Judge — July 26, 1902 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes the Panama Canal as a political issue. The image shows a figure seated at a desk labeled "PANAMA CANAL: OPERATIONS UNDER THE PERSONAL DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BY ACT OF CONGRESS." The seated figure (likely representing a U.S. President, though specific identity is unclear) holds a document marked "PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION." To the right stands an elephant—the Republican Party symbol—dressed elaborately, suggesting the canal project had become entangled in partisan politics. The caption "THE POLITICAL PANAMA CANAL MAY LAND" suggests the cartoon warns that the canal, ostensibly a national infrastructure project, risked becoming compromised by political maneuvering and presidential ambition rather than serving public interest. The satire critiques using major national undertakings for political gain.