Judge — February 23, 1895 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Nothing In It" - Judge Magazine, February 23, 1895 This political cartoon satirizes what appears to be the Cleveland administration's financial crisis or policy failure. A donkey (symbol of the Democratic Party) sits examining an empty treasure chest labeled "Democratic Economies," finding it bare. The donkey wears formal attire and a ruffled collar, suggesting pretense masking emptiness. In the background, the Capitol building and a sign reading "Democratic Economics" are visible, emphasizing the political target. Papers scattered on the ground suggest discarded or failed policies. The title "Nothing In It" mocks Democratic economic promises or performance—suggesting the party's financial policies or treasury are hollow. This likely references specific 1890s economic troubles under President Cleveland, whose administration faced the Panic of 1893.