Judge — January 4, 1890 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This January 1890 *Judge* cartoon depicts two Egyptian sphinx statues seated by the Nile, with a heron in the foreground. The caption quotes Grover Cleveland's December 1889 speech at a Boston merchants' banquet, with Dave Hill (likely a contemporary political figure) responding "I am waiting too, Grover!" The satire targets Cleveland's political position during a period of waiting or inaction—possibly regarding tariff policy, currency issues, or other divisive matters of his second administration (1893-1897). The sphinx imagery suggests Cleveland's enigmatic or passive stance on pressing national issues. The cartoon implies that critics like Hill are also "waiting" to see if Cleveland will take decisive action, with the eternal sphinx as a symbol of patient but ultimately immobile waiting.