Judge — March 4, 1905 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a 1905 *Judge* magazine cartoon attacking the **Tobacco Trust**—a monopoly controlling the cigarette and tobacco industry. The figure with the telescope appears to be President **Theodore Roosevelt**, known for trust-busting. The satirical point: a well-dressed capitalist (the "Tobacco Trust," labeled on his body) operates a cannon pointed at small figures in a box below—representing **retail tobacco dealers** being crushed by the monopoly's predatory practices. The cannon and telescope suggest the Trust's power to target and destroy competition. The title warns Roosevelt that after dealing with other trusts, the Tobacco Trust should be **his next target**. The scattered coins beneath emphasize the economic devastation inflicted on small retailers.