A complete issue · 16 pages · 1883
Judge — September 22, 1883
# The Franco-Chinese Difficulty This political cartoon from *The Judge* (September 22, 1893) satirizes international tensions between France and China. The left figure, labeled "France," wears a military uniform with epaulettes. The right figure, labeled "China," wears traditional Chinese robes and appears distressed. France threatens China with a hammer while holding what appears to be a document labeled "Tonkin" (a French colonial territory in Indochina that was a major point of Franco-Chinese conflict in the 1880s-90s). The caption reads: "JOHN—You wantee too muchee. All same try to rob me. We fightee first," using period-typical stereotypical "pidgin English" dialogue to mock the dispute. The cartoon depicts Western imperial aggression—France attempting to coerce China through military intimidation over colonial disputes.