Judge — March 10, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon depicts a crowded waterfront scene with industrial buildings and a steamship in the background. A large hand emerges from a basket labeled with text including "POLITICIANS," "NEW YORK," and "POWER," suggesting political manipulation or control. The cartoon satirizes how politicians are deployed or used as tools. The masses gathered at the waterfront appear to be immigrants or working-class people, while the invisible hand controlling the politicians suggests elite or corporate interests directing political action from behind the scenes. The title "ON, THEY DO THE RESTING" (likely "ION, THEY DO THE RESTING" with OCR error) implies politicians merely follow orders from hidden power brokers. This reflects late 19th/early 20th-century concerns about political corruption and the influence of wealthy interests over elected officials.