Judge — December 15, 1894 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon depicts what appears to be a political allegory using apes and monkeys to represent political figures or groups. A well-dressed man on the left holds a document labeled "TARIFF" while observing a chaotic scene of ape-like creatures. One prominent ape is being hanged from a gallows inside a building. The partial caption reads "...GROVER!" likely referencing President Grover Cleveland. The text mentions "putting coal and iron upon the free list"—referring to Cleveland's tariff policies. The cartoon satirizes Cleveland's controversial tariff reduction efforts, using animal caricatures (a common racist practice of the era) to mock political opponents or specific groups opposing his policies. The hanging suggests the cartoonist viewed certain political positions as doomed or deserving execution. The satire targets the heated tariff debate of Cleveland's presidency (1885-1889, 1893-1897).