Judge — December 13, 1890 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon titled "The Phrenologist," referencing the pseudoscience of phrenology—reading personality traits from skull shapes. A phrenologist examines a young man's head while surrounded by busts and caricatured heads labeled with traits like "Combativeness," "Honesty," and "Generosity." Papers scattered below reference "Free-Trade-Mania" and other political positions. The satire mocks applying pseudo-scientific phrenology to political ideology, suggesting that political beliefs (particularly free-trade positions) are predetermined by innate character rather than reasoned argument. The numerous labeled heads suggest politicians and public figures being categorized this way. The cartoon ridicules both phrenology's false authority and the deterministic thinking behind contemporary political divisions.