Judge — March 20, 1886 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes a judge (depicted as an old man with an umbrella) reviewing various proposed solutions to labor strikes. The scattered papers before him show different schemes—some appear to depict violent suppression, others comical or absurd remedies involving kitchen implements, juggling, or slapstick scenarios. The satire targets judicial indifference or incompetence in handling strike disputes. By presenting increasingly ridiculous "rejected ideas," the cartoon mocks both the proposals actually being considered by authorities AND the judges' inability to address labor unrest seriously. The clock marked "Always on the Bench" suggests judges remain detached from real-world labor problems while cases languish unresolved. This reflects early 20th-century labor tensions when strikes were frequent and official responses ranged from inadequate to brutal.