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

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Harrison's Friends Say He Is Out of the Race" This October 1895 *Judge* cartoon satirizes President Benjamin Harrison's political prospects. The image shows Harrison (identified in the caption) as a small, distressed figure in the foreground, while prominent Republicans are depicted in tiered "stock-in-trade" boxes above him—suggesting they're treating political support like a commodity to be traded. The cartoon's joke, voiced by "Artful Benny" (Harrison), suggests Republican power brokers are abandoning him. He cynically proposes stepping aside so rivals can "break each other's stock-in-trade," hoping this infighting might restore his viability. The satire reflects Harrison's weakened political position and internal Republican Party divisions during the 1890s.