Judge — July 9, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This July 1887 *Judge* cartoon satirizes President Grover Cleveland. The title's wordplay on "three Rs" (traditionally: Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) likely mocks Cleveland's administrative competence or policy record. The central figure in striped wrapping (suggesting either mummy-like incompetence or restraint) appears to be Cleveland being examined or manipulated by suited political figures around him. The "scoreboard" reference suggests he's keeping track of his own performance or failures—implying self-delusion about his political standing. The cartoon likely critiques Cleveland's handling of a specific contemporary issue, though without additional context the exact scandal or policy dispute isn't clear from the image alone. The overall tone is dismissive of Cleveland's presidency.