Judge — July 1, 1882 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon depicts President **Chester Arthur** addressing Congress with the caption "Wake Up and Adjourn." The image shows Arthur as a conductor or showman, using a baton to direct a chaotic crowd of congressmen who appear drowsy, inattentive, or sleeping—their faces exaggerated in caricature style. The satire criticizes Congress for being ineffectual and lethargic, suggesting the body needed dramatic prodding to function. The "adjourn" reference likely mocks congressional inefficiency or the desire to end sessions without substantive work. Arthur, depicted as an energetic figure trying to impose order, represents the presidency attempting to manage an unruly, somnolent legislative body—a commentary on executive-legislative tensions during the Gilded Age.