Judge, 1890-04-19 · page 1 of 16
Judge — April 19, 1890 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This political cartoon satirizes corruption in urban government. A well-dressed judge or official examines two departments—the Police Department and what appears to be a district attorney's office (visible signage on the right). The caption quotes the judge observing that these departments escape investigation through "trickery" despite being "a great deal more rotten than the sheriff's office." The cartoon critiques selective enforcement of accountability: while local sheriffs face scrutiny, more powerful urban institutions (police and prosecutors) evade oversight. The caricatured figures in shabby clothing represent either corrupt officials or those victimized by the system. This reflects late-19th-century concerns about machine politics and institutional corruption in American cities, particularly New York.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOL.I8 NO. 444 APRIL1I9 1890. PRICE 10 CENTS. Enrenco ar the Post Orrice ar New Yorn AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER, NEXT! tee Jypce —“ Now we will look into these two departments, which by some trickery always escape investigation, and yet are a great deal more rotten than the sheriff's office !”