Judge — April 10, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Have We a Democratic or a Mugwump President?" (Judge, April 10, 1886) This satirical cartoon criticizes President Grover Cleveland by invoking the "Mugwump" label—referring to Republicans who abandoned their party to support Cleveland's 1884 election. The graveyard scene depicts Democratic spirits troubled by Cleveland's governance, suggesting he governs like a Republican turncoat rather than a true Democrat. The caption quotes Hamlet's "Alas, poor Yorick," reinforcing the theatrical satire. Democratic figures (identified as Cleveland, Curtis, Lamont, and others) appear distressed in this cemetery setting, implying Democratic principles are "dead" under Cleveland's presidency. The cartoon attacks Cleveland for supposedly betraying Democratic ideology, a common 1886 critique from his party's progressive wing regarding his conservative fiscal and labor policies.