Judge — May 23, 1903 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical cartoon from *Judge* magazine criticizing labor strikes. The central figure appears to be a caricatured laborer or union representative, depicted as a grotesque character carrying a large bag labeled "MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST EVERY YEAR THROUGH UNNECESSARY STRIKES." The caption references Roosevelt, likely Theodore Roosevelt (president 1901-1909), saying "Wait a moment, gentlemen," suggesting he's attempting to intervene or mediate the strike situation. The cartoon's message is anti-strike: it argues that unnecessary labor actions waste enormous sums of money. The exaggerated caricature of the worker implies the cartoonist views strikers as unreasonable or greedy. The visual weight of the "millions of dollars" burden emphasizes the cartoon's claim about economic damage from labor disputes—a common anti-labor argument of the era.