In May of 1912, the famed ex-Populist senator from Kansas, William Peffer, lay on a couch in Christ’s Hospital, Topeka, Kansas, dictating to a stenographer. With only a short time to live (he would die on October 6), Peffer was combating negative portrayals of the Populist movement by recording the “true” history of Populism for posterity. But his attempts to dispel misconceptions of the agrarian revolt stand in contrast to his efforts to preserve caricatures of the movement. Through scrapbooking, Peffer helped to preserve the very political cartoons that misrepresented him and his party in the colorful pages of the satirical Puck (Cleveland-Democrat) and Judge (Republican) magazines. Volume two of Peffer’s scrapbook is now available on Kansas Memory. For additional material on the Populist Party in Kansas, select the category Government and Politics - Reform and Protest – Populism.
Elected to the U.S. Senate by Kansas on a Populist Party ticket, William A. Peffer served only one term from March 1891 to March 1897. Peffer collected at least enough colorful political cartoons to fill three books. The cartoons appeared primarily in satirical weeklies such as Puck and Judge and most of them were published during his term in the senate. William’s son Douglas M. Peffer donated the first volume of Peffer's scrapbook to the Kansas Historical Society in 1921. Douglas donated two additional volumes in 1933 shortly before his February 1934 death in Frezno, California.
Victor Gillam’s “A Mighty Poor Exchange: From the Sublime to the Ridiculous” laments the exchange of political giants like William McKinley and George Edmunds for prairie populists like Peffer and “sockless” Jerry Simpson. Published in Judge, April 25, 1891.
Bernhard Gillam’s “Most Ripe” shows James Campbell, Shelby Cullom, Russell Alger, David Hill, President Cleveland, Arthur Gorman, and William Peffer salivating over the 1892 presidency. Published in Judge August 8, 1891.
C. J. Taylor’s “The ‘Peanut’ Hagenbeck and his ‘Senatorial Courtesy’ Animal Show” depicts Peffer in a circus ring commanded by New York Senator David B. Hill with other Senators who were against President Cleveland’s attempt to lower protective tariffs. Puck centerfold published February 7, 1894.
Volume two of Peffer’s scrapbook is now available on Kansas Memory. For additional materials on William Peffer and Kansas populism, select the category Government and Politics - Reform and Protest - Populism. For more information on the Populist Party in Kansas read An Essay on Populism.
Sources:
Roger Fischer, “Rustic Rasputin: William A. Peffer in Color Cartoon Art, 1891-1899,” Kansas History 11 Winter (1988-1989): 222-239.
“Loses Legs to Write History; Ex-Senator Peffer, Populist, Gains a Few Weeks and Works On,” Special to the New York Times (June 1, 1912): 22.