Judge — February 21, 1903 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes labor conflict, likely from the early 20th century. A distressed skilled worker sits amid discarded tools and machinery, head in hand in despair. Industrial buildings with smoking smokestacks loom behind him. A well-dressed figure (appears to be a businessman or capitalist) stands observing in the background. The caption—"Wouldn't it be better for everybody if they were separated?"—suggests sarcasm about separating skilled and unskilled laborers, possibly referencing labor union divisions or class stratification. The cartoon critiques either capitalist indifference to worker suffering or conflicts within the labor movement itself. The skilled laborer's dejection contrasts with the detached observer, emphasizing economic disparity and the worker's powerlessness during industrial-era labor disputes.