Judge — September 8, 1888 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon depicting two figures labeled as "confederates" working in collusion to defraud workingmen. The upper figure appears to be distracting the workers' attention—likely through rhetoric or promises—while the lower figure literally picks their pockets, stealing their money. The satire criticizes a corrupt scheme where one party (possibly a politician or demagogue) uses distraction and false messaging to keep working-class men engaged while their economic interests are simultaneously being plundered by an accomplice. The cartoon suggests organized fraud targeting laborers, a common Judge magazine theme critiquing Gilded Age corruption, labor exploitation, and false political promises. The "confederates" are portrayed as deliberately coordinated in their deception of vulnerable workers.