Judge, 1894-10-20 · page 1 of 16
Judge — October 20, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine, October 20, 1894: "Tammany's Contemptuous Defiance" This political cartoon satirizes Tammany Hall, the Democratic political machine that controlled New York City politics. The anthropomorphic rat figure—a common symbol for Tammany corruption—sits defiantly atop a barrel labeled "Liquor Authority" while wielding a club. The accompanying text critiques police department corruption: trials of officers accused of brutality, drunkenness, and related crimes resulted in only four dismissals among numerous convictions over three years (1851-1893). The cartoon's caption, "Well, what are you going to do about it?" captures Tammany's arrogant dismissal of accountability. The rat's aggressive posture and control of the liquor authority barrel suggest the organization's stranglehold on municipal institutions despite documented criminal conduct among police.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOL. 27 NO.679 OCTOBER 20 189+ Enrenee ar ree Post Orrick at Mew Yorn as Sccone Coats MATTER by He Bee Pumcismine Co. LEXOW TESTIMONY. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TRIALS OF POLICEMEN FOR BRUTALITY, DRUNK- ENNESS, ETC., FOR THREE YEARS (1891-92-93) WAS 11,689! 109 Po- LICKMEN CONVICTED OF CRIME—AND ONLY FOUR DISMISSED. TAMMANY’S CONTEMPTUOUS DEFIANCE. “Well, what are you going to do about it?” Tire Reosrenee As PRICE 10 CENTS FHE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONVICTED OF BLACKMAILING, BRUTALITY, COMPLICITY WITH BUNCO-MEN, TERRORISM. AND RERJURY, comicbooks.com