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

What you’re looking at

# "The Last Straw" — Judge, November 7, 1896 This political cartoon depicts a farmer crushed beneath falling wheat stalks, titled "The Last Straw." The inset sign states: "Since July wheat has risen 30 cents per bushel and is rising steadily." The cartoon satirizes the **1896 presidential election**, likely criticizing the outcome or predictions regarding agricultural policy. The farmer—representing American agriculture—is being overwhelmed despite wheat prices rising, suggesting the satire cuts against expectations that rising commodity prices would benefit farmers. The cartoon's title plays on the idiom "the last straw," implying the farmer's situation has become unbearable. The visual exaggeration of the wheat stalks conveys crushing burden rather than prosperity, suggesting skepticism about whether rising prices actually help farmers facing other economic pressures or debts.