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Superb Hancock and Awful Democrats |
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“Miss Columbia (to General H_____)” |
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Cartoonist: Probably Thure de Thulstrup |
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Source: Harper's Weekly |
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Date:
July 24, 1880, p. 465
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Click to see a large version of this cartoon |
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Complete HarpWeek Explanation:
Because of General Winfield Hancock's valiant military service to the Union
cause during the Civil War, and his lack of taking a strong stand on issues
contrary to the positions of Harper's Weekly, the Republican newspaper's staff
mainly refrained from attacking the character of the Democratic presidential
nominee. Instead, they concentrated on the allegedly vile nature of the company
that he kept-i.e., the Democratic party. This cartoon, probably by Thure de
Thulstrup, appeared two weeks after Hancock's nomination (published July 14). It
is one of the first in a series of cartoons that exemplify the Harper's Weekly
theme of emphasizing the contrary combination of the Democratic presidential
nominee and his party.
Here, Columbia herself, the symbol of the entire nation, compliments Hancock
personally, but bars him from entering the White House because of his
companions. The unkempt, long-haired figure on the far-left is a former
Confederate soldier, who represents the Southern base of the Democratic party.
The garish, mustached figure in the middle is the hack of an urban political
machine, who personifies the Northern base of the Democratic party. Both men are
violent, unscrupulous, and antithetical to the democratic system. The Southerner
who once rebelled and fought against the Union, now terrorizes black citizens
while imposing one-party rule. The Northerner, sometimes called a
"shoulder-hitter," intimidates Republican voters and candidates with
threats or acts of violence, then steals or stuffs ballot boxes, as required. |
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