Judge — October 12, 1912 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1910s-era Judge cartoon satirizes the women's suffrage movement. The illustrated woman, labeled a "suffragette," holds a decorative fan while seated, speaking a monologue that critiques political candidates. She expresses dissatisfaction with "Mr. Taft" (President William Howard Taft) and "Mr. Wilson," finding both flawed—Taft is "too fat" and "too bossy," Wilson is "too thin." Her conclusion to "vote for Percy" appears to mock suffragettes as frivolous, suggesting they'll base voting decisions on trivial personal preferences rather than substantive policy. The satire mocks both the suffragettes' judgment and the candidates themselves, reflecting anti-suffrage sentiment that portrayed women voters as shallow and unsuited for political participation.