Judge — November 29, 1902 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cover, November 29, 1902 This political cartoon by Grant Hamilton depicts a Thanksgiving scene satirizing President Theodore Roosevelt's trust-busting policies. The large turkey represents monopolistic corporations or "fat old gobbler[s]" that Roosevelt targeted. The small figure on the left, labeled "Farmer Roosevelt," wields an axe menacingly toward the bird. The caption quotes Roosevelt: "This fat old gobbler will be the first to get it in the neck," referencing his aggressive prosecution of large trusts and monopolies—a central policy of his presidency. The cartoon celebrates this anti-monopoly stance as a Thanksgiving blessing for "the small dealer" (farmers and small businesses), presenting Roosevelt's trust-busting as protecting ordinary Americans from corporate exploitation.