Judge — June 12, 1909 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a small dog being stepped on or kicked by a person wearing striped pants labeled "TARIFF." The title "OH! HOW IT HURTS" conveys the dog's suffering. This is likely political satire about the tariff controversy of 1909. The dog probably represents American consumers or small businesses being harmed by tariff policies—the "foot" of protective tariffs crushing them. The striped pants suggest governmental authority or policy implementation. The artist (signed "FLOHR") uses the vulnerable dog as a sympathetic figure to critique how tariff legislation causes real economic pain to ordinary Americans, a common theme in early 20th-century progressive political cartoons.