Judge — January 2, 1897 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical page mocking common New Year's resolutions that people predictably fail to keep. Each cartoon depicts a character who has made a resolution, with the humor deriving from the obvious impossibility or irony of their pledge: - A man buying insurance and Standard Oil stock (mocking speculative excess) - "Mr. Upnites" who resolved to stop swearing (shown cursing anyway) - "Jolly Caller" avoiding ladies with bulldogs (physical danger from pets) - "Deacon Jonsing" avoiding poultry theft on moonlit nights (stealing under cover of darkness) - Mr. Nipper struggling not to drink whisky despite his wife's presence - Fitz Corbett renouncing "real fighting" (likely a boxer unable to quit the sport) The satire targets human weakness and hypocrisy—the gap between stated intentions and actual behavior. The page mocks both the foolishness of making impossible resolutions and the predictable failure to maintain them, a timeless social commentary that remains relevant today.