Judge — September 25, 1886 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge cartoon satirizes the ineffectiveness of Sunday-closing laws intended to restrict alcohol sales. The two panels show working-class patrons finding loopholes: the left panel depicts people entering what appears to be a back entrance or side door, while the right shows them gathered inside drinking establishments despite legal restrictions. The caption's ironic title suggests that prohibition laws fail in practice—the "thirsty multitude" easily circumvent regulations meant to limit alcohol access on Sundays. This reflects real tensions of the era when various temperance measures attempted (often unsuccessfully) to control drinking through legal means. The cartoon mocks both the laws' futility and the working-class determination to enjoy alcohol regardless of restrictions, capturing a common frustration with unenforceable or easily-evaded legislation.