Evening star., 1927-11-06

ming Telegram. 1t was published i'm.
medately. and Bennett called for
others. which proved so good that
Mr.. Bush was soon invited TO join the
staff of the Telegram.
The figure of Mr. Hill in his small
chapcau appeared frequently in Bush's
cartoons. made the militant Democrat
quite famous Though they did not
help his campaign and launched the
artist upon n very successful career
with the Telegram and Herald and
later the World.
Although William Mckinley was the
next cartoon material as presidential
candidate in the '"0's, his influential
friend and campaign manager. SEN
stor Hanna, received the more vigor.
Gus attention of the two.
Homer Davenport created the con-
ception which was to become invari.
ably associated with Hanna gro-
tesque likeness of him in dollar.
marked suit. This figure played the
dominant role in n series of cartoons,
sometimes accompanied by another IA.
nous Davenport creation-the british
figure of the giant trust, cave
man type, with skull development
very little advanced beyond that of an
ape. Mr.. Davenport conceived this
figure upon seeing for the first time
the statue Of Samson i'll st. Marks
Square, Venice.
There was brutal forthrightness
about Davenport'S work which made
it impossible TO forget. The concep-
ton wounded Hanna to the quick hut
he lived to see the day when the bit.
terness created against him was re-
placed by sincere regard.
Owing to the fact that Mckinley
was not himself an active politician,
but an idealist who left practical con-
sideratioHs to such men as Hanna, the
cartooni$ts at the outset regarded him
as something OF figurehead. He ap.
peared constantly in Davenport's car
toOnS as. a tiny creature. lost in one
corner, or as a parrot being taught to
speak by Hanna, or in some similar
guise.
Lighter, more humorous cartoon
versions of Hanna and Mckinley were
created by Frederick Opper, who was
for IS years on the staff of Puck. Mr..
Opper is best known to this genera
ton perhaps by his Happy Hooligan"
and other comic strip heroes" But
he was an exceptionally clever politi-
cal cartoonist as well, using the series
idea in his cartoons TO the best ad-
vantage. willie and His Papa" was
Mckinley as a very small boy, a good
little fellow who did everything that
papa" the trusts and ''nursie"
mark HANNAH told him to do.
Another series was the Mckinley
Minstrels." represented by various
trusts. with Hanna as the interlocutor
and Mckinley and Roosevelt as the
end men. Humor is predominant in
all of these cartoons by Opper.
ROosEvELT'S vigorous personality
manifested itself early in his po-
litical career. when he was only Vice
President. Opper frequently intro
duced him in the willie and His
Papa" series as the bad little boy al
ways up to mischief. When Roosevelt
beca me President the cartoonists were
in clover. He was constantly doing
and saying things which provided
them with abundant material. But
since the time of Hanna and Daven.
port no one cartoOnist has been identi.
fed as responsible for some outstand.
ing conception of man.
All of the cartoonists saw Roosevelt
as a combinati ton of teeth and eye
glasses. with individual differences.
Cartoons never hurt Roosevelt, no
matter how bitter they might he. He
loved them all, for they represented
one bright phase of the "limelight."
William Jennings Bryan was the
most cartOoned man in American his
tory. as he was thrice his party's can
didate for the presidency. and yet had
not only the active opposition of the
vast Republican press. but also the
opposition Of the few great Demo-
cratic papers.
Furthermore, his impressive ap-
pearance, his long hair and flowing
tie were features lending themselves
most felicitOuSly to caricature.
In addition to the cartoOnists who
would like to injure a candidate. il
possible, are others who do not con-
slider it ethical to WELD their crayons
to cruel ends. They contend that the
point may he seized in an airy and
conclusive way; innocent fun may be
had at the candidates expense. But it
should be of such nature that he him.
self would find il amusing (providd
he is normal in temperament and not
SupersenSitive). Such a cartoonist is
Clifford X. Bergman Of The Washing
ton Star, at one time of the Wash
inGton Post Hence it is rather ironical
that one of Mr.. Berryman's cartoons
of Bryan flor whom ne had the high
was interpreted by the opposition press
For that cartoon, Il stand Just
Where | Stood Three Years Ago"
was inspired by visit of Mr. Bryan
to Washington in 1899, three years
after his first campaign for the presi-
dency. Various correspondents of the
Nations press quiZZed him a; to how
he stood at the time on his former
pet issue, &c to L." To all of them
he replied. Il stand just where I
stood three years ago" Mr.. Berry
man took Mr.. Bryan'S own words for
the title of cartoon. showing the
COmmOner still on the outside of the
White House grounds, looking in.
First publ shed in the Post in 1929,
it was reproduced more than 40 times
in ntiBryan daiies and weeklies
the country.
w. n. Rogers cartoons appeared In
lIarperS Weekly for l5 or 20 years.
lie is now retired from the cartoon
field and is winning fresh laurels in
illuStra tive work. which was the first
branch in which he won renown.
William III. Taft was not the type TO
furnish thrills for cartoonists. His
avOrdupois and lack of political ac.
tivity were ahout'ali they could utilize.
"oouioN w liSoil On the Otner nand,
was President who inspired decided
one way or the Other-either
intense loyalty or fanatic hatred. His
can. scholarly face. with it's long law
appears to have most attracted the
attention.
Every one who is more than 10
wears of age is perfectly well ac-
It....nted with the cartoonists' con.
of PresiG~r's Harding and
Coolidge The writer. for one, ha~
never seen a really abusive caricature
)f our present Executive.
There are presidential poss ,bilities
already In the field whose person.