Judge — April 8, 1899 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1899 Judge cartoon by Victor Gillam satirizes chaos at a "Cuban Assembly." The image shows a violent, chaotic scene outside a building flying the Cuban flag, with figures fighting, falling, and in disarray. The caption's incomplete text ("They Don't Know") suggests ironic commentary on Cuban political instability. This likely references the Cuban War of Independence (1895-1898) and its aftermath. The "Cuban Assembly" probably represents attempts at Cuban self-governance following Spanish colonial rule. The cartoon mocks the disorder and violence accompanying Cuban political organization, suggesting to American readers that Cubans were incapable of orderly democratic processes—a common racist trope used to justify American intervention and eventual occupation of Cuba.