Judge — March 25, 1905 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Death-Dealer" - Judge Magazine, March 25, 1905 This political cartoon depicts a demonic figure labeled "DEATH-DEALER" wielding a scythe and cigarette, surrounded by corpses and distressed figures. The satire targets the tobacco industry and cigarette smoking as a deadly threat to public health. The central demon represents personified death profiting from cigarette sales. Around the figure are signs referencing retail stores, competitions, and trust monopolies—suggesting the industry's aggressive marketing and business practices. Small human figures appear to be victims or workers caught in the industry's grip. The cartoon advocates for regulation or prohibition of cigarettes, portraying smoking not as a personal choice but as an industry deliberately distributing poison. This reflects early-20th-century public health concerns about cigarettes, before tobacco's dangers were scientifically established.