Judge — January 30, 1884 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Uncle Sam to Brewster" This cartoon from Judge (January 30, 1884) satirizes a financial dispute. The main figure "Brewster" sits at a desk surrounded by scattered bills and IOUs, looking distressed while holding a bottle. "Uncle Sam" (representing the federal government, shown in the mirror or reflection) warns him: "Easy on the O.K., Ben, or you'll use up all my loose change." The satire likely concerns Benjamin Brewster, U.S. Attorney General under President Chester Arthur, and alleged misuse of government funds or loose financial practices. The scattered papers with illegible notations suggest careless spending or accounting. The cartoon criticizes wasteful government expenditure, warning that reckless spending will exhaust public resources—a common satirical theme about federal mismanagement in the Gilded Age.