Judge — September 23, 1893 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes the 1892 presidential election through a "clover" metaphor. The sign reads "Grover 4 more years of Grover"—referring to Grover Cleveland, the Democratic candidate seeking re-election to a non-consecutive second term. The left placard mocks the New York World's pro-Democratic messaging, claiming it championed tariff reduction and working-class prosperity. The cartoon depicts ordinary workers entering a tunnel labeled "The World," suggesting they're being led into a dark passage—implying the newspaper's populist rhetoric masks deception. The "clover" reference suggests voters will end up lucky ("in clover") if Cleveland wins, but the tunnel imagery suggests otherwise. The satire critiques how the World used working-class appeal while pursuing Cleveland's free-trade agenda, which the cartoonist likely viewed as harmful to workers. The date (1892) places this during Cleveland's actual campaign comeback.