Judge — July 11, 1903 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Going for the Mail" — Judge, July 11, 1903 This political cartoon satirizes Post Office Department corruption scandals. A rotund figure labeled "U.S. Post Office Dept." pursues two fleeing characters—one labeled "Honest" and another representing "Corruption"—while holding banners reading "Investigation" and "Corruption." The cartoon illustrates President Roosevelt's quoted comment (below) about prosecuting criminal acts and bad methods in government service without favoritism. The imagery suggests the Post Office Department was chasing down dishonest practices, depicted as figures literally escaping. This references the Post Office scandals of the early 1900s, where mail contracts and mismanagement became a major corruption issue requiring Roosevelt's intervention and investigation.