Judge — June 23, 1900 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon from June 1900 depicts the **Liberty Bell** prominently displayed at Philadelphia's Convention Hall during the Republican National Convention. The allegorical female figure (likely representing Liberty or America) stands beside it. The caption "History Repeats Itself" with text about "four more years of independence for the American workingman" suggests this is **Republican campaign imagery supporting William McKinley's reelection**. The Liberty Bell symbolizes American independence and freedom—the Republicans are claiming their policies will extend economic independence to working Americans. The 1900 context matters: McKinley's first term included the Spanish-American War and industrial prosperity. Republicans framed his reelection as preserving American workers' economic freedom and independence, positioning themselves as defenders of both national liberty and labor prosperity.