Judge — October 27, 1894 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "An Old Tammany Trick" This 1894 *Judge* cartoon satirizes Tammany Hall, the powerful Democratic political machine that controlled New York City. The large bearded head represents a Tammany operative, wearing a document labeled "Hammany Nomination for Mayor of New York: Nathan Straus." Behind this "respectable mask" lurks a crowd of caricatured figures associated with Tammany corruption—depicted as criminals ("Thieves, Blackmailers, and Thugs"). The cartoon's point is that Tammany conceals its corrupt nature behind legitimate candidates and nominations. By running respectable figures like Nathan Straus for mayor, Tammany attempts to hide the criminal elements that actually control the organization. The satire suggests voters shouldn't be fooled by the façade.