Judge, 1891-06-06 · page 20 of 20
Judge — June 6, 1891 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This political cartoon satirizes the **1884 Democratic Party split over President Cleveland's nomination**. The central figure labeled "CLEVELAND" is depicted as a falling Caesar, stabbed by supporters including what appears to be **Henry Watterson** (Kentucky Democratic leader), who rejected Cleveland's renomination at the May 17th Louisville convention. The surrounding figures represent **Democratic Party factions**—some labeled with state/regional identifiers—attacking or abandoning Cleveland. The classical allusion to Caesar's assassination ("Et tu, Brute") suggests Cleveland felt betrayed by his own party. **The satire's point**: Despite being an incumbent president, Cleveland faced significant Democratic opposition to his renomination, portrayed here as a dramatic political betrayal and collapse of support from within his own party ranks.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
E io) Q n x ° fo) 2 2 = 5 cs) REJECTED. The Kentucky Democratic State Convention held at Louisville May 17th rejected a resolution indorsing Mr. Cleveland and naming Cleveland for President. Tue Craimant (to Watterson) “Et tu, Brute—then fall Caesar !!"