A complete issue · 16 pages · 1890
Judge — June 7, 1890
# "Size Saves Him" - Judge Magazine, June 7, 1890 This political cartoon satirizes a powerful political figure (likely a state governor or official) whose size/influence protects him from accountability. A tiny figure at lower left—representing either a prisoner, citizen, or reformer—cannot reach the towering "big chief" to hold him accountable. The State Prison building visible in the background suggests corruption or abuse of the justice system. The scroll listing names on the right appears to catalog individuals allegedly wronged or swindled by this figure. The caption "The big chief can't be reached" emphasizes the cartoon's point: wealth, political power, and status create immunity from consequences that ordinary citizens face. This reflects late-19th-century American concerns about political corruption and unequal justice.
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page 134 The main cartoon titled "LEADING HIM ON" depicts a woman showing a man fabric swatches or samples, likely representing domestic American textiles. This satirizes debates over **protective tariffs on manufactured goods**. The surrounding editorial text discusses the "tariff question," arguing that American manufacturers—particularly cotton producers—deserve protection from cheaper foreign imports. The piece critiques the Democratic Party's "free trade" stance as naive, asserting that tariffs safeguard American labor and industry. The cartoon's "leading him on" suggests the woman (representing American industry) is manipulating the man (likely a politician or consumer) through appeals to buy domestic products. This reflects 1890s-era tensions between protectionist and free-trade economic philosophies that dominated American politics.
