Judge, 1890-03-29 · page 24 of 28
Judge — March 29, 1890 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This political cartoon critiques Congressional spending practices. The main image shows a congressman being pressured by constituents demanding large appropriations ("appro-priation") for their district, with the threat of denying him a second term if he doesn't deliver. The satire highlights the contradiction: while bills totaling $700,000,000 in additional annual expenditures await Congressional action, individual congressmen prioritize local projects to secure re-election. The caption's sarcastic question—"What are we here for?"—suggests Congress's real purpose has become pandering to districts rather than fiscal responsibility. The smaller figures on the right appear to represent various special interests or constituent groups competing for federal funds. The overall message satirizes how electoral pressure drives wasteful "pork barrel" spending, ultimately bankrupting the national treasury while congressmen secure personal political survival.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Hrs coxstrrvmnrs —"" You've got to get big appro- NEWSPAPER BULLETIN! )’ 1 priatons for our district, or no second term. See?” WIPING OUT THE comicbooks.com OUR CONGRESSMEN BANKRUPTING TREASURY. BILLS BEFORE CONGRESS THAT WOULD ADD $700,000,000 TO THE ANNUAI EXPENDITURES! “What are we here for?” ; ‘The successful congressman making himself popular with his “deestrick.”* OUR RUINOUS CONGRESSMEN.