Judge, 1882-12-16 · page 1 of 16
Judge — December 16, 1882 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cartoon (December 16, 1882) This political cartoon mocks two 19th-century politicians: **Robeson** and **Keifer**. The caption shows Robeson confronting Keifer about making a speech on Robeson's behalf in New Jersey. The sign reading "An honest man will occupy this chair in 1883" suggests this relates to upcoming elections and questions about political integrity. The cartoon satirizes the politicians as "very much-abused," likely meaning they were controversial or disreputable figures of their era. The humor appears to rest on the absurdity of one politician ghostwriting speeches for another, while they both claim questionable character—hence the ironic commentary about "honest men." Without additional context about these specific politicians' scandals or the New Jersey situation referenced, the precise grievance remains unclear, but the cartoon attacks their credibility and ethical standards.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
€ AT NEW YORK AS SECOND CLASS MATTER. COPYR NEW YORK, DECEMBER 16, “1882. 10 Cents j TWO VERY MUCH-ABUSED POLITICIANS. ROBESON TO KEIFER.—“Oh, why did you make that speech for me in New Jersey?” comicbooks.com