Judge — April 27, 1907 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes railroad industry opposition to government regulation. A hand labeled "WHAT I KNOW ABOUT RAIL-ROADS" holds a stick controlling two donkeys representing railroad interests: one labeled "GOOD" with "RADICALISM" and "BUST THE TRUSTS," the other labeled "GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF RAIL-ROADS." The satire suggests that someone (likely a political candidate) has only superficial knowledge of railroads yet attempts to manipulate railroad policy through populist rhetoric and radical proposals. The donkeys being pulled in opposite directions implies contradictory or cynical messaging designed to appease different audiences during a presidential campaign, while actual railroad expertise is absent. The cartoon criticizes campaign demagoguery on economic policy.