Judge — October 15, 1887 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This **Judge** magazine cartoon satirizes Democratic Party divisions over a reformist president. Two well-dressed men (representing "better class" Democrats) stand before the Capitol, embracing a portly political figure in the center—likely depicting a corrupt politician or party boss they paradoxically support. The caption "We Love Him for the Enemies" is ironic: these reform-minded Democrats claim to back this figure *because* of his opponents, not his merits. The partial text references a president "elected as a reformer" who allies with "rings" (political machines) and "thieves." Without the publication date visible, the specific president remains unclear, though the imagery suggests Gilded Age or Progressive Era politics when Democratic reformers battled entrenched party corruption. The satire mocks the contradiction of supporting a compromised leader while claiming moral superiority.