Judge — February 29, 1896 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes **Freemasonry and fraternal lodge culture**, popular targets for American humor in the late 19th/early 20th century. The main joke centers on a character named Jack rejecting membership in a Masonic lodge. When invited to join, he refuses with the punchline that the lodge already contains "enough jackasses"—a crude but effective insult suggesting lodge members are foolish. The surrounding illustrations mock Masonic rituals and secrecy, parodying the mystique around lodge "grips, signs & passwords" by showing exaggerated physical contortions and "bumps & muscles" supposedly developed through initiation ordeals. The title "Secrets of Masonry Exposed" promises insider revelations but delivers only crude humor. For modern readers: this reflects historical American skepticism toward secretive fraternal organizations, combining class-based mockery with straightforward name-calling—typical satirical tactics of *Judge* magazine.