Roscoe Conkling was a colorful political figure from the late 1800s. He served three terms as a U.S. Senator from New York. He opposed civil service reform and insisted on control of political patronage in his home state. He had a longstanding feud with another powerful senator, James G. Blaine. He was appointed and confirmed to the U. S. Supreme Court, but refused to serve—the last person to have done so. This political cartoon is a critique of Conkling–leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party—and his influence over presidential politics.
Learning about the Gilded Age (1869-1896) through Political Cartoons
