For today’s extract from Cartoons Magazine, and Women’s History Month, we examine how the March 1912 issue looked at women. Over half of Cartoons Magazine issues have a page or two of Women’s Suffrage cartoons. Naturally, since I wanted a few pages worth, the March 1912 issue doesn’t follow this pattern. March 1912 contains only the above (anti-)Suffrage cartoon — Mr. Wilson is Lucky He is Not a Candidate Twelve or Sixteen Years From Now, depicts Presidential Candidate Woodrow Wilson, being evaluated by a cadre of future women voters. The artist’s guess of 12 to 16 years, was slightly long — Women would gain the right to vote in eight years — 1920 — the last year of Wilson second term.

Click on the above & below pictures, to view the cartoons in detail, and read their captions.

Beneath, what the March issue gave more page space to — the frivolity of female fashion. This includes The New Spring Hats, by Charles “Bart” Bartholomew.

Next, a female college student, debating, “I just can’t make up my mind whether to go in for athletics, dress, or equal rights.” By James H. Donahey, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Finally, unsatisfied with March’s meager pickings as a sufficient post for Women’s History Month, I decided to cheat, and raid next month’s issue! Below, from issue four, April 1912, are two pages of cartoons on the struggle for Women’s Suffrage, in Illinois, Ohio, and New York. These include a second J.H. Donahey cartoon, and one cartoon each by Harry J. Westerman of the Ohio State Journal, and a pre-Barney Google Billy DeBeck, working for the Youngstown Telegram.

Doug Wheeler

ElectionComics Charles Lewis Bartholomew