Judge — March 3, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Nailed to the Mast!" This March 3, 1888 *Judge* cartoon depicts a caricatured figure (identified as Jim Blaine in the caption) clinging to a flagpole bearing a Republican flag. The flag displays three key promises: "Protection," "Good Wages," and "Flourishing Industries." The caption quotes Blaine declaring "The Republican Ship shall sink or swim under this Flag!" This appears to reference James G. Blaine's 1888 presidential campaign, where he championed protectionist economic policies as central to Republican ideology. The sailor clinging desperately to the mast suggests the cartoon satirizes Blaine's rigid commitment to these policies—implying he's stubbornly committed to Republican principles regardless of practical consequences or electoral viability.