Judge — March 8, 1890 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical illustrations critiquing child welfare and charity practices in late 19th/early 20th-century America. **Top cartoon:** Depicts well-dressed, presumably wealthy figures distributing charity to impoverished children. The satire appears to mock performative or condescending charity—the donors' elaborate dress and gestures contrast sharply with the ragged, desperate children receiving aid. **Bottom cartoon:** Shows an institutional or official setting where children are being processed or managed, likely satirizing inadequate orphanage or poorhouse conditions. The crowded, chaotic scene suggests bureaucratic indifference to children's welfare. The OCR text is severely corrupted/reversed, making specific details unclear, but both illustrations critique how "polite society" handled poverty and child welfare—either through insufficient charity or institutional neglect. This reflects Progressive Era concerns about child labor, orphans, and social responsibility that Judge's middle-class readership would recognize and debate.