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 Superb Hancock and Awful Democrats

 


 “Miss Columbia (to General H_____)”
  Cartoonist:  Probably Thure de Thulstrup
  Source:  Harper's Weekly
  Date:   July 24, 1880, p. 465

Click to see a large version of this cartoon...

Click to see a large version of this cartoon

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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