Judge — June 12, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes broken campaign promises. The caption reads: "Democracy the Forsaken—'Begorra! At I'll bring a breach o' promise case in 1888!'" The image shows a jilted woman in a wedding dress labeled "Democracy," abandoned by politicians in formal dress (likely representing the Democratic Party leadership). The Capitol building appears in the background. A gravestone marked with broken promises sits in the foreground. The satire criticizes Democratic politicians for failing to fulfill pledges made to their constituency ("Democracy"). The Irish accent in the caption ("Begorra") suggests this may reference Irish-American Democratic voters. The threat of a "breach of promise case in 1888" alludes to the upcoming 1888 presidential election, when voters might punish the party for unfulfilled commitments.