Judge — August 26, 1882 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon criticizes a District Attorney's corruption-fighting efforts as hypocritical theater. The DA employs Pinkerton detectives (private security) because he claims police can't be trusted, yet he publicly praises Inspector Byrnes—revealing selective trust based on politics rather than principle. The satire's core message: while authorities conduct visible raids on illegal "policy shops" (numbers gambling) and pool halls, the real corruption persists. The final panel shows well-dressed men toasting at a table, suggesting that policy and pool operations continue thriving regardless of raids—implying complicity between operators and officials. The cartoon suggests the raid is performative: designed to appear tough on crime while actual criminal enterprises operate undisturbed through corrupt arrangements.