The Judge, Vol. 6, No. 147

The Judge, Vol. 6, No. 147 (August 9, 1884)

A caricatured woman in a kitchen, wearing a bonnet and apron, holds a rolling pin and plate while a thin cat labeled "Democratic Cat" eats from a small dish. The caption reads: "Small Favors Thankfully Received.—'It ain't much, but it's a god-send to a starving stomach.'"

This cover exemplifies Judge's Republican editorial strategy during the 1884 presidential campaign. The starving Democratic cat—a standard partisan symbol—received meager scraps while the Republican administration, implied to oversee national prosperity, provided abundance. The domestic kitchen setting and exaggerated female caricature reflect the era's standard illustrative conventions. Judge deployed such animal allegory and ethnic humor consistently to contrast Democratic hardship with Republican economic management, particularly regarding currency and tariff disputes.