Judge, 1888-02-04 · page 5 of 16
Judge — February 4, 1888 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical piece titled "The Rev. Cicero Smith," written in exaggerated African American dialect that was common in period humor. The reverend tells rambling parables to his congregation about avoiding temptation and greed—using examples like a man obsessing over Moses in the bulrushes or someone finding a lemonade spring in Mississippi. The humor relies on the reverend's tendency to digress endlessly. A sick parishioner interrupts, asking why the reverend won't handle church collection money himself if it's truly "poisoned" by government contact (likely referencing Reconstruction-era corruption). The reverend dodges the question, prompting the frustrated listener to leave. The cartoon illustrations labeled "A Case of Reconstruction" show mules being worked, apparently commenting satirically on post-Civil War labor practices. The satire targets both Black church culture (stereotypically) and Reconstruction-era financial/political corruption through the "poisoned money" metaphor—suggesting widespread distrust of government funds during this period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE 5 THE REV. CICERO SMITH. He Learns How Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth it 1s to Have a Thankless Listener * De gemman in de daak uges dat ‘vented a pry an’ yelled fo’ a place toe stan’ on an’ wanted de job ob movin’ de hin’ de times, my ah-bredd remarked the R Cicero Smith troduction to hr Whi driftin’ ¢” for lisown behoof in the church of the chosen fe times * set hit rollin’. An toe stan’ lef fo'ty miles mady fo" use. tern, ‘semble Link 1 heal yo" inqu' wlookin’ at de wagon wen we might jist ez well be int Lonce met a man dat spent a week in aliguin’ dat ef Moses ud wbean hid inde woods insted « in de bullrushes wbean foun’ by de tah. But dat ain't ne dat amet got head an’ t My breddren mes ud bean hid inde dautah, lecture on ** f he ud foun’ a 7 vn de with he ud away befo' he got ‘is pry We. my bredde is man ud awent I instid ob in swimmin’ bean foun’ jis’ de same. ahgument, We ‘cline toe much, my breddern an’ much fo" sistern, toe imitatin’ eddah peo ple. De oddaly day T read dat a man down in Mississippi wile 1 well foun’ a spring ob all he had toe do war to chuck in sugah an’ dar lemon jnie tek g. DEN GAO putty vlgh eben Now, Goliah. sposin’ I git de saddle an’ we “He war behin’ de ‘A CASE OF RECONSTRUCTION. “He's Jes’ a triftle sprung bebaind, but ‘r reek'n *r kin cua dat.” war his lemonade. Now ef dis con'guti TIL bet de collection dat ull be took up. match dat’s bean struck dat all ob y Dat’s de trouble. Yo" ud strike watah, but yo’ ud hab toe pu’cha lemons ez well ez yo" sugah, an’ de time an’ labah yo! ud spen’ tr: toe coax somebody else's luck toe light on yo’ picks an’ shovels ud buil’'a meetin’-house. Dar’s toe little ‘ri shen el I read de oddah day money fi in Wash'n’ton dun git pizened But how many ob yo" heah, my ah-bruddern fom han’lin’ greenbacks fo’ feah od pizen ie Smith paused for a reply; but it y the clouds move in the hea’ the Chosen Few were shut. awered himself, with a look of pity at the Paidon me, sah,” remarked a sick the chy he rose and signalled the hailing a horse-ear two blocks away. “poun’ a pussnel quesyun, sab.” 1 war all down in Mississippi “en [clude my lekeha agin a "ud go toe diggin’ fo’ lemonade. ‘bon faces before hin ellow man in the ‘turer as though ahdon me, but ['d Tait ae aun’ away,” replied the sar, as he toyed with his in Com han'lin’ greenbacks yo'se'f ‘ease sumun dun got pizened wid um ¢” This query from the sickly-yellow man was made angrily and ina loud voice nan dat ami ’stu’bin’ a ull sitdown T'll an- sah “im, The quest at Tdun | clugyman obah dis. yer ‘se a'n't sot eye on a greenback in ‘f dat perud. De deekins ull now a pass de baskets, an’ ef de bradder w’o hab distu’bed de flow ob 1 idees on * Wha’ ah we driftin’ ‘Tur ucLe—" This reconstruction business has goon far enough! long distance target practice.” Here gues for sone comicbooks.com