Judge — February 14, 1885 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts a nightmarish scene titled "A Foreign Incubus," asking whether Congress will intervene. The image shows a demonic or monstrous figure (the "foreign incubus") threatening or attacking a woman representing Columbia (America), who appears helpless or in distress. A man labeled "COLUMBUS" stands nearby, seemingly unable to assist. The satire criticizes foreign interference or influence on American affairs, likely referencing late 19th or early 20th-century anxieties about international threats to American sovereignty. The cartoon appeals to Congress to protect the nation from this external menace. The use of Columbia as the vulnerable female figure was common in American political imagery of this era, representing the nation itself under threat.