Judge — June 9, 1900 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Can't Get Them" - Judge Magazine, June 9, 1900 This political cartoon depicts a black cat perched atop a fishbowl containing goldfish, with the caption "The black cat Bryan is after the GOLD fish." The image satirizes William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic presidential candidate who championed "free silver" (unlimited coinage of silver). His opponents associated him with monetary instability. Here, Bryan is represented as a predatory black cat trying to reach the "gold fish"—a metaphor for the gold standard that Republicans defended. The cat cannot access the fish inside the protective glass bowl, suggesting Bryan's free-silver agenda would ultimately fail to overturn the gold standard. This was a central issue of the 1900 election, reflecting intense debate over monetary policy during the era.