Judge — December 17, 1881 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon series mocks the Mormon practice of polygamy. The title page shows various scenes: a man (likely Joseph Smith or a generic Mormon leader) leading children to a circus; a "Mormon Perambulator" (baby carriage) overflowing with infants; wives confronting a man demanding cash, with the caption suggesting they'll "strip him" for money. The satire targets two contemporary concerns: the perceived chaos of polygamous households with excessive children, and the financial burden polygamy supposedly created. The exaggerated imagery—overcrowded carriages, numerous wives and children—ridicules Mormon family structures as absurd and unsustainable. This reflects late-19th-century anti-Mormon sentiment in American publications, when the LDS Church's polygamy was a major political and social controversy.