Judge — November 1, 1890 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a Judge magazine political cartoon depicting a multi-headed octopus-like creature strangling or controlling what looks like a building or institution (possibly representing government or society). The creature is labeled with text that's partially visible but suggests corruption or organized crime ("DEADLY GRIP"). The central message, stated below the image, calls on "reputable citizens" to act on "election day" to destroy this "monster"—clearly advocating voter participation as the remedy against corruption. The cartoon uses the common turn-of-century metaphor of an octopus with multiple grasping tentacles to represent a corrupt organization or political machine. The multiple heads/faces suggest various corrupt interests working in coordination. The text indicates this was meant to mobilize readers toward political action through voting.