Judge — October 4, 1902 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This October 1902 *Judge* cartoon satirizes the 1902 U.S. presidential election. The caption references **Tom L. Johnson**, who "goes Bryan one better" by offering odds of "17 to 1—or 16 to 1 and a circus." The caricatured figure on the right appears to represent Johnson or another Democratic candidate making increasingly extreme campaign promises. The opposing figure (left) holds a sign reading "16 to 1," referencing **William Jennings Bryan's** famous 1896 campaign for free silver coinage at a 16-to-1 ratio—a major economic controversy. The joke: Johnson is portrayed as so desperate to outdo Bryan's radical proposals that he's literally offering circus entertainment alongside political promises. The title "ALL THE FOOLS ARE NOT DEAD YET" mocks such extravagant campaign rhetoric as foolish.