Judge — January 16, 1897 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes Attorney General Richard Olney's alleged attempt to intimidate Congress. The large figure on the left, labeled with phrases like "I AM THE BRIDGES," "NATIONAL CONCERN," and "MY WORD IS LAW," represents Olney as an authoritarian, bloated character threatening lawmakers visible in the background. The cartoon criticizes what the accompanying text calls Olney's "menace"—his use of legal threats to coerce legislative action rather than persuade through proper channels. The exaggerated physique and aggressive posture mock him as overreaching his executive authority. This appears to reference a specific political conflict between the executive and legislative branches during the 1890s regarding government power and proper constitutional limits.