Judge — March 7, 1896 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine - March 7, 1896 **Cartoon: "Will It Rise? Or Will It Drop Back to the Old Place?"** This political cartoon depicts a barometer labeled "COLD RESERVE" being manipulated by a figure in a top hat (likely representing a banker or financial elite). The rising/falling mercury represents stock market or economic conditions, while scattered financial documents and certificates lie at the figure's feet. The satire critiques financial manipulation and market speculation during the 1890s. The question posed—whether markets will genuinely rise or artificially collapse—suggests skepticism about whether economic recovery is real or merely engineered by wealthy insiders. The "cold reserve" barometer implies the entire system depends on artificial controls rather than natural economic forces.