Judge — August 11, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes an oversized government figure dominating the Capitol building. The giant represents bloated federal authority, while tiny figures below—labeled as the President, Senate, and House—appear insignificant beneath its massive form. The cartoon references President Cleveland's administration and criticizes how the government has grown so enormous that elected officials seem powerless within it. The Shakespeare quote reinforces this critique: ordinary citizens ("petty men") are dwarfed by an incomprehensibly large governing structure, questioning how the government became so vast and powerful. This appears to be commentary on Gilded Age concerns about government expansion and the diminished influence of individual branches of government relative to federal bureaucratic growth.