Judge — October 29, 1887 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes circus fraud and political corruption, circa the Cleveland administration (1880s-90s). The image shows an elephant (the Republican symbol) with visible white spots being examined by two men. "Gorman" (likely Arthur Gorman, a Democratic politician "indorsed by Cleveland") instructs "Dan" to cover up the spots to deceive the public. "Cours" (the "head worshipper," likely a circus promoter or corrupt official) protests that removing the spots will cost him his job. The satire suggests that Democratic politicians are complicit in covering up fraud—whether literal (a painted elephant in Lamont's Combined Circus, visible on signage) or metaphorical corruption—to maintain their positions and deceive citizens. The cartoon criticizes both the deception itself and officials' willingness to perpetuate it for self-interest.