Puck — November 14, 1877 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**Title:** "Freedom of the Ballot, As Interpreted by Street Railroad Companies" This political cartoon satirizes how street railroad companies were allegedly interfering with voting rights. The image shows well-dressed men (likely representing railroad company officials or their agents) physically preventing or intimidating ordinary citizens from voting or accessing polling places. One figure wielding a club appears to be blocking access, while others restrain a voter. The satire suggests that despite legal protections for voting rights, powerful corporate interests were using intimidation and force to suppress the ballot. This reflects post-Reconstruction era tensions when businesses—particularly railroads—wielded significant political power, and voting access remained contested despite the 15th Amendment.