Judge — March 29, 1890 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes opposition to women's suffrage. The central figure labeled "SUFFRAGE" is depicted as an explosive device or cannon being ignited by various male political figures, including those labeled "MURPHY" and others wearing formal dress. The "BALLOT" flag flies in the background, and scattered papers read "OBSTRUCTION OF THE BOSSES," suggesting political machine opposition to voting rights. The joke plays on the metaphor of suffrage as a dangerous, unstoppable force—the men are warned to "stand aside, boys; she's a-going off!" treating women's voting rights as an inevitable explosion they cannot prevent. The cartoonist appears sympathetic to suffrage, portraying resistance as futile obstruction by corrupt political bosses. This likely dates to the early 20th-century suffrage movement.