Judge — March 23, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "John the Postman Runs the Gauntlet of Mud" This March 23, 1889 *Judge* cartoon satirizes attacks on the Postmaster General by the Democratic press. The central figure represents "John the Postman"—likely Postmaster General John Wanamaker, a Republican appointee. He's depicted running through a literal "gauntlet of mud," with Democratic newspapers and figures hurling attacks (shown as mud and objects) at him from both sides. The cartoon mocks Democratic journalists for conducting what the Republican *Judge* considers unfair, relentless assaults on the postmaster's character and administration. The mailbags and postal imagery reinforce his government role. This reflects the fierce partisan press battles typical of late-19th-century American politics, where each party's publications viciously attacked the other's officials.