Whitelaw Reid trying to sell Uncle Sam a magnetic safe, satirical Puck cartoon of 1888

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Cartoon by Frederick Burr Opper (1857-1937) from Puck Magazine of 18 January 1888. The cartoon shows Whitelaw Reid trying to sell Uncle Sam a magnetic safe implying that James G Blaine (the republican candidate in the 1884 presidential election) should run again for president in 1888. Whitelaw Reid was editor of the New York Tribune and the chief cheerleader in the press for Blaine who's Nickname was the Magnetic Man. Uncle Sam is saying no necessity for a change implying that the incumbent Grover Cleveland should serve another term. A sign on the safe boasts none of the letters from the campaign of 1884 were burned (a reference to damaging correspondence on which Blaine had written “Burn this letter," giving Democrats the last line to their rallying cry: “Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, the continental liar from the state of Maine, 'Burn this letter!'.) In the event Blaine did not stand in 1888 but instead supported Benjamin Harrison who narrowly defeated Cleveland.

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Size: 6300px × 8340px
Photo credit: © Historical Images Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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