Judge, 1885-08-29 · page 9 of 16
Judge — August 29, 1885 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This political cartoon titled "The Political Promised Land" depicts a large elephant labeled "Rampfile" trampling through rocky, barren terrain marked "25 Years in the Wilderness" and "The Victors Along the Spoils." The elephant appears to represent the Republican Party (the GOP's traditional symbol), while the landscape suggests a period of political exile or exclusion from power. The smaller creatures being stepped on—identified as a crawfish and snail in the accompanying verse—represent political opponents or those displaced by Republican dominance. The "Promised Land" reference suggests the GOP's return to power after years of Democratic control. The satirical point critiques the Republicans' aggressive assertion of authority and their treatment of political opponents upon regaining prominence, portraying their victory as destructive rather than constructive.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE. ' q a aan i: [P YEARS INTHE Be WILDERNE S&. pA t oi i a E POLITICAL PROMISED LAND. i er?” said the Crawfish to the Snail ; q je, and he’s treading on my tail.” comicbooks.com