Life — May 5, 1927 — page 23: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon depicts **Justice** (the blindfolded female figure on the left) confronting **Massachusetts Law** (the caricatured figure on the right wearing a top hat). Between them sits a wooden block labeled "SACCO-VANZETTI SENTENCE" with text referencing "INTOLERANCE" and "PREJUDICE." The cartoon satirizes the 1927 execution of Italian anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti in Massachusetts, suggesting the death sentence resulted from prejudice and intolerance rather than justice. Justice's accusatory question—"What have you got to do with it!"—implies Massachusetts Law acted without proper regard for actual justice, condemning the men based on their ethnicity and political beliefs rather than fair legal proceedings. This reflects contemporary criticism of the controversial trial.