Judge, 1900-10-13 · page 6 of 16
Judge — October 13, 1900 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the Populist Party movement through letters from "Hiram Pennick," a rural Ohio politician campaigning for populism on horseback across the Midwest. Judge magazine mocks populism by depicting Pennick as an unsophisticated farmer attracting equally quirky recruits—a one-legged voter, a traveling carpenter, and various working-class figures photographed below. The satire targets populist rhetoric about currency reform, opposition to imperialism (the Philippines conflict), and anti-monopoly ("trust question") positions. By showing Pennick monetizing his campaign (receiving $5 to speak into a phonograph), Judge ridicules populism as theatrical hucksterism rather than serious politics. The accompanying cartoons show an increasingly absurd "procession" joining the campaign, emphasizing that populism appeals to society's margins and malcontents rather than respectable citizens. The final postscript—someone prank-writing under a fake name—reinforces the magazine's dismissal of populist discourse as mere "pokin fun."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NoTE.—Hiram Pennick started several weeks ago from Davis Junction, Ohio, on a horseback campaign for populism. He is now in northern Ilinois. Great enthusiasm greets him and his procession wherever he goes. His letters appear exclusively in JuDGE—Ep. Cherryville, Ill. Sept. 19th, 1900. ER JUDG— \ yn oT Wellsir it makes a plane old feller like me feel a leetle like : PA oe f TAH braggin to see the way peeple are turnin out an the letters im Psd gettin frum populists all over the hull country sayin there with me an to keep agoin. A yung feller cum down frum Chicago yesterday with one of them fonograft machines, he giv me $5 fer talkin in it bout my views on the chine question, The muney cums in handy fer medicin, am gettin a leetle sore ridin an throats hoars. Luke Lizer got 50 cts fer playin his accordeum an singin a campain song. 2 more joind the Pennick perceshun today fust one fell in line there at Melongrove, hes a 1 legged feller names Hennicky, Mart Hen- P nicky, he 4 pM seyshes ben BCU votin Re- . 7 J = publikan fer fT , 29 yers an : Ma 4 he haint a bit better off then he wus fust, 4” AMT 1 ay y A cgi Z an he thinks the country needs a change, si" v GV Sad speschully in the currincy. Hesagrate shout- "et \/ a= i Op, "aaa eran it beats all how he kin walk with thet eo ae mere Upminfth) wooden peg of hisn. 2 ‘The other feller joind at Redfield hes a : : ARK MR, PENNICK TALKS INTO A PHONOGRAPIL. travellin carpenter, Dan Bascombs his name, JABS he seys ther haint ben much doin in his line *s fer yers. Hes figgerd it out if the country govment fer them Phillipeens therl be a grate DAN BASCOMB WOULD HELP BUILD A STABLE goes Populism aa then begins buildin a stable @OvbeNccaT Id Ne SiLIRFING. chanct fer Amerikan carpenters over in Mannilla, he seys hes helpt build sum of the best stables here in Stevenson county. To giv you a idy of the strong followin fer populism in these parts i send photo- grafts of leedin citzens of 4 states. strate tiket voters evry one onem. Corns lookin fust rate. Look out fer rousin meet- ins frum now till lection, Yurs truly HIRAM PENNICK. P, s.—im sorry to tell reeders to stop sendin fer my speech on the hissin snaik of impeerilizm—haint one left. A feller writes thet hed like to debate with me on the trust question an signs hisself, Mark Hanner. I showd the letter to Harv Beebe an Harv thinks Hanner didnt write it, looks to him like sumbody was just pokin fun, (To be continued.) MORE RECRUITS JOIN THE PENNICK PROCESSION, GREAT CHAMPIONS OF POPULISM IN THE MIDDLE WEST. = Jake Blair, Blue Val- __ Hank Fisher, Shultz _ CyrusKellogg,West- _BBll Eley, Hayville, Uncle Jim Riggles, __ Lige Bradshaw, ley, 0, drives town dray Comers Wis leedincan- eld, Ind. leedia hors Ind. grate stump pecker Stonvside,’ Il. leedin Hickory Ridg, Il. grate an writes on greenback cleener in cheese factry. docter. an vegtible peddler. ‘wood-sawer, inventer of patent pota- question. to-peeler. comicbooks.com