- Date:
- 1840
- Original Format:
- Cartoon
- Item#:
- 9.113
"Matty's Perilous Situation Up Salt River"
In this cartoon from the 1840 presidential election, Martin Van Buren is drowning in the Salt River under political issues such as the tariff, sub treasury, African-American suffrage, etc. ("Salt River" was a slang term for political failure.) His opponent William Henry Harrison is paddling over on a barrel of hard cider to save him. Harrison is commenting that he'll try to save him but he's only good enough to be appointed the Kinderhook inspector of cabbages.