Judge — March 1, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Rising Tide" (Judge, March 1, 1919) This political cartoon by Grant E. Hamilton depicts a drowning scene with labeled vessels sinking in turbulent waters. The image appears to reference post-WWI economic and social upheaval. Visible labels on boats include references to "broken," "loan," and other partially legible text suggesting financial crisis or debt. The churning waters above show distressed conditions, with debris and wreckage scattered about. Given the March 1919 date—immediately following World War I's armistice—this likely satirizes the chaotic economic transition from wartime to peacetime, including war debts, economic instability, or labor unrest that plagued the postwar period. The "rising tide" metaphor suggests catastrophic social/economic forces overwhelming established institutions or financial systems.