Sid Greene
Pictured here are political runners-up reminiscing about their glory days. William Jennings Bryan is speaking; appearing clockwise around the table are Alton B. Parker, Charles E. Hughes and William Howard Taft; walking into the room is James M. Cox, whose presidential bid ended just six days before this cartoon was published.
William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was the Republican President from 1913-1917, but he lost re-election to Woodrow Wilson after Theodore Roosevelt split the Republicans by forming the Bull Moose Party in 1916.
Alton Brooks Parker (1852-1926) was the Democratic presidential candidate in 1904. He lost to incumbent Theodore Roosevelt.
William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) is probably best known as the prosecutor of John Scopes in the famous “monkey trials.” He was also the losing presidential candidate for the Democratic Party three times in 1896, 1900, and 1908. He was defeated by Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft.
Charles Evans Hughes Sr. (1862-1948) was the Republican candidate for president in 1916. He was defeated by Woodrow Wilson.
James Middleton Cox (1870-1957) was the Democratic candidate for president in 1920. Incidentally, Cox’s running mate was future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt.