Judge — September 7, 1901 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1901 Judge cartoon satirizes Richard Croker, the notorious boss of Tammany Hall (New York's Democratic political machine), shown as a grotesque figure returning to America. The caption states he comes "to reap another crop of Grain with which to fill his English barns." The satire operates on multiple levels: Croker, who had recently moved to England, is depicted as a farmer harvesting American wealth and resources to enrich himself abroad. The tall stalks of grain labeled with dollar signs represent money extracted from America through political corruption. The "Political Reaper" banner above suggests Croker exploits the political system itself as his crop. The cartoon criticizes Tammany Hall's endemic corruption and Croker's brazen self-enrichment at public expense.