Judge — March 5, 1898 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon depicts Uncle Sam (identifiable by his top hat and characteristic appearance) wielding a large hammer or mallet labeled "STOCK TICKER" at the U.S. Capitol building. The caption reads "LESS SPECULATION, MORE[...]" with text about "the great national stock-ticker keeps Uncl[e Sam]." The cartoon appears to criticize stock market speculation and its influence on American government. The tangled ribbons and mechanical imagery suggest the stock market's complex, pervasive control over national policy. Uncle Sam is portrayed as being manipulated or constrained by market forces rather than governing independently. The publication date (1928, per the copyright notice) places this during the pre-Great Depression stock boom, when speculative trading was rampant. The cartoon likely advocates for government regulation to reduce risky financial speculation.