Judge — May 4, 1907 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Go After the Little Tin Cans, Mr. President" This Judge cartoon satirizes **Standard Oil's monopolistic practices** through an "Oil Octopus" image—a creature with multiple tentacles labeled "STANDARD OIL" strangling various industries and sectors. The accompanying article criticizes the **Tea Spillers** (presumably referring to the original Boston Tea Party rebels) for failing to break Standard Oil's grip, arguing that unlike earlier American resistance movements, current efforts against monopolies lack sufficient vigor. The cartoon urges the President (appears to reference **Theodore Roosevelt's anti-trust efforts**) to aggressively pursue the octopus—Standard Oil—suggesting government intervention is necessary. The satire mocks both the oil monopoly's pervasive control and the perceived weakness of reformers attempting to challenge it through conventional means.