The Hardest Job They Ever Tackled

In the image, men wearing top hats, with labels identifying them as oil, woolen, and steel trusts, try to hoist a large William Taft onto a chair labeled "Presidency" atop a large pedestal. "Industrial depression" and "record of the republican party" are depicted as two heavy weights shackled to Taft's feet.
William Taft became the 27th president of the United States and served from 1909-1913. Due to his predecessor Theodore Roosevelt's political influence and support, he easily defeated his opponent William J. Bryan in the 1908 election. In fact, newspapers often joked that Taft stood for "Take Advice From Theodore." However, during Taft's administration, he and Roosevelt began to have bitter political disagreements. Roosevelt accused Taft of being too conservative and decided to run against him in the election of 1912.