Judge, 1897-02-27 · page 16 of 16
Judge — February 27, 1897 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a series of comic vignettes imagining the chaos of mandatory honesty. Each cartoon depicts a familiar social or commercial transaction where someone finally speaks the uncomfortable truth: - A shopkeeper admits a bonnet has been unsold for four years - A tailor confesses raincoat dyes run badly - A gas company acknowledges an outrageous bill - A plumber admits to padding work hours with fake "extra-time" charges - A doctor cynically admits uncertainty about treatment - A horse dealer reveals an animal's lameness and injuries The satire targets Victorian-era commercial dishonesty and social hypocrisy—the expectation that polite society demands deception in everyday transactions. The humor lies in imagining how different institutions would collapse if customers and service providers spoke candidly about inflated prices, shoddy goods, and deliberate fraud. It's a critique of widespread business corruption normalized as standard practice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Potrre ciarx—"A love of a bonnet, did you say, miss? I'm glad somebody likes’ it. It's Cusax—"Outrageous gas-bill, sir! I'l been in stock four years and has become an admit it, We heard you had a new gas-stove P 1 Cusroman—" Are the colors in this mackintosh fast eyesore to the ‘orm. sod thought you would put up with the impo- ae aiierease. bave noticed that the coffee and sugar Ceri Rary Very fast; in fact, when it rains, I guarantee fo tnighiPAta—"Vis, madam. Oi hoy me frinds thot needs that they will run.’ Dr. Purces—" Your case is entirely beyond my com- prebension ; eitber you want more exercise or you don't want any. ‘If you will try all of my twenty-seven remedies Til agree'to fetch you one way cr the other.” Puvmasa—" Of course, madam, I could have brought along the requisite tools’ but by scoding back, the, boy Several times | can ring in extra-time bill on this job," etc. Pe ee ne ae dollars to me for this horse? Have you noticed, friend, that he is knee-sprung aod badly foundered?" mag, or was his injury jeated ?” ‘yer honor. Oi got thot him fer bein’ out so late an* thot ‘Good-bye, sir, and bad luck. Ke- i {you scrape of but I reaily don’ a wealthy Sackects Wilhelns Lie Co Row York HAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE WERE ALL FORCED TO TELL THE TRUTH FOR ONE HOUR.