Judge — June 23, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts Cleveland (likely President Grover Cleveland) dressed as Falstaff, Shakespeare's corpulent comic character known for deception and moral weakness. The figure holds a document labeled with corrupt practices and stands before an ornate government building, suggesting Washington D.C. The satire equates Cleveland with Falstaff—a character famous for hiding shameful behavior behind excuses. The quoted Shakespeare passage ("what starting-hole canst thou now find out, to hide thee from this open and apparent shame?") reinforces this parallel, suggesting Cleveland is attempting to conceal corruption or scandal through political maneuvering. The cartoon criticizes Cleveland's administration as morally compromised, using classical literary allusion to suggest his dishonesty and evasion are as transparent as Falstaff's in the play.