A complete issue · 16 pages · 1887
Judge — June 4, 1887
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Cover, June 4, 1887 This satirical cartoon titled "Giving Them a Chance" depicts an eagle (representing America or American power) taking flight while roosters below scramble on a dock. The caption states: "When Eagle Blaine takes flight, every little rooster will have a chance to crow for his own boom." This references **James G. Blaine**, likely Secretary of State under President Chester Arthur. The "eagle" represents Blaine's political prominence or ambitions. The "roosters" symbolize lesser political figures or rivals who hope to advance their own careers ("crow for his own boom") once Blaine leaves office or loses influence. The satire mocks both Blaine's dominance in politics and the scrambling ambition of minor politicians eager to fill any power vacuum he creates.
# "An Object Lesson at the Park" This cartoon depicts a woman instructing a young boy at a fence, likely in a public park. The caption reads: "Save me, Edwin; that's the same kind of rat O'Brien saw the mornin' after Kelly's christenin'!" and "Well, it's not unlike the howly mother'n alebout yez broke." The humor relies on ethnic Irish stereotyping common to Gilded Age satire. The misspelled dialect ("howly mother," "alebout yez") and references to "O'Brien" and "Kelly" mark the characters as Irish-American. The joke appears to reference drunken behavior at a christening party, with the implication that someone saw rats while intoxicated—a crude ethnic caricature equating Irish immigrants with both poverty and excessive drinking.
