Judge — May 12, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes the Pullman Strike crisis of 1894. Uncle Sam (center-right, labeled "Law and Order") attempts to maintain control as chaos erupts around him. A figure labeled "Coxey" (left, in water) represents Jacob Coxey, who led an unemployed workers' march on Washington that spring. The large boot figures likely represent either federal troops or the strikers themselves. The caption quotes Coxey stating he'll present a petition "with boots on which cannot be pigeonholed," while Uncle Sam responds "I've got some boots on, myself!"—suggesting the government will use military force to suppress the movement. The Capitol and "Prison & Barracks" building in the background emphasize the tension between civil unrest and governmental authority during this period of severe economic depression.