Judge — January 19, 1895 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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# "The Two Dromios; or, The Political Comedy of Errors" This January 1895 *Judge* cartoon references Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors" to satirize American political blunders. Two grotesque figures (likely representing political rivals or administrations) are depicted as mirror images—the classical "Dromios" (identical twins from the play). The left sign references "Secretary Gresham snubbed by Japan and Turkey," while the right mentions "Cleveland increased National Debt" by $100,000,000. The small human figure between them appears trapped or confused by these errors. The satire suggests that American political leadership has become a farcical repetition of mistakes—both foreign policy humiliations and fiscal mismanagement—making the nation's government appear as comedically bungled as Shakespeare's mixed-up twins. The overall message: political incompetence creates chaos.