey us
hoofs-can register emphatic KICKS
when the burden becomes too heaVy'
The last cartoon in which MIR. Bryan
and the donkey figured was one Nv
the famous c%artoonist. Bergman
showing Mr.. BRYAN standing m tne
edre of the prohibition water trough
irving to make the protesting demo,
cratic donkev drink, having drag0eu'
II there by q halter. Mr.. BRYAN VINO
was in WASHINGTON at the time the
cartoon was published. LAUGHED over
81 heartily and congratulated rl9
ryiend perrvman for the idea. Mr..
Brvan DELIGHTS in being presented with
The oririral drawings of the cartoons
of him which are without malice ana
which breathe a spirit of good natured
raillerv-
Tn the political campaigns OF sue
ceeding years. following the example
set by Mr.. Mast. the cartoon mas peeh