Judge — June 16, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This June 16, 1894 cartoon satirizes a Democratic senator (likely a Confederate brigadier based on the uniform) as Cardinal Richelieu, the powerful French minister. The figure towers over a prone female figure labeled "Income Tax Injustice," whom he's trampling. The satire critiques the senator's opposition to income tax legislation, portraying him as autocratic and tyrannical—wielding a sword while dismissing democratic tools. His quoted statement, "Take away the sword. States can be ruined without it. Bring me the pen"—references Richelieu's famous line but inverts it to suggest the senator prefers legislative manipulation over military force to control the nation. The cartoon likely responds to contemporary debates over federal income tax policy and Democratic resistance to new taxation.