Judge, 1886-07-31 · page 1 of 16
Judge — July 31, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This political cartoon satirizes President Grover Cleveland's handling of Civil War veterans' pensions. The central seated figure appears to be Cleveland, surrounded by three men confronting him about his economical stance. The dialogue bubbles reveal the satire: the left figure claims "I had a substitute" (avoiding military service), while the right states "I fought for my country." Cleveland's response—visible in the caption—dismisses their claims, saying he cannot maintain reputation while supporting pensions, and that soldiers "shouldn't have gone to war." The cartoon criticizes Cleveland for penny-pinching on veteran benefits while accepting excuses from those who avoided service. The scattered pension documents at his feet emphasize the administration's indifference to soldier welfare—a politically unpopular position that damaged his support among veterans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
vokl.10 NO.250. JULY 31, 1886. PRICE 10 CENTS, ————____ r OFFICE ERED AT THE POST orrice 5 PRANKEIN: SQUARE: rz BY THE w YORK g8e sy AR eT : MEW y RiGHt | JUDGE PUBLISHING. Ge CR as SECOND class MATTER, corr “) HAD A SUBSTITUTE * ea — CLEVELAND —“N T can! help you. Tam making # reputation for economy and T've got to keep it up. You shouldn't have gone to the war. Look ‘a substitute! |” comicbooks.com