Judge — September 26, 1885 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts a labor union parade featuring workers carrying various protest banners and signs. A prominent red flag is visible among the marchers. The Judge's caption mocks workers by suggesting they should "boycott that red flag"—implying association with radical or socialist ideology. The satire targets labor unions by equating them with dangerous radicalism. In the late 19th/early 20th century, *Judge* magazine was conservative and anti-labor; the red flag symbolized socialism and communism, which many American publications portrayed as foreign threats. The cartoon's sarcastic suggestion that workers should reject their own protest symbols while simultaneously protesting represents *Judge's* hostile view of organized labor activism and their attempt to delegitimize union movements by linking them to radical politics.