Judge — November 2, 1895 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Heir to the Hat" - Judge, November 2, 1925 This political cartoon satirizes succession speculation within the Republican Party. The large hat (representing the presidency) is being carried by a small figure, while three well-dressed men behind gesture and compete for attention—one raising a top hat in celebration. The caption states: "Ex-President Harrison's friends say that he favors Robert T. Lincoln as against McKinley, Reed and Allison." This references former President Benjamin Harrison's purported preference for Robert Todd Lincoln (son of Abraham Lincoln) as the next Republican presidential nominee, positioning him against other potential candidates: William McKinley, Thomas Brackett Reed, and William Boyd Allison. The cartoon mocks how political insiders jockey for the presidency while the office itself appears burdened or unstable beneath the weight of these competing ambitions.