Judge, 1885-05-16 · page 3 of 16
Judge — May 16, 1885 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A May Day Dream" — Judge Magazine Political Cartoon This satirical piece targets **Kentucky Democratic politics**, likely from the 1880s (references to Cleveland suggest the 1888 election era). The main illustration depicts a whimsical May Day celebration with fantastical creatures under a smiling sun—a "dream" contrasting sharply with reality. The accompanying commentary uses mathematical symbols as metaphors: Kentucky Democrats expect to "get" something (represented by "0"—zero/nothing), have actually received zero, and hope Cleveland will be reduced to zero. The phrase "Nothing Left to Cipher, then" suggests Democratic political calculations are futile—they're counting on nothing. This reflects Republican criticism of Democratic governance in Kentucky, portraying their political expectations as delusional fantasies with zero actual accomplishment or prospects. The dream-like illustration ironically frames Democratic hopes as disconnected from reality. The page also includes unrelated satirical notes about a husband's divorce complaint regarding his wife's prayer habits.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NOTE. postponed on account of the weather. A MAY DAY DREAM. We take the chances of publishing YOUNG GRIMES. He knows full well that learning makex human joy And troun He is the same when skies are clear, Or clow In happy sport hi And whi And if the measure of bis mirth Toward waywardy On knees he His mother’s knees, Ir s should lean, On errands (if he don't get back) very quickly goes; ful sharp in his rep! crawling under shows. Or jars on pantry shelf Some new things he picks up each day, And To tisi And He ki Just where the zoodne evotes on his mind— nws that wickedness begins He throws his cares unto the winds — His brick-bats at my hens. His voice is like t That o'er its pebbi They say he's v Except when with t downwant brook purls: ave and bold— girls. The road of life he t And many a joy rev ks quite fair, He does whate'er he tries to do, And he would stand the first, Or ut the top end of his class— If it should be reversed. And though young Grimes is still a boy, It would be no surpris If he would some day be a man— If he gets years and size. And now the moral of this lay Quite plain to all apy Youth is the Accumalat ason This beautiful and unique picture was prepared for the first of May according to the almanac but had to be it now. Nothing Left to Cipher, then. 0 This represents the earth. It is what the Kentucky Democracy expect to get.—[Phil- adelphia Press. 0 This represents a naught. It is what the Kentucky Democracy got. — [Washington | Hatchet. This represents a hole. It is what the Kentucky Democracy hope to see Cleveland get into.—[Roxbury Advocate. ° ‘This represents a goose-egg. It is what both Cleveland and the Democracy are get- ting ready for, in ’88. in filing a bill for ‘oree, mentioned as one of his grievances ‘act that his wife was accustomed to pray | aloud for an hour before retiring, enumerat- A cHicaGo husband, d the ing all her husband’s sins in detail. If she could do this in an hour she ought not to have had a divorce from a man so much above the average husband. comicbooks.com