Judge — February 22, 1890 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This **Judge** magazine cartoon depicts a labor strike scene. On the left, well-dressed figures (likely capitalists or politicians) hold large bombs labeled with what appear to be corporate or industrial names, suggesting they control weapons or destructive power. On the right, a working-class man stands alone at a doorway, appearing confrontational or defiant. The cartoon satirizes the power imbalance during labor disputes: the wealthy elite possess literal and figurative "explosives" (economic control, political influence), while workers have only their bodies and determination to resist. The title "STRIKE!" reinforces this is commentary on labor unrest, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century when such conflicts were common and often violent.