Judge — August 17, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Making an Ass of the Public" (Judge, August 17, 1889) This satirical cartoon criticizes corruption in horse racing at the Humbug Racing Association. The central figure appears to be a judge or official, with a sign listing corrupt practices: horses being "pulled, dosed, crippled and fouled" and jockeys "bribed" to "cheat the public." The donkey-headed figure on the left represents the public being made foolish ("ass"). The caption's subtitle states "With these elements uppermost, racing will cease to be a sport"—meaning that when corruption dominates, the sport loses legitimacy. The scattered papers and betting slips on the ground reinforce the theme of fraud. The cartoon satirizes how racing authorities tolerate systematic cheating that victimizes bettors and undermines the sport's integrity.