Judge — January 31, 1885 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Judge" Page (January 31, 1895) The main cartoon depicts a bearded man labeled "The Senator from Miss" (Mississippi) performing an acrobatic kick in a legislative chamber. He's juggling what appears to be a "C.S.A." (Confederate States of America) reference, while crowds watch from the gallery. On the right, a glass dome contains a figure labeled Jefferson Davis with text reading "This is not a traitor" and "This is a pure statesman without stain," suggesting ironic commentary on how Davis was being rehabilitated in public memory. The caption states: "Nobody, in my presence, shall call Jefferson Davis a traitor without meeting a stern and decided denial." This satirizes a senator's passionate defense of the Confederate president during Reconstruction-era politics, mocking the effort to restore Davis's reputation after the Civil War.