Judge — April 6, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "The Straws That Break the Camel's Back" This 1889 Judge magazine cartoon uses the proverb about breaking a camel's back to critique President Benjamin Harrison's administration. A figure identified as "Harrison" (left, with beard and spear) stands beside an overburdened camel labeled with various "Office Seekers" demands. The camel carries bags labeled with bureaucratic burdens, while office-seekers pile additional weight on top. The satire mocks Harrison's inability to manage the overwhelming demands from political appointees seeking government positions—the "straws" that threaten to collapse his presidency under patronage pressures. The artist (signed "Victor") suggests Harrison cannot make progress on substantive public business while drowning in patronage obligations, a common complaint about Gilded Age politics.