Judge — April 22, 1911 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes wealthy elites who accumulate power across multiple professions. The caricatured figure—depicted with exaggerated features typical of early 20th-century caricature—stands triumphantly before an audience, dressed formally and gesturing expansively. The title identifies him as "the real plutocrat": someone who functions as "editor, lawyer, lecturer, and farmer; but, above all, a money-getter." The satire targets how the wealthy concentrate influence across different sectors (media, law, agriculture, public discourse) while their primary motivation remains wealth accumulation. Books and money bags at his feet symbolize his financial power. The cheering crowd suggests his public influence despite (or because of) his mercenary motives. The work critiques plutocratic control of American institutions during the Progressive Era, when reformers attacked concentrated wealth and power.