Judge, 1894-11-24 · page 9 of 16
Judge — November 24, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes an unnamed Democratic politician (likely a party leader or cardinal figure) through a Shakespeare reference. The title invokes Cardinal Wolsey, the ambitious cleric from *Henry VIII* who fell from power—suggesting the cartoon's subject faces similar downfall. The scene depicts a grand interior with the central figure in ornate robes surrounded by supplicants and political hangers-on. A document labeled "New York $50,000" appears in the foreground, implying corruption or misappropriation of funds. The altered Shakespeare quote emphasizes the theme: the figure served party interests and personal gain rather than the country, now facing abandonment by allies. The satire suggests Democratic leadership was corrupt, self-serving, and destined for disgrace—a common attack on the opposing party in *Judge*, a Republican-leaning publication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘Seckeit.a Wilhelms Litho Co New York. DEMOCRATIC CARDINAL WOLSEY. ag fares 0 all my greatness ! And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer, hathangs cnet Never to hope again.— ae eat sme we Party favors! Had I but serv’d my country with half the zeal at lin ould aspire to, I serv'd myself, it would not in mine age pect of Poms aus, and their ruin, Have left me naked to mine enemies. pd fears tha wars or women have; —Shakespeare (slightly altered). comicbooks.com