“our mrs. Partingtons and the democratic ocean”
cartoonist: charles jay budd
source: harper's weekly
date: november 2, 1912, pp. 14-15
complete harpweek explanation:
“mrs. Partington” was a common metaphor for those who refused to face political reality, particularly the progress of reform. In 1824, an english woman named mrs. Partington, who lived on a beach, reportedly tried to sweep back (or mop up) a torrent of seawater that a gale was driving into her house. She did not give up until the deepening water forced her to seek shelter on the second story of her home. Here, the massive wave is democratic presidential nominee woodrow wilson and his approaching victory in the november 5 election. The mrs. Partingtons are (left-right): president william howard taft, the republican nominee; businessman george w. Perkins, co-chairman of the progressive party national committee and a leading contributor (he holds a moneybag); the reverend lyman abbott, editor of outlook magazine, which published theodore roosevelt’s commentaries; senator joseph dixon of montana, roosevelt’s campaign manager; charles d. Hilles of new york, chairman of the republican national committee; governor hiram johnson of california, the progressive party vice-presidential nominee; and publisher charles munsey, co-chairman of the progressive party national committee and a leading contributor. Date: 2 November 1912.
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