Judge — June 14, 1902 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Now, Will You Be Good?" This June 1902 *Judge* cartoon uses Uncle Sam (the tall figure in stars-and-stripes clothing) as a disciplinarian figure confronting what appear to be caricatured Filipino figures. The caption's patronizing tone—"See what I do for a good little boy?"—suggests this satirizes American imperial policy in the Philippines. The cartoon likely comments on the ongoing Philippine-American War (1899-1902) and U.S. colonial administration. Uncle Sam presents military weapons and supplies, framing American intervention as benevolent "reward" for obedience, while depicting Filipinos in dehumanizing racial caricature. The satire appears critical of American paternalism disguised as benevolence—mocking the justification that U.S. military occupation served Filipino interests or development.