Judge — November 17, 1906 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes William Jennings Bryan, the three-time Democratic presidential candidate. The caricatured figure holds a check for $340,643.6—likely representing campaign funds or speaking fees Bryan received. The joke's premise: Judge suggests Bryan is being paid to abandon his Democratic nomination aspirations and avoid running for president in 1908. The accompanying letter sarcastically claims if Bryan "should get the Democratic nomination and run for president in 1908, you are politically a 340 6436"—implying the number represents his political value or worth. The satire mocks Bryan as mercenary, suggesting his political principles were negotiable for the right price. The "check" serves as visual evidence of this satirical corruption claim.