A complete, restored issue of Judge from 1892-12-24 — all 18 pages of color political cartoons and topical humor, free to page through at comicbooks.com.

On the cover: # Analysis: "Santa Cleveland and the Office-Seekers' Chimneys" This is a political cartoon satirizing President Grover Cleveland during the 1892 election season. Cleveland, depicted as Santa Claus carrying a sack labeled "SPOILS," sits atop a chimney overlooking a cityscape filled with countless additional chimneys—representing the numerous federal office positions sought by job applicants. The joke mocks the pressure Cleveland faced from office-seekers wanting government positions, a practice called the "spoils system." The cartoon suggests Cleveland cannot possibly satisfy all these petitioners, as there are far too many chimneys (positions) to fill with gifts (jobs). This reflects contemporary criticism of patronage politics and the exhausting demands placed on a sitting president by his party's supporters seeking federal employment.

🖼️ Every page has a plain-English note on what you’re looking at — the figures, the references, the point of the satire.

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