James Blaine’s “Tattooed-Man”, June 18th, 1884: The Writing on the Wall
Above, by Puck magazine founder & artist, Joseph Keppler, Sr., The Writing on the Wall.
On stage & shrinking from the light of the words “Republican Revolt” on the backwall, are 1884 Republican Presidential nominee James G. Blaine, as the Tattooed Man, and his Vice-Presidential running mate. Blaine — well known nationally for his corruption & lies, is depicted as tattooed from head-to-toe with his sins. Here, he tries to use the New York Tribune newspaper (a Republican propaganda sheet equivalent to today’s Fox News) to conceal his sins. The “Revolt”, though, refers to the many Republican faithful who weren’t buying into such a known-to-be-corrupt candidate for President — whether they stayed away or switched their vote, his personal faults and voters rejection of them, would cost Blaine the election.
Also not enjoying the revealing light cast upon them, are the Republicans who had been dining upon “Monopoly Stew” — William H. Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Cyrus Field, the Tribune‘s editor, and others.
Below, the prose piece from the same June 18th, 1884 issue, calling for the defeat of Blaine.
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— Doug
