Judge — May 2, 1903 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Watch the Fire!" This Judge magazine cover from May 2, 1903 uses the metaphor of a boiling pot to satirize labor-capital relations. The figure labeled "Capital" (left, in formal dress) and "Labor" (right, depicted as a worker) are shown as adversaries positioned above a pot labeled "Business" that's beginning to boil over with flames labeled "Carelessness" and "Prosperity." The caption quotes "Aunty Samuel" (personifying Uncle Sam/the U.S. government): "If you two would only watch the fire, instead of quarreling with each other all the time, the pot would never boil over." The satire criticizes both capital and labor for their constant conflict, warning that their infighting threatens to destabilize the broader economy—represented by the overheating pot.