Judge — September 22, 1888 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes American industrial and commercial interests as predatory forces. The central figure—a man in striped pants labeled "Pilgrim"—is beset by various threats: oxen labeled "Herr From" (possibly "Here From"), a structure marked "American Wool," and banners including "American Fishermen" and what appears to be trade-related signage. The satire appears to critique how American business monopolies and tariff protections harass or "bite" at ordinary citizens ("Pilgrims") trying to navigate economic life. The pilgrim is depicted as helpless, "grinning" while beset by commercial forces he cannot escape. This likely references late 19th-century concerns about trusts, monopolies, and protectionist trade policies harming average Americans. The cartoon's title invokes *Pilgrim's Progress*, suggesting the citizen's difficult journey through an obstacle course of corporate interests.