Judge — September 8, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon illustrates the biblical concept of the scapegoat—a figure onto which society projects its problems before casting them out. The image shows a goat being driven away from a gathered crowd near a military encampment, with tents and soldiers visible in the background. The satirical point appears to be commentary on how societies (or governments) identify and blame a single entity for widespread problems, then exile or punish that figure to cleanse themselves symbolically. The Webster's Dictionary definition quoted reinforces this interpretation: the scapegoat historically carried "the sins of the people" into the wilderness. Without additional context about Judge magazine's publication date or specific political events, the exact target of this satire remains unclear—it could reference any contemporary political or military figure serving as a convenient blame-bearer for national troubles.