Judge — September 2, 1882 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon depicts a group of men huddled on sinking ground with a "High Water Mark" warning sign, captioned "Look Out for the Rising Tide." The bottom text references "harbor steal left to a well deserved fate." The cartoon appears to satirize political corruption or mismanagement—likely involving harbor officials or maritime interests—using flood/drowning metaphors. The various caricatured figures suggest multiple politicians or bureaucrats implicated in some scheme. The "rising tide" symbolizes consequences or exposure catching up with them. Without seeing the publication date or additional context, I cannot definitively identify the specific figures or corruption scandal referenced, though the maritime reference suggests involvement with port authority or shipping interests. The cartoon's message is that these wrongdoers face inevitable downfall.