Judge — May 13, 1893 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts **Uncle Sam as "The Dog in the Manger,"** referencing the Aesop's fable about a dog that prevented others from eating hay it wouldn't eat itself. The image shows Uncle Sam (identifiable by his characteristic top hat and beard) guarding a bone labeled what appears to be trade or economic resources, while various smaller dogs—likely representing other nations or competing interests—look on hungrily. The caption reads: "I don't want it; but you shan't have it!" This satirizes **American protectionist trade policies** of the 1890s, suggesting the U.S. was selfishly blocking access to resources or markets without benefiting itself. The cartoon critiques isolationist economic policies that denied others opportunity while providing no advantage to America.