Judge, 1905-01-14 · page 1 of 16
Judge — January 14, 1905 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes the relationship between **protectionist tariffs and worker wages**. A large, bloated figure labeled "PROTECTION PROFITS" holds a "TARIFF REVISION" bottle, pouring coins onto a smaller worker below. The text inside reads "MEANS PROTECTION WAGES." The satirical message is clear: protective tariffs—defended as benefiting workers—actually enriched business profits while wages remained stagnant. The quoted epigraph from Senator Hale criticizes tariff revision as economically destabilizing. The cartoon argues that despite protectionist rhetoric claiming to shield American labor, the actual beneficiaries were wealthy industrialists, while workers received minimal wage increases. The title "Let Well Enough Alone" suggests ironic resignation to this exploitative system.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOL. 48 NO. 1213 JANUARY 14 1905 . PRICE 10 CENTS “There: is not an industry in the country that would not be alarmed [by tariff-revision agitation}, and the uncer- tainty which would forthwith set in would halt and cripple labor and its re- sults everywhere. Senator Hale of i — PROF ILRS MEANS PROTECTION “LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE.” comicbooks.com