Judge — April 28, 1883 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Without and Within" - Sunday-Closing Law Enforcement (April 28, 1883) This cartoon contrasts two approaches to New York's Sunday-closing law. The left panel shows a police officer standing outside a bar marked "SUNDAY," enforcing the law publicly and visibly. The right panel depicts the same establishment's back door, where numerous patrons—including women and children—enter freely, suggesting the law is easily circumvented through back entrances. The satire critiques the ineffectiveness of prohibition enforcement: while authorities maintain a facade of law enforcement at the front, illegal activity flourishes behind the scenes. The title "Without and Within" emphasizes this hypocrisy—the law appears enforced externally but fails internally. This reflects broader 19th-century debates over sumptuary laws and their practical enforceability.