Judge — September 10, 1910 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes perceived causes of social unrest in early 20th-century America. Lady Liberty (left, in starred robe) and a wealthy capitalist (right) frame a list of grievances the cartoonist ironically attributes to "insurgency"—a term referencing progressive/radical movements challenging established power. The list reads as conservative propaganda: blamed causes include "Easy Graft," "Low Muckraking," "Lawlessness," "Official Hatred," and "Strikes." Rather than acknowledging legitimate labor grievances or corruption, the cartoon suggests insurgents are motivated by sensationalism and revolutionary ideology. The satire cuts both ways: Judge (a conservative publication) mocks progressive reformers while inadvertently documenting that wealthy elites blamed journalism, labor activism, and calls for reform—not their own wrongdoing—for social upheaval.