Parker's Hope
date: label: date made
content: circa 1904
name: label: associated person
content: Parker, Alton Brooks
label: associated person
content: Bryan, William Jennings
label: maker
content: Berryman, Clifford
notes: label: Description
content: This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on heavy white paper circa 1904 by Clifford Berryman in Washington, D.C. It depicts Alton Parker looking concerned as he holds a sheet inscribed “This is leap year.” He sits in a chair beside a sofa; a portrait of Andrew Jackson is on the wall behind him and appears centered between him and Miss Democracy who is on the far end of the sofa. She appears to be speaking to William Jennings Bryan (who is crouched on the floor behind her) as she asks him “Why doesn’t he speak?” Bryan replies “Just watch little Willie!” as he holds a campaign standard labeled “K.C. Platform.” Behind Bryan is a door with an exaggeratedly large sliding lock. Berryman’s number 27910 is stamped in blue ink in the upper left region of the drawing. The drawing is signed “Berryman” in the lower right area of the illustration.
label: Description
content: That Miss Democracy is asking why Parker is not speaking is probably connected to Parker’s ethic that he should not publicize his interest in being the Democratic nominee for President while he was also a sitting Judge. He did not think it was proper to use his office to appear to strengthen his candidacy but would only speak publicly if nominated, and then as a private citizen.
label: Description
content: Bryan had rival aspirations and hoped to win the nomination using the platform he developed from his nominations at the Kansas City Conventions in 1900 and in 1896. He lost the nomination in 1904 but re-emerged as a candidate in 1908.
label: Description
content: Monetary currency was a critical concern in politics at the turn of the 20th century as it was also during Andrew Jackson’s time as President (1829-1837), which would explain the portrait of him on the wall. Jackson’s era considered the merits of paper currency or coinage. The concern circa 1900 focused on the pros and cons of the gold standard or free silver. Parker believed in the longevity of the gold standard, while Bryan supported the free silver movement.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia
label: associated place
content: United States: Missouri, Kansas City
topic: label: general subject association
content: Political Campaigns
label: general subject association
content: Political Caricatures
label: related event
content: Presidential Campaign of 1904
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Miss Florence S Berryman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.322733.021
label: catalog number
content: 322733.021
label: accession number
content: 322733
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Cartoon
label: Object Name
content: political cartoon
label: Object Type
content: cartoons
label: Object Type
content: Drawing
label: Object Type
content: editorial cartoons
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink stamp (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: hand-drawn (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 1/8 in x 15 in; 38.41826 cm x 38.1 cm