Judge — February 10, 1883 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes wealth inequality and westward expansion. The central figure—a wealthy man in top hat clutching a money bag—is being forcibly "examined" or "judged" by officials with telescopes and weapons, suggesting scrutiny of the rich. The title fragment "WEALTH" combined with "WILL NOT GO WEST" references the era's debates over whether industrial fortunes would relocate westward or remain concentrated in eastern cities. The cartoon appears to mock wealthy elites' resistance to sharing resources or relocating capital to developing western regions. The exaggerated caricature and armed officials suggest satirical criticism of either the wealthy's power or government attempts to regulate them—the specific critique remains unclear without the complete caption.