Judge — October 7, 1922 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes a politician preparing deceptive campaign strategies for November elections ("November gunning"). The caricatured figure, labeled as a "Politician," holds papers marked "Tariff" while surrounded by duck decoys labeled "Promises," "Economy," "Prosperity," and "Hokum." The satire suggests the politician uses false promises (decoys) to attract voters, much like hunters use decoys to attract ducks. The labels on the decoys represent hollow campaign pledges—economic promises that are essentially "hokum" (nonsense). The "Tariff" paper indicates this likely references early-20th-century American trade policy debates. The cartoon mocks politicians' manipulative electoral tactics, implying they cynically deploy attractive-sounding but dishonest campaign messages to win votes.