Judge — November 18, 1905 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This **Judge** magazine cartoon satirizes Theodore Roosevelt's "Anti-Rail Road Rebate Legislation." The figure on the left (an elderly man with a long beard, likely representing an established political or business interest) appears dismayed as Roosevelt (identifiable by his distinctive glasses and mustache, wearing a military-style uniform) holds up legislation addressing railroad rebates—illegal practices where railroads secretly reduced shipping rates for favored customers. The caption "Out! One thing at a time" suggests the satire: Roosevelt is pursuing multiple reform initiatives simultaneously, and the cartoon implies this aggressive reform agenda frustrates traditional power brokers. The image criticizes or mocks Roosevelt's progressive regulatory approach to corporate practices during the trust-busting era of early 1900s American politics.