Judge — August 22, 1891 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Questioning the Sphinx" This Judge magazine cover from August 22, 1891 depicts a large, sphinx-like head labeled "RECIPROCITY" being pestered by a small figure (likely representing the sensational press) holding various scrolls of false or misleading claims: "Shameful Lies," "Lies About Blames Health," "False Doctors Recipes," "Scandulous Reports," and others. The Capitol building appears in the background. The cartoon satirizes how American newspapers were spreading unfounded rumors and misinformation about a reciprocity trade policy—likely referring to President Harrison's reciprocity trade agreements of that era. The point: the "sensational press worries the silent man all to no purpose," critiquing journalists for manufacturing controversy around legitimate policy discussions through fabricated stories and exaggeration.