Judge — June 2, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page, June 2, 1888 This political cartoon critiques the failure of **Civil Service Reform** in late 19th-century America. The grim reaper stands in a cemetery where reform lies dead, marking its murder "by a second victim." The graves reference a **"Moribund Civil Service Reform"** that despite being championed as a progressive cause, proved ineffective or was killed by political resistance. The widow's lament—"He killed me child, but it was at the command of his party, and I love him still"—suggests the widow Curtis (likely referring to reform advocate George William Curtis) must accept her loss because it served party interests. The cartoon satirizes how patronage and party loyalty continued to override merit-based government hiring despite reform efforts.