Judge — July 21, 1894 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This two-panel political cartoon satirizes labor strikes. The top panel shows workers and a contractor in dispute over construction work—the dialogue references a wage disagreement ("Fair di' days, or we 'row up th' job at wance!" vs. "Well, throw it up then!"). The bottom panel depicts the violent consequences: workers are literally thrown from a scaffold, with one appearing dead or severely injured on the ground below. The satire's point appears to be criticizing strikes as self-destructive—workers demanding better conditions only injure or kill themselves through workplace accidents. This reflects Judge magazine's typically anti-labor stance, suggesting strikes harm workers more than employers. The grim humor underscores the cartoon's message that labor disputes lead to literal catastrophe for workers themselves.