Judge — February 5, 1887 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes a meeting of "Mugwumps"—a term for independent Republicans who broke party loyalty, particularly during the 1884 presidential election. The scene depicts elderly, bearded men gathered around a table, suggesting backroom political dealings or party dissension. The bald-headed figures (noted in the caption as a visual joke) represent these so-called independent politicians perceived as self-important or ridiculous by Judge's perspective. The formal interior setting implies secretive deliberation among these political outsiders. The satire mocks Mugwumps as ineffectual or comically vain—emphasizing their advanced age and eccentricity. Judge, generally Republican-leaning, used the cartoon to ridicule party members who prioritized personal principle over party unity, portraying them as somewhat absurd characters rather than principled reformers.