Judge, 1886-02-06 · page 16 of 16
Judge — February 6, 1886 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon critiques what appears to be a widespread social phenomenon of petty bribery and corruption affecting various professions. The central figure (a judge in top hat) is surrounded by vignettes showing different occupations—bank cashiers, gas meter readers, doctors, lodgers, and fathers—each depicted receiving small "gifts" or payments in exchange for favorable treatment. The satire suggests that bribery has become normalized across society: a quarter with every loaf of bread, small payments with official documents, clothing gifts from lodgers, etc. The title "Gift Enterprise Extended" mockingly frames this corruption as an expanding business practice. The overall message criticizes how such petty corruption has become systemic, affecting trust in institutions from banking to medicine to family relationships.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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