Judge — June 2, 1883 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes a governor's veto of the "Page Bill" (likely labor or reform legislation). The top panel shows a judge presiding over what appears to be a courtroom or official proceeding. The bottom panel depicts an explosion labeled "VETO IN RESOLUTION AVENUE," with crowds of people fleeing. The ledger visible in the left panel lists "Page Bill Savings Bank Investments" with mining stocks and gold shares—suggesting the governor prioritized wealthy financial interests over the bill's apparent public benefit. The satire's point: by vetoing the Page Bill, the governor protected rich investors' profits while literally "exploding" in the faces of ordinary citizens below. The cartoon criticizes using executive power to serve moneyed elites rather than the public good.