Judge — November 6, 1886 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon mocking candidates for alderman (city council members) in what appears to be a Canadian election. The title "The People's Choice for Alderman" is ironic—the figures depicted are clearly meant to represent unsuitable or absurd candidates. The cartoon criticizes municipal politics by portraying aldermanic candidates as various types of lunatics or fools. The caricatures suggest that local politics attracts incompetent, deranged, or morally questionable individuals seeking office. The repeated refrain about "the people's choice" emphasizes the satirist's frustration with democratic voters who support such unfit candidates. "Aldermanic Insanity" suggests the broader message: that municipal government attracts—or that voters foolishly elect—the mentally unfit or corrupt.