Judge — January 10, 1891 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Jackdaw Cleveland's Stolen Feathers" This January 1891 *Judge* cartoon satirizes President Grover Cleveland. The image depicts a man (Cleveland, identifiable by the caption) gazing at a peacock with elaborate feathers marked with eyes. The peacock represents Cleveland's accomplishments and political victories. The caption quotes Cleveland's speech at a Mugwump Reform Club dinner, where he claimed to need recognition for labor's results and "OUR success." The satire suggests Cleveland is admiring achievements that aren't truly his own—the "stolen feathers" metaphor implies he's appropriating credit for collective efforts or previous administrations' work. A jackdaw is a bird known for stealing shiny objects, making the title's pun work: Cleveland, like the thieving bird, claims plumage (credit) that belongs elsewhere.