Judge — February 8, 1908 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine cartoon satirizes support for Charles Evans Hughes as a 1916 presidential candidate. The central female figure represents Lady Liberty or the American electorate, holding a feather duster—symbolizing Hughes as merely a tool for "cleaning cobwebs" from government rather than offering substantive reform. The verse mocks the enthusiasm of Hughes supporters, suggesting their "hip hoorays" and noise are meant to "drown the sound of the band"—implying their campaign relies on empty cheerleading rather than real policy substance. The caricatured crowd on the right, labeled with terms like "CABINET" and "LA FOLLE" (unclear without fuller context), likely represents political factions or opposition figures. The satire suggests Hughes's candidacy lacks real vision—he's presented as a decorative solution to deep governmental problems requiring more than superficial cleaning.