Judge — March 6, 1886 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes a Republican Senator (identified as Edmunds in the OCR) over corruption or bribery involving "spoils"—likely referencing the patronage system where political positions were given as rewards. The cartoon shows well-dressed gentlemen examining documents labeled "spoils" and "distrust," with a suspended figure above labeled "supervision." The Shakespeare quote ("Who steals my purse steals trash...") suggests the Senator is hypocritically claiming moral high ground while engaging in corrupt practices himself. The visual of horses and officials appears to reference political machine operations. The satire criticizes Republican politicians for participating in the very spoils system and corruption they publicly condemned—a common Gilded Age critique of political hypocrisy and the distribution of government positions based on party loyalty rather than merit.