Judge — June 27, 1885 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Judge" Cartoon, June 27, 1885 This satirical cartoon depicts a domestic scene with two men and a cat. The verse jokes about "Jack Sprat," referencing the nursery rhyme about a couple where one ate fat and one ate lean, with their cat cleaning the plate between them. The men wear labels suggesting they represent different economic or political positions ("GOLD," "SILVER" visible on their clothing). The cartoon appears to be commentary on late-19th-century monetary policy debates—specifically the gold versus silver standard controversy that dominated American politics in the 1880s-1890s. The "cat" likely represents the working class or public, positioned between opposing factions and metaphorically "licked the platter clean"—suggesting ordinary people suffered while political elites fought over currency policy.