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"When late I attempted your pity to move ... "
| Content Provider | Library of Congress - Photographs |
|---|---|
| Description | World War II cartoon shows President Roosevelt standing implacably at the top of the Capitol steps, looking down at an old man labeled "Congress" who sits sprawled on a lower step. The old man, who holds two papers, one reading "Your soldier vote bill is a fraud," and the other, "Your tax bill providing relief not for the needy but for the greedy," laments, "When late I attempted your pity to move, Why seemed you so deaf to my prayers? Perhaps it was right to dissemble your love, But why did you kick me downstairs?" In the spring of 1944, Congress gutted Roosevelt's bill to make it easier for soldiers to vote and then not only reduced his tax bill from $10 billion to a little more than $2 billion, but also included tax breaks for some special interest groups. An infuriated Roosevelt, refused to sign the soldier vote bill and vetoed the tax bill, sending a message to Congress so harsh that Alben Barkley, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader resigned in protest. The old man's lament is a bit of whimsical verse from the 18th century possibly written by Jonathan Swift or Richard Steele. |
| File Format | JPG / JPEG |
| Language | English |
| Part of Series | Cartoon Drawings |
| Requires | HTML5 supported browser |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Domain (in LCSH) | United States.--Congress--1940-1950. |
| Subject Domain (in LCSH) | Presidents & the Congress--1940-1950. |
| Subject Domain (in LCSH) | Roosevelt, Franklin D.--(Franklin Delano),--1882-1945. |
| Content Type | Image |
| Resource Type | Photograph |
