Judge, 1886-05-29 · page 3 of 16
Judge — May 29, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page satirizes President Grover Cleveland's political struggles using circus metaphors. The top cartoon "Taking Time by the Forelock" depicts a man checking a large clock—likely criticizing Cleveland's time management or political timing. The main satire, "The Man-Taming Mule," compares Cleveland to a circus performer attempting to tame a fractious mule (representing political opposition or the Democratic Party). The text explains that Cleveland, like a tired tamer, struggles unsuccessfully while the audience loses interest and leaves. The mule—"doubleeared" and "multitudinously hoofed"—appears to reference the party's internal divisions. References to "Mr. Curtis" (likely George William Curtis, a prominent mugwump reformer) and tensions between Democrats, Republicans, and mugwumps (independent reformers) suggest Cleveland cannot satisfy all factions simultaneously. The lower section, "The Impending Honeymoon," shifts to Cleveland's personal life, apparently mocking his courtship difficulties alongside political failures. The satire's central point: Cleveland's presidency—like a failed circus act—has exhausted audiences and performers alike.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TAKING TIME BY THE FORELOCK. none of your family are dead, are —No, not yet ; but the old lady has bought a kero- Johnny's got a new bicycle, and my oldest with a Pittsburg carries a ha of the ma 's Well enough to keep abreast JUDG Ks made the discovery that it was not only doubleeared but multitudinous- |ly hoofed. The exhibition given on the, middle pages of this paper to- day shows the situation exactly. Mr. Cleveland as the unrivaled mule- tamer is somewhat tired and rather |more than discouraged, along with the clown Daniel. He has not tamed the four-eared animal nearly as much as the animal has tamed him, and the exercises have been going lon at frequent intervals a pretty long time. The fractious beast has | tired out the audience and all the assistants as well as the trainer, and is still in the vigor of his exist- ence and anxious for more expe jments, The seats are empty w the exception of one forlorn indi- vidual whose coat bears a rese .|blance to that of the _propheti George William, and who yearns for the outer atmosphere. The jenthusiastic audience is not there, and the shouts and cheers and ap- plause that were anticipated will |never, never come. Even the band has struck, and the place has a look of empty and barren dreariness that the ordinary barn-stormers never knew, Put out the lights. Carry out the tamer and the grief-sti n little clown. The smell of the sawdust furnishes no inspiration, and the dude who any fan, plaining. He must just work. strike except with his hammer, and the strike of that kind is so far too monotonous. But there is comfort in all kinds of honest labor, even if there is not song or conversa- tion or amusement to enliven it. The various aldermen who are likely to pass the summer season and a number of y beyond it in the large establishment at Sing Sing may at least congratulate themselves that they are really earning their bread by the sweat of their several | brows and that they are doing nothing of a reprehensible natu new tothem. It will be so novel fora long time that they may finally learn to enjoy it. | In this view of the case we beg to offer them ur congratulations, and if they refrain from ing the same we may at least present| them to an always appreciative public. THE MAN-TAMING MULE. Mr. Cleveland with all his prospective do- mestic bliss is not the happiest man in the world ne time ago Mr. Curtis in a mo- ment of inspirational confidence whispered to ion of civil-service reformers, face- ly so called, that the good man’s admin- istration must inevitably be a failure, for if it supported the Democracy it would lose the mugwuamps, and if the Republicans it would lose the Democrats, and if the mugwumps it would lose both parties and be as cold as a dennition moist, unpleasant corpse. Mr. Cur- tis didn’t use these exact words, but that was what he meant and the result predicted was as susceptible of proof as a problem in mathe- matics. It appears that Mr. Cleveland thought he knew better. It turned out directly that Mr. Beecher looked upon the Democratic party as’ adoubleeared ass, and after a good deal of effort to subdue that animal Mr. Cleveland And he has not the privilege of com-|in the surrounding emptiness. He can't even | lights, and.then. The experience will be] ldancing illuminators are ghastly Put out the put out the lights. THE IMPENDING HONEYMOON, It must not be supposed that our president has had less than the average trouble in hi courtship of the charming young lady who is soon to bear his name, and perhaps his children. Love is very democratic in his dealings with wooers, the poor and the rich being on about same level as to doubt and fear, hope and ir, circumstance and opportunity, and the us things that lift the anticipatory soul to ENGLISH, YOU KNOW. “Yes, Bobby, the gentleman knows it is raining, | but that is his walking umbrella, and he wouldn't use that, ‘yer know, dear boy.’” | the height of bliss this moment on], end it to the opposite extreme the next. Possibly our Grover has escaped the ferocious bull-dog and so managed to save his trousers. He has cer- tainly had no opposition from the prospective father-in-law, and he probably would have had none if that gentleman had lived. It is undoubtedly true that the hinges of the front gate never gave out, and in the ecstacy of his rapture he never sat down on the freshly- | painted stoop of his sweetheart’s cottage. But | his seasons of doubt have nevertheless been numerous and somewhat extended, owing to his age and that of the sweetheart. He has watched, with the aid of a small mirror and a large one, the gradual enlargement of the bald spot at the top of his head with a feeling akin toagony. He has studied the young lady’s notes between the lines thereof to find reason for dis- satisfaction and grief on her part, and many times has made up his mind to be generous and chivalricand release her from her engagament. though it crack the heart that in any event will be faithful to her forevermore. He has blown hot and cold within five minutes, and at times has felt brief regret that he ever saw the sweet heart, that feeling followed by a strange yearn- ing for the peace of the grave beneath the weeping willow; but these periods have in- bly been followed by an exaltation of happiness that lifted his soul to the mountain tops, painted the world with thrice the colors of the rainbow, and puckered his lips to the soft, low music of the man who whistles to himself alone. And he shall have all the large and small annoyances peculiar to the universal honey- moon. He shall feel the awkwardness of possession with a thousand envious eyes fixed on him in critical observation. He shall find it extremely difficult to check his exuberance and fix its pace to the slow dignity of his years and his office. He shall awake to discover tears in the sweetheart’s eyes, and for hours shall be divided between remorse and intense yearning to destroy the young men who won the undeveloped appreciation of the lady years ago. And there shall be no help for it. comicbooks.com