Judge — May 21, 1887 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon critiques debates over Sunday observance laws—restrictions on commercial activity and entertainment on Sundays, championed by religious conservatives. The allegorical female figure (labeled "Liberty" or representing free commerce) sits dejected amid books and implements, while well-dressed citizens stroll freely through a prosperous urban street in the background. The cartoon's subtitle mocks "Puritanical Intolerance," suggesting that strict Sunday laws represent an oppressive, outdated moralism constraining modern society. The contrast between Liberty's suppressed state and the thriving public life behind her implies the cartoon argues *against* such restrictions—advocating for secular freedom and commercial liberty over religious regulation. This reflects late-19th/early-20th century American tensions between religious traditionalists and those favoring secular modernization.