The Judge, Vol. 7, No. 161

Never Say 'Die' (November 15, 1884)

An elderly man in a wheelchair, wrapped in blankets and surrounded by medicines and tonics, gazes longingly through a window at a political rally for B. F. Butler's 1884 presidential campaign. Signs reading "For President" and "Butler" decorate the street scene beyond. Inside his sickroom, motivational placards urge "Never say die!" and "If at first you don't succeed, try again." The cartoon mocks Butler's persistent political ambitions despite his advanced age and apparent infirmity, equating electoral persistence with the stubborn refusal to accept decline. Published by Judge, the Republican weekly, this piece lampoons a rival political figure through the metaphor of physical deterioration—a common campaign tactic of the 1880s.