Judge — December 1, 1883 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Who Is to Be Speaker?" — Judge, December 1, 1883 This cartoon satirizes the competitive struggle to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. Three men, identified in the caption as **Carlisle, Cox, and Randall**, hold law books labeled with what appear to be vote counts or procedural rules—their "weapons" in the political contest. The satire mocks how these ambitious politicians are invoking legal technicalities and parliamentary procedure to advance their candidacies rather than relying on genuine qualifications or merit. Each figure clutches his rulebook defensively, suggesting they're using arcane legislative knowledge as their competitive advantage. The judge figure overlooking from above likely represents the House itself or public observation of this procedural maneuvering.