A complete issue · 17 pages · 1888
Judge — October 6, 1888
# Political Content Analysis This October 6, 1888 Judge page satirizes the 1888 U.S. presidential election featuring Democrat Grover Cleveland (the incumbent president, shown in the campaign ribbons). The central article "What England Thinks of It" mocks Cleveland's free-trade position by presenting British newspaper commentary supporting his candidacy—the satire being that English approval damages an American politician. The page implies Cleveland's free-trade stance benefits British manufacturing interests over American ones. The repeated "Pauper Labor Badge" caption at bottom refers to the Republican argument that free trade would expose American workers to unfair British competition. W.H. Grant's medal imagery represents industrial achievement, contrasting with the political/trade debate. The satire suggests Cleveland is effectively a tool of British economic interests.